Page 19 of Betraying Him
“She wouldn’t,” I murmur, even though the evidence is clear as day. I can see it with my own eyes.
I stare in disbelief as she starts taking pictures of his computer screen while flicking worried glances toward the door. When the hell did she even have the chance to do this? We watched movies all day before… I fell asleep on the couch.
“Fuck!” I roar and resume my pacing. I run my hands through my hair before pulling on the strands.
What the actual fucking fuck is she playing at?
My body vibrates as all of the pieces begin slotting into place, and I want to fucking punch something.
This can’t be true. It can’t be.
“It is, and I’m sorry,” Dad says, making me realize I said it aloud.
I pause my movements and take a deep breath in an attempt to center myself before facing my father.
“What do we do?” I ask, and no matter how hard I try to compose myself, my voice comes out as nothing more than a hoarse croak.
I’m one step away from losing my ever-loving mind. I have to focus on finding a solution rather than thinking about anything else because if I let myself go down that path and think abouther, then I really will lose my goddamn sanity.
“We do what he wants. I have to pull out of the election; he’s not giving us another choice. I knew he was trying to sway my voters, and I knew he was dirty, but I didn’t think it would come to this.”
“Why not exploit him as the piece of shit he is?” I grunt, affronted.
How can he just go along with us and give the asshole what he wants?
“Because if what I did got out, it would hurt your mom, and that’s the last thing I want. I’ll tell your mother this will be the end of my political career because I want to spend more time with her. She’ll never have to know, Marks will be happy, and we can put this all behind us.”
My jaw ticks as I take in his words. “And what if that’s not the end of it? What if you give in this time and he sees how easy you are, so he goes after something else?”
Clearly, we know nothing about the man. I always thought he was a savvy businessman with his hands in politics, but it’s obviously so much worse than he shows the world. If he’s doing this to us without blinking an eye, then it’s clearly not the first dirty deal he’s made. How many lives has he ruined, and how many more does he plan to destroy?
“I’ll take that risk. For my wife and son, I’d risk anything.” I know that tone. That’s the tone he uses when his word is final, and I know his mind is made up. This is what’s happening, and we’re just going to have to live with the consequences.
I collapse back into my seat, defeated.
“I’m sorry about the girl, Harley. I know you liked her,” he says as he stands, and I can’t even bear to look at him.
This is all my fucking fault.
If I hadn’t been the one to pursue her, she wouldn’t have had the chance to get into our home.
She wouldn’t have ruined my father’s career, and she wouldn’t have made me feel so fucking… broken.
Except… why the hell should I take the blame for this shit?She’sthe one who deceived me.She’sthe one who made a game out of something I thought was real, andshe’sthe one who stole the information.
And one way or another, she’s going to pay the price.
THIRTEEN
HARLEY
FRESHMAN YEAR
Two months into freshman year,and before this week, I’d only caught sight of Savannah a handful of times and always from a distance. Whether she’s avoiding me, or I’d been subconsciously avoiding her, I’m not sure.
The rage in me has been building every single day, my thoughts constantly straying back to what she did.
What she did to my family, to me, tous.
