Page 108 of Fake Shot

My stomach turns over again, and that takeout sushi that we got earlier tonight feels like it’s gone rancid and is trying to make an escape.

“What did he say about you two meeting at the time?”

“Nothing. He introduced me as his fiancée, and we left together.”

“Did you ask him about her?”

“I’m sure I meant to, but I was a little drunk?—”

“Wait, what?” Morgan cuts me off. Everyone knows I never have more than two drinks. Ever.

“Yeah, story for another time,” I say, unsure how to explain that I’d trusted Colt enough to lose my inhibitions. I’d trusted him enough to do a lot more than that—like hand my heart right over to him after, how long? A few weeks? A month? “Anyway, we walked home, and I forgot to ask.”

“Jules, I know that message looks damning, but I’ve seen you two together. He doesnotlook at you like he’s holding anything back. He lives with you. You two have been inseparable. How could he possibly have been dating someone else?”

I close my eyes, trying to remember every last detail about Colt—all the ways he’s been here for me and made me feel safe. And the idea that he could have been with someone else the whole time not only feels logistically impossible, it doesn’t check out at all with what I know of his character.

Morgan’s right, and I knew it without her having to say it: he’s held nothing back with me. He’s shared his feelings all along. He’s done everything he could to let me know that I’m safe with him. He isn’t the kind of person to cheat.

But thenwhyis she sending this message?

My phone rings in my hand, and I glance down to see a picture of Colt lighting up my screen. “It’s a video call,” I tell Morgan.

“I’ll give you some privacy. I’m going to head downstairs to your office and call Audrey. Is it okay if I let her know what’s going on?”

I nod, and as soon as she opens the door to the basement,I answer my phone. I don’t say anything, just prop it up on the bottle of cider Morgan left behind and raise my eyebrows in question.

“You know that’s not true, right?” he asks, his gaze littered with concern. He’s walking down a street, the midnight blue sky peppered with streetlamps behind him as he walks quickly.

“It doesn’tfeeltrue,” I say, but the hesitation is there in my voice. “But if there’s no truth at all in it, why would she send it?”

“I slept with her one time,” Colt insists. “Last fall. I’d only seen her in passing until she showed up at the Neon Cactus the other night and I introduced you two.”

“So why is she claiming it’s more than that?” I ask.

The thoughts spiraling through my head are taking up so much of my focus that I forget to breathe. I know this feeling. I haven’t had a single panic attack since Colt and I have been together, but I can feel it coming on. More gradually than normal, but it’s there just the same.

“Did you catch her last name?” he asks as he steps through a doorway. I think he’s in the lobby of his hotel now.

“I was more focused on the message.”

“Waters.”

“Shit.” The world carries on a long exhale. Is Jasmine related to Jerome?

“Yeah. And so, I think this is my fault. Well, mine and your brother’s.”

“What’s Jameson have to do with this?”

“He and I may have paid a visit to Jerome’s office earlier this week.”

“Youwhat?” I practically spit out the words. “Youknewthat I didn’t want you getting involved like that. It was over, and I wanted it to stay that way. What the hell did you two do?”

He steps into an elevator, and while the video breaks up a bit, the sound carries through just fine. “His company was a sponsor of the Rebels. When AJ saw the video from the restaurant?—”

“There’s video footage from the restaurant?” My voice is shrill, and my heart picks up pace.

“Jameson had it.”

---