Page 82 of Collateral Damage
She turns her back on me, but I can’t let her walk away. I catch her wrist and twist her around to face me, gathering her against my chest in a tight hug. She lets out a squeak but doesn’t pull away. The heat between us is an electrical storm, making me feel alive in the worst way.
Alive and terrified.
“You’re going to pretend we’re nothing?”
She shakes her head, hissing between her teeth and keeping her voice low. We’re both well aware Ethan and Chandler are in the car a few paces away. “Don’t you see? This a problem. I was engaged to your twin brother. Our parents had an affair. Our families broke apart. It’s over, Cooper. Please, let me go.”
I can’t believe I’m really losing her.
I lost her months ago, but I couldn’tbelieveit then, and I told myself she would come to her senses, and that no matter what, I would never let something ruin our friendship for good.
But here she is, practicallypleadingwith me to leave her alone.
She’s done. It’s over.
I release her from my arms and my mind and my heart. For the first time in our lives, I’m the one to turn my back and walk away.
Thirty-Six
Sybil
Present - Age 27
“Nothing like trial by fire, huh?” Arden says with a cheeky grin, and I give her an exasperated nod. “Well, if anyone can do this, it’s you. You’regreatwith people.”
We’re in her living room, our feet kicked up under us as we lounge on their couch. I’m hiding from the responsibilities waiting for me in the penthouse next door and told her as much.
They say learning by doing is best, but learning the ins and outs of producing a reality showwhilewe’re doing it has been exhausting. Luckily, Perry hired a great team.
“The biggest thing is gathering enough content,” I say. “The editors will pick apart and piece the puzzle together in post, making sure what actually gets aired is interesting to enough to keep the viewers hooked.”
“From what you’ve told me so far, I think you guys are going to be fine.”
Arden’s good about bringing levity to a stressful situation. She’s one of the most logical and levelheaded people I know.Now that she’s with Ethan, I can see why they work so well. I used to think people needed their opposite to balance them out, but I feel differently these days. They can better support and accept each other since theyunderstandeach other so well. It works.
“So tell me about school?” I ask. “How’s the computer science degree coming along?”
If you ask me, that sounds like the most boring and complicated degree out there, but I’m not her. Arden loves this stuff. She has a number’s brain and insists that coding is fun.
She smiles, her amber eyes lighting up and the spattering of freckles on her face crinkling. “It’s so good.” She sighs. “I love the program. It’s hard, but I’m up for the challenge.”
She’s at Columbia, finishing out her bachelors. Initially, she was going to work for Laurence, but she’s decided to forge her own path. She plans to find a normal coding job after graduating. I wish I could see her in our offices every day, but I admire her for sticking to her convictions.
She waves me off. “Enough about school. I want to hear more about the show. What’s drama? I’m dying to know what’s going on over there.”
I snort. “I thought you and Ethan wanted to stay out of it.”
That was one thing they were adamant about when Cooper told them about the plan.
“I never said I didn’t want the tea. These are famous people, right? They’ve got to be interesting.”
I sink further into the couch. “I don’t even know where to start, and I am supposed to keep this a secret.”
“From who? The general public?”
I nod.
“Well, I’m not going to say a word to anyone about anything.” She tosses a pillow at my face. “Spill it!”
