only provide incentive for him to continue playing games to find a way into my life. But even as I shake his hand off, I realize I’ve got to shut him down once and for all. I’m not going to keep putting up with this crap.
I turn, directing the full force of my hostility on him. “Fine,” I grit out. “Let’s talk.”
Dad looks around and gestures for us to move toward the water fountains under the stairs where there’s not as much traffic moving by. I call to Moses and Taylor, who are waiting on me, that I’ll meet them at the restaurant. It’s just around the block.
Dad looks nervous, and possibly a little panicky, which sets me even more on edge.
“What is it?” I snap.
“It’s Camila.”
Is he kidding me? I almost turn to leave right then but he continues. “She’s got some obsession with you, and with Jordan.”
“I’m aware of her obsession with me, Dad. This isn’t news. She was all over me on Shred Live. It’s pretty sick you’re with her now for a lot of reasons, but that alone is the biggest.”
“I’m not really with her, Beck. I’m pretending to be because I knew something was off the second she showed up at my office as a potential client. I recognized her from Shred Live, and I knew all of that footage was fake because of you and Jordan. I only dated her, or pretend-dated her, because I was suspicious of her and I wanted to do something, anything, to earn your trust and respect back.”
I shoot him a look that I hope shows all my incredulity at this little explanation of his.
“Or, not earn it back, but earn it, period. I went out on a limb and I think my gut was right, Beck. But her fixation isn’t just on you, it’s on Jordan.”
My throat goes dry. “Where is she tonight?”
“She went out to dinner with the other women competitors after the award ceremony just now. But she was acting really off, I don’t know how to explain it.”
“The same dinner Jordan’s at?”
Dad nods in response to my question.
“I thought that was just the women who competed in vert tonight,” I mutter, more to myself.
“I know. I was in the stands with her watching, and she overheard some of the plans and decided to tag along. I don’t have a good feeling. I think you should go to the dinner, make sure Jordan’s okay.”
Hearing my dad try to give me advice makes me want to immediately reject all his words, but when it comes to Jordan’s safety, I don’t want to make the wrong call. This kind of behavior isn’t typical for my dad – going out of his way like this, wasting time on a woman who might have an obsession with his son. His concern and alarm appear genuine, and the man has always been fairly transparent to me.
“You should go,” Dad urges. “Or call her at least and warn her? I don’t know.”
Dad’s urgency has the dual effect of making me paranoid he’s setting me up for something or other, and also making me want to sprint to the restaurant she’s at. I guess I want to trust him but I have no real basis for giving him that trust either.
It’s Jordan we’re talking about here, so I’ll risk looking like an idiot. If everything’s fine I can pretend I forgot my wallet in her purse or something.
“All right, I’m going.”
I don’t thank him yet though.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jordan
I don’t think twice about Camila being here until I find myself alone on a balcony with her. The restaurant is on the fifth floor of a building and we had drinks on the large outdoor deck while waiting for our table to be ready. Camila was talking to me, and I wasn’t really paying attention, instead taking in the view of the city below. Now, I turn around and find everyone went inside.
This is an impromptu gathering of the vert competitors, and Camila only competed in the street category. While someone might have invited her, I haven’t seen anyone else around who wasn’t competing tonight. Also, didn’t she confide in me that she’s felt like an outcast since Shred Live?
As I turn to head inside, Camila shifts, blocking my path.
“Jordan.”
Her voice is slightly hoarse and it shakes.
It’s then I really look at her and for once, it’s not her beauty that strikes me first. No, it’s the wild hue of her skin, and the unfocused glint