Page 71 of Slide

“So that’s why you left school, because that asshole you were seeing won’t take no for an answer?”

There was no point denying it now. He’d seen it, all of it. All the ugly, sick, twisted crap Daniel had been sending her. “Yes,” she whispered.

Fire burned bright from his eyes. “Do you know how hard it was for me to come here instead of finding that fucker and tearing him to shreds?”

Lucy shook her head furiously. That was the last thing she needed. “This has nothing to do with you. I can handle it. I am handling it.”

“You’re not handling shit.”

“I’m going to change my number again. It’ll stop.”

Adam’s hands went to the counter either side of her waist, caging her in. “It’ll stop all right.”

“Please, Adam, you can’t…you can’t say anything. Please, just leave it.”

The muscle in his jaw jumped. “Why haven’t you reported this?”

She couldn’t hold his stare. It was too damn intense. “I just want to forget any of it happened.”

“You need to call the school. He should lose his job for this.”

She shook her head again. “No, please…”

“What the fuck, Lucy? Do you still care about him? Do you love him? Is that what this is about?” he said.

Her gaze shot back to his. “No…”

“Cut the bullshit. You’re hiding something. What is it? Fucking tell me.”

“No…I…”

“Tell me.”

“It’s none of your—”

“Now,” he barked.

“I don’t want to hurt his kids, okay?” Her voice sounded broken, stilted. “Not any more than I already have.”

“So his wife found out about you and Daniel, and started sending you hate messages, threats?”

Lucy shriveled in on herself. “Do you blame her? I had an affair with her husband.”

“Did you know he was married?”

“No.”

“That he had kids?” He cupped her face and made her look up at him as she shook her head.

“No.”

“Goddamn it, Lucy.” He sucked in a rough breath. “It’s not your fault. This is all on him. He was in a position of power and he abused that. None of this is your damn fault, do you hear me?”

She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. “I could have destroyed their family. Those kids would have grown up without their father.”

“They’re better off without him.”

She shook her head. “I don’t believe that. And I…I won’t be the cause of them losing him, the cause of their pain, of wondering every night where their dad is, if he’s coming home, what they did wrong…I can’t be the cause of that. I can’t be the one that destroys their lives.”