I thought I had done something wrong. I hadn’t gotten enough clients. I hadn’t worked hard enough. I’d worked too hard. I’d demanded too much money.”
I shake my head. “No, let me explain.”
“Every time I was desperate to do a job I loved to take care of my family, you took it away from me. Every. Single. Time.”
Victoria’s face is bright red, her nostrils are flared, and she is trying to hold back the tears in her eyes.
“Victoria, it wasn’t like that.”
She throws her hands up. “How was it then? Tell me because I don’t understand it. Were you that threatened by me? Is that why you did it? You hated me that much? Has this all been just one big game to you? Or were you pretending to love me to gain some forgiveness?”
The tears fall freely now, mixing with the anger steaming off her cheeks.
“Victoria, I’m sorry. I—”
“You’re sorry that you are actually in love with Lily and just pretending with me?”
“No!” I swim to the edge and jump out of the pool, running toward her. “I love you, Victoria. That’s always been the truth. Lily is nothing to me.”
“Then, what?”
I take a deep breath. “I had to win at all costs. That was always who I was. When I heard there was a new woman in the game who was starting to beat me out for some clients, I felt threatened. I couldn’t allow you to win. So, I got you fired.”
“But it was me! I know we used to hate each other as kids, but really? You would do this to me? To Logan?”
I wince. “I didn’t know it was you.”
“How could you not?”
“I always thought of you as Tori, not Victoria. I never connected the dots until—”
“Until I said to call me Victoria, not Tori?”
I nod. “I was going to tell you.”
She laughs harshly. “Sure you were.” She throws the phone at me and then begins running inside.
“Victoria, wait! Let me explain more. I was an ass. I would do anything to win. I didn’t care about anyone. That was before I knew you and loved you. I’m sorry.”
I chase Victoria through the house and then outside. I don’t care that I’m naked. I can’t just let her go.
I catch up to Victoria just as she is about to climb into the limo.
“Please, just stay. Let’s talk. Tell me how I can make this better.”
“You can’t.”
“I’ll do anything.”
She shakes her head. “No, you won’t. You’re selfish and cruel and savage. You won’t do anything for me if it means having to give something up for yourself.”
I don’t have words. I can’t come up with anything to say that will make her stay. Nothing that will make this any better. I can’t fix this. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fix this from the look on Victoria’s face. So, I let her go. I watch her climb into the limo and close the door. I watch the driver drive her away while I stand in the driveway, naked.
“You look like death,” Lily says to me when I walk into her office a week after Victoria ran out on me.
“I’ve been sick for a week. What do you expect me to look like?”
“Happy, cheerful, sexy, ready to work.”
I groan. “I don’t think I can be any of those things ever again.”
She laughs. “Oh, stop being so dramatic, Carter. You have a cold. You’ll survive.”
“No, I won’t.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’ll have to have my makeup team work on you, too, to make sure you look good for our appearance tonight.”
I wince from just thinking about it. “Lily, you know, I’ve been thinking.”
“Shh. You’re sick,” Lily says, sitting next to me at the table, stroking my hair. “You don’t need to worry about any of the plans. Victoria got everything covered before she had to leave.”
“What do you mean, she left? She quit?” I ask, annoyed that she isn’t even going to show up to work. I thought this was my best chance at seeing her since my best friend had decided to take sides after all—choosing Victoria’s, not mine. So, I haven’t been able to get into his apartment all week.
“She said she had family things that she had to deal with and, unfortunately, couldn’t continue. Don’t worry; she came up with an excellent plan for going forward, and I paid her well for her idea.”
I frown. I don’t like this at all.
I sit up, straighter, swiping Lily’s hand off my head. “What exactly