Page 76 of Changing Rules

“Maybe you’re not involved with Stacey physically, but emotionally, you’ve been cheating on me for two months, since the moment Audrey orchestrated that meeting. I refuse to get in the way of your happiness, so I’m setting you free so you can explore whatever you have with your…friend.” She looks up, meeting my gaze. “Jake robbed you of your past, and now I’m giving you the chance to get it back.”

“This is fucking bullshit. I don’t have feelings for her. I’m in love withyou!” I move closer and grasp her hand. “You are all I see, even when we’re in a room full of people.”

“That’s not how I felt when Stacey showed up at that restaurant. It’s not how I felt at the baby shower, when the two of you talked and laughed and you let her touch you over and over.” Her chest is rising and falling rapidly. “I tried to be okay with it. I tried to join in. But it was like I didn’t exist to either of you. I was the third wheel. It hurt.”

“Okay.” I run both hands through my hair. “Shit. I’m sorry. I had no idea. I’ll do better, I promise you.”

I take her hand in mine, but it’s limp, as if she’s already let go.

“We’ve been through so much. How can you throw it all away?”

“Yes, a lot of dreadful things have happened to you because of me. That’s another good reason for me to leave. I’ve brought destruction. Wreaked havoc.” She clenches her jaw. “I’m nothing but bad news, like Audrey said.”

Anguish washes through me. Why didn’t I know about this?

“I’ll deal with her,” I say. “For every word she?—”

She cuts me off. “She hired Stacey specifically to manipulate you into leaving me. Ask Jess. She knows the truth.”

It takes me a second to pick my jaw up off the floor. “I-I will…I promise. I’ll do everything right.” I inch closer and set my palm on her cheek. “Things will get better. Remember Kevin? Your mother? Everything turned out okay, it can be?—”

“Yes, it all worked out—because I begged Kevin not to press charges.”

Blood whooshes in my ears, and my vision darkens.What the fuck?I blink, then again and again as I take my hand off her face.

She went to see that asshole? Without me?

“When…”

“When you were meeting with your team and your agent.” She shrugs. “Meg came with me.”

“Don’t tell me you forgave him,” I hiss, anger poisoning my blood and filling every bone.

“I didn’t. I’ll never forgive him for what he did.” Head bowed, she takes a deep breath. When she meets my gaze again, there’s a determination in her eye that terrifies me. “He promised to leave you alone, and I promised I’d never go public with what he did to me. I didn’t want to give him the power to destroy you, so we made a deal.”

“This is a joke! A fucking joke!” I yell, startling Milo. “I didn’t ask you to do that for me! I beat him up. The consequences are mine to suffer alone. Instead, you went to see him behind my back? Begged him not to file any charges when he’s a fucking rapist? Wow, Bella. Just…wow.”

She pulls her hand out of my grip. “If you or your agent had contacted him before I did, he would’ve filed charges immediately. I was the only one who could change his mind, andI did what was right. I didn’t want you to lose your position on the team.”

“I told you I’d handle it. I had everything under control.” The second the words echo off the walls, I regret my tone.

The look on her face darkens, and she narrows her eyes at me. “It’s interesting how you keep telling me you could’ve handled it all yourself. You know why?” She arches her eyebrows. “I’ve been trying so hard to stand up for myself, to deal with my problems on my own, but you refuse to let me. I wanted to be your equal, just like Stacey is your equal, but for some reason, you like that I’m a hopeless girl who can’t do anything herself. You don’t trust me. You have no faith in me. No respect.”

“That’s not true. I believe in you,” I counter, scooting closer so our knees are touching.

She shakes her head, sniffling.

“Bella, I love you. My overprotectiveness comes from a place of love, nothing else. I can’t handle the idea of you being hurt. I want to keep you safe, secure. That’s why I tend to take over. It’s not because I don’t have faith in you.”

“I am a burden to you. It’s a classic Karpman drama triangle.” She chuckles lightly, wiping tears off her face. “This relationship is dysfunctional. You see me as a victim. You’re my rescuer, and everywhere we turn, there are villains I need saving from. I’m doing you a favor. You’ll be happier without me.”

“You’re not listening to me!”

She runs her hand down Milo’s back one more time. Then she stands and looks down at me. “Ben and Tom already took my things.” She pulls down the hem of her tee, straightening it. “I’m leaving for New York tomorrow.” She draws a shaky breath. “Bye, Alexander.”

She beelines for the door without looking back.

My mind is a mess. Nothing makes sense. It’s like I’ve just landed in Oz, and, like the scarecrow, I have no brain.

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