Page 48 of Flawless

“You’re not going to get away with this.” Though I didn’t know how I could fight back. As long as he had that video, and could leak it online, I was screwed.

“He dumped you, didn’t he?” He smirked. “I knew he would. Guys like that, straight shooters, are so easy to play. Everything’s black and white, right and wrong with them. One mistake and they cut you off like they never met you.”

“Why?” I demanded, feeling the painful truth of his words put the squeeze on my heart. “Why couldn’t you just let me be happy? What did I ever do to you?”

“You have to ask that?” He looked sincerely shocked. “You crushed me. I was in love with you. And you dumped me, like what we had meant nothing to you.”

I didn’t think we were ever that serious. He’d never told me he loved me, and I’d certainly never entertained those thoughts about him. “Look, I tried to be friends⁠—”

“I didn’t want to be your friend! You know how hard it’s been watching you fall for someone else? Screw that. If I can’t be happy, you can’t either.”

“You’re twisted,” I said, reaching for the door handle.

“Yeah,” he shouted down the hall as I pounded on the elevator button. “And you made me this way!”

Chapter Eighteen

Cameron

Watching that video made me feel sick to my stomach, yet I continued torturing myself.

Rylee’s denials kept ringing in my ears. I couldn’t imagine her betraying me that way, but I’d never imagined Kelly would either. So, maybe I was just a shitty judge of character.

I was a career cop. I knew videos could be manipulated, and maybe I should have thought about that before accusing Rylee of cheating on me. That sick bastard could have baited me into making the biggest mistake of my life. But I couldn’t know for sure, because confirmation would require turning it over to my digital forensics team and I’d shoot myself before I let anyone else see it.

I groaned when my sister’s number flashed across my screen. She’d already called me three times that morning and clearly wasn’t giving up.

“What do you want?” I snapped. “I’m at work.” In fact, I was sitting at my desk, staring into space like a zombie, but she didn’t have to know that.

“It may interest you to know Austin proposed to me last night.”

“Shit, seriously?” I scraped a hand over my beard. “I’m sorry, sis. That’s great. I’m really happy for you guys.”

“Thank you. So hopefully that means you’ll be able to make it to a little engagement party we’re having at the house this weekend?”

Hell no, I couldn’t see Rylee. But there was no way I could miss my sister’s engagement party either.

“Rylee’s not going to be there, is she?”

“Of course, I just called to invite her when I couldn’t get in touch with you.” She hesitated. “Cam, what’s going on? That call last night, when you were asking when we’d left⁠—”

“It’s not important.”

And I felt even worse because that call could have interrupted Austin’s plans to pop the question to my sister.

“Did you and Rylee have a fight?”

“She didn’t tell you?”

“No, she was too excited for us.”

“Of course she was. I am too.” I closed my eyes and tipped my head back against the leather swivel chair. “You guys have been waiting a long time for this, Eden.”

And I wouldn’t do anything to ruin it. I’d just show up at the party and keep my distance from Rylee, without making things too awkward.

Even I didn’t believe that was possible. How the hell was I supposed to handle this mess?

“We have, and we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone we love. But you didn’t answer the question. Did you and Rylee get into a fight?”