Between Now and Heartbreak - Dylan Allen Page 0,21
rest of his family out.
“Drew, we should go, too. Cameron needs to get to bed.” Fiona says in a small apologetic voice.
My father stands, but he doesn’t acknowledge Fiona. Instead, he’s staring at Duke. He doesn’t say anything, but it’s clear from the very meaningful look on his face that this is something they’ve discussed.
“Don’t take it too personally. Fidelity isn’t how men show their commitment. That diamond and their last name, is.” He squeezes my shoulder hard and walks out, Fiona behind him trying to keep up.
I can feel Julia seething with impatience and my insides shrivel when I think about what she must have been through today.
“Dina, Georgia, can you please give us some privacy?” I level them with a stare that brooks no argument.
Georgia gives Duke a lingering glance that doesn’t bode well for any of us before she stands and leaves.
Dina stands, too. She’s got feral gleam in her eyes and Duke in her sights. “Can I stay? I don’t want to miss seeing you kick him in the nuts.”
Duke grabs my arm before I can finish scowling at her.
“She came on to me. I turned her down and she’s made my life hell ever since. I swear.” He says, his voice low and urgent.
“You filthy liar. I wouldn’t touch you with a ten foot pole.” Julia rushes up to us, her chin thrust forward and her hands balled in fist as she leans in to get in his face.
I have a terrible vision of this turning physical.
I pivot to put myself between them. “Julia, there’s been a mistake. I’ll go to HR on Monday and fix whatever’s wrong.”
She turns her vengeful gaze on me. “You think I want to work there again? No, I think I’ll take the money instead.”
“What money?” I turn to him and find him glaring at her, his eyes intent and full of
“I offered her money to go away. But you’re not getting shit from me, now.”
This is getting worse by the second. “Why did you offer her money?” I ask Duke, horrified by what an unmitigated disaster this is.
“Because she’s unhinged. I mean, look at her.” He waves a frantic hand in Julia’s direction. “Why would I risk what we have on that?” he flings his hands out in her direction.
Julia gasps, her eyes bulging in anger. “How dare you?”
“Liz, take note. He fights dirty,” Dina chimes in unhelpfully, again.
I glare at her.
“Get out.” I growl.
She has the grace to look shamefaced as she slinks out of the room. As soon as the door closes behind her, I regret asking her to leave.
I’m alone in a pit of vipers.
“But now I want more. I want two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and I’ll get out of your hair.” Julia says as if it’s a reasonable demand.
“You’re crazy.”
“That’s right. And you’re fucked.”
When she turns to look at me, the pity in her eyes makes me flinch. I don’t deserve it. Her scorn from earlier wasn’t displaced.
She doesn’t know this is a sham and
I know what I look like standing next to Duke.
Even though our relationship isn’t real, the humiliation heating my cheeks, is.
I can’t look at her anymore, but I force myself to look her in the eye. She deserves that much from me at least.
“I’m so sorry, Julia. I promise, you’ll get your money.”
Her expression softens a little. “I don’t know why you try to so hard to be one of them. They don’t deserve you. If I were you, I’d get out of this town and live a little.”
If I were me, I would, too.
“You’re a fool if you marry him. He’s a nasty piece of work. And he’s banging your friend, too,” she shoots and then stalks off, pulling the doors closed behind her with a slam. It resonates through the room and is followed by complete silence.
Duke and I sit in complete silence for a few minutes after Julia leaves.
“Clover,” I turn to Duke. His expression is an odd blend of panic and calculation.
“Don’t call me that when we’re alone.” I surge to my feet on a wave of adrenaline and stalk over to him. He stands, his hands out as if he’s preparing to catch a flying fist.
“She’s lying, I wouldn’t,” if I didn’t know him, I’d believe the earnest plea in his eyes. But this is devil I do know and he doesn’t have an earnest bone in his body.
“It doesn’t even matter if it’s true. We need to run damage control”