Chapter 3
And Reid liked Tessa so much he’d probably blame me for all of it. That thought made
everything worse.
I met Tessa’s defiant eyes and shook my head
“Look, I’m not mad at you guys. This one’s on me. Tessa, if it’s not part of your actual job?
Don’t do it. And Mrs. Whitmore who’s been giving you a hard time? Don’t worry about her. I’ll take
care of it.”
Before Tessa could even finish gawking, I turned to leave. But as I passed Reid, his hand clamped around my arm.
I looked up. His jaw was tight. He stared at my red–rimmed eyes and reached out to touch them.
“Have you been crying this whole time? Why?”
I just stared at him, speechless.
Reid frowned like he’d figured something out. He shifted his weight and stood closer to me, sounding almost helpless.
“Wait… is this about yesterday? When it rained and I didn’t carry you out of the car, so your shoes got wet? Look, your skirt was too short. That would’ve been weird.”
“I’m sorry, okay? So… can you please stop crying now?”
My head literally exploded. Okay, not literally, but you get it. Joy hit me out of nowhere, and I couldn’t stop it. My throat went tight “Do you actually like me?” Almost came right out of my mouth,
But the comments dragged me back.
[The male lead is bending over backwards for the side chick. All to protect the actual heroine. What a guy.]
[And she’s over there blushing? Pathetic. Does she really think he’d want someone this dumb and nasty? Mirror, honey. All she has is a pretty face What else does she have that our sweet female lead doesn’t?]
I swallowed the words back down. My heart went cold. I glanced at Tessa, who was
Chapter 3
S StoReel
AD
33.33%
trembling, then pushed Reid’s hand away and forced a smile.
“No, I’m the one who should be sorry, Reid. You never should’ve had to do any of that stuff.
That was all me. I made you.”
“You’ve been starving all day. And Tessa’s been worried sick about you. Just go. Eat
something with her.”
Reid’s face went dark. I turned and almost ran away.
At the dinner table, I chewed food that tasted like cardboard. Then I heard the front door–Dad
was home.
I launched myself into his arms like I’d finally found solid ground.
“Dad, what did you do today?”
He gave my head a little pat. “Still such a little kid.”
“I closed a huge deal today, sweetheart. Once this thing ships, we’re gonna have more money than you could blow in three lifetimes. You can live even bigger from now on.”
But his words sent ice down my spine The comments were right. The investment
that would decide our family’s fate was tonight.
My palms were sweating. My heart hammered against my ribs. I opened my mouth to stop him from signing.
But nothing came out. My face just turned red.
Dad looked worried. “What’s wrong, Blair? You okay? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”
Panic hit me. I couldn’t change the future, could I? But the thought of Dad dying in a basement trying to protect me made it hard to breathe.
1 clutched my forehead. “Dad, my head hurts so bad. I don’t want a hospital. Just don’t go to work tomorrow. Stay here with me, okay?”
Dad hesitated. “How about Reid stays with you? I’ve got to be there tomorrow. In person. To sign the contract.”
I grabbed his sleeve and shook my head like crazy, “No! You have to stay! Or I swear to God, I’ll Chapter 3
33.33%
S StoReel
AD
never talk to you again.”
Dad sighed and gave in. He walked me to my room.
I guess the emotional rollercoaster was too much, because I came down with a real fever. I drifted in and out of sleep.
In my dreams, I saw Dad dying in a basement. Then Reid throwing me into a river, his arm around Tessa’s waist, watching me drown.
No matter how hard I struggled, I sank. The suffocation swallowed me whole.
“Blair. Wake up.”
A familiar voice called my name. I opened my eyes to Reid’s worried face. I grabbed him like a lifeline and burst into tears.
“Reid, you bastard!”
Then I remembered the dream and shoved him away, frantically wiping my tears off his chest.
“Sorry… I didn’t mean to. You… go rest. Tell Mrs. Whitmore to look after me.”
But Reid held my hand and looked me straight in the eye.
“Blair, I didn’t eat the cake Tessa gave me.”
“And I never got mad about tying your shoes.”
