Page 122 of Fake Out Hearts

“If I can’t even teach a dog a new trick, how am I ever going to teach kids?”

My only answer is a knock on the door, which startles me. We never have visitors, and immediately my mind jumps to the worst possible conclusion: it’s Valerie again. I’m tempted to ignore it, but whoever’s outside must have heard Milo barking and know someone’s home because they knock on the door again, harder this time. I step quietly to the door to look through the peephole and my stomach drops.

Because Shawn is waiting on the other side.

Other than Valerie, he’s the last person I want to see. I haven’t talked to him since Theo blocked his number on my phone, so I’m sure that’s why he’s here. But what in the world could be so urgent to make him fly all the way to Denver from Los Angeles? And why did he have to show up when Theo isn’t home?

I just want him to go away. I want to pretend he doesn’t exist and never did. But he raps on the door again.

“Come on, Becca, I know you’re there. I heard you,” he says impatiently, and my heart lodges in my chest. I can’t avoid him, as much as I’d love to, so I steel myself and unlock the door, but I only crack it.

“What are you doing here, Shawn?”

“I told you, I want to talk. To apologize.”

“You could’ve called, sent a letter, anything. When Theo finds out you showed up here unannounced, he’s going to—”

“What, kill me?” Shawn interrupts with a scoff. “Please. Besides, I tried to call, but you blocked my number, remember?”

“I don’t know what you want, but whatever you have to say, I don’t want to hear it,” I say and move to close the door, but he wedges his shoe into the crack. The one eye of his I can see locks onto mine.

“Come on, Becca. I came all this way. At least hear me out. Please?”

He’s the last person on Earth who deserves my sympathy or my time, especially after the way he treated me with that disgusting episode of his show, but he’s clearly not taking no for an answer. He pushes his shoulder into the crack, forcing the door open farther. Milo growls at him, but I pat his head.

“It’s okay, boy.” Shawn glances down at Milo but doesn’t seem deterred. He pushes the rest of the way into the condo, and he looks disheveled and a little wild-eyed, so I step back. “What do you want?”

Shawn sighs and drops his hands to his sides. “I… I want you back.”

It takes everything I have not to burst out laughing, but I do let out a snort. Destroying someone’s reputation on national television isn’t exactly how I’d go about winning them back. But there’s an edge to Shawn as he paces back and forth in front of the door that makes me wary.

He stops his pacing abruptly to look me right in the eyes. “I’m serious,” he insists. “Seeing you with Theo made me realize how much I miss you.”

“That’s not true, and you know it isn’t. You just want what you can’t have, what Theo has. This is just another part of your weird fucking rivalry with him.”

Shawn shoots me a mocking look. “Seriously? Why do you think he married you then? Because helovesyou?” His words cut right through me, even though I know I shouldn’t believe any of them. He jabs a finger at me. “See? You already know it. It’s because he wanted to fuck with me. He’s using you, Becca. Can’t you see that?”

“You’re delusional, Shawn.”

He shakes his head frantically. “No, it’s you who isn’t seeing things clearly. You know damn well you’ll be better off with me. Camden’s career is tanking, but I’m going places. Big places.”

He locks his already-wide eyes on mine, and they continue to expand. He looks as crazed as he sounds, and my heart starts to pound in my chest. I don’t know what he’s up to, but I shouldn’t have let him in—because I don’t know what he’s going to do. He steps closer to me, and I match it with a step away as every hair on the back of my neck stands up.

“I’m going to fucking take over the NHL,” he insists, nodding as he talks like he’s trying to convince himself too. “They won’t fucking know what hit them.”

His pupils are dilated, and he’s so close now that I can feel the wild, electric energy pouring off him in waves. My stomach dips as I piece together what he’s talking about. He looks bulkier than he did when we were together, and with the erratic way he’s acting…

“Oh my god, Shawn,” I whisper. “Are you on steroids?”

He chuckles, his lips curving up in a smirk. “Everyone said I shouldn’t fuck with the stuff, but they’re idiots. Ever since I started, I’ve been killing the game. And I look good, right?”

I’m not trying to feed into whatever warped game he’s playing, so I don’t answer. I just keep trying to back away, but eventually I collide with the kitchen island. I can’t get any farther away from him as he takes another step toward me.

“You should get back together with me while you still have the chance,” he says, dropping his voice a little as if trying to sound persuasive. “Before my star gets even bigger. Because I’m fucking going places, Becca. To the very top. Don’t you want to be there with me?”

“No,” I say as firmly. “I don’t.”

I try to step around the corner of the island, but Shawn lunges and boxes me up against it. The countertop digs into my lower back as he presses me into it with his hulking body and grabs both my wrists, pinning my hands on the counter. Milo growls at him, clearly picking up on the tension in the air.

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