Page 130 of Hoax and Kisses
Tension builds in my throat. I don’t want to hide it from him. I can’t. But every part of me whispers that the moment I open that laptop, I’ll lose him.
My eyes fill with tears at the thought. By tonight, my dad will truly have ruined all aspects of my life.
“Zoé, you’re scaring me.” He grips my thighs. “Please talk to me, beautiful.”
I wish I could, but my throat is so tight, it’s impossible to speak. So I open my computer, where my dad’s mega hotel complex on Emile’s land glares on the screen.
He scans the text, and I hold my breath. His frown deepens, the crease between his brows sharpening as he reads. He leans back slightly, confusion tugging at his features.
Then I see it. The way his jaw ticks. The way it locks tight.
“That fucking bastard,” he seethes. “I knew it. Iknewhe’d pull something like that.”
My stomach free-falls. “Matt, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he’d do that. I feel so awful. I swear to you I didn’t know. I would never—”
“Zoé, hey, hey.” He presses his hands to my face, sweeping his thumbs across my wet cheeks. “It’s okay. Breathe. I’m not mad at you, honey.”
I exhale shakily, rubbing my palms on my pants, the pounding in my chest relentless. “You’re not?”
“Of course not. Have you not heard a word I’ve said for the past month? I know who you are, and you’re not a heartless monster.” He pulls a chair in front of me and sits. “Tell me what happened.”
It takes a minute to compose myself, but eventually, I straighten and wipe my face with the back of my hand.
“I called my dad today to update him on the land,” I croak out. “He told me he’s taking over. The board doesn’t want my lodge idea. They never did. My dad only wanted to secure the land.” I choke out a sob. “He used me.”
He blows out a breath, raking a hand down his face. “Okay, this is bad. Really bad.”
He pushes himself to his feet and paces to the other side of the room. I follow his every move, my heart thundering in my ears at the same pace as the pulse in his neck.
“I’ve been looking for a loophole since I found out, but I haven’t had any luck.”
I’m not helpless anymore. I’m not scared or intimidated by my own father. Matt gave me the tools to fight back, and I intend to use them now.
“There’s gotta besomething.”
“I’ve tried to call him, but he isn’t picking up.”
He runs his hand through his hair, the same path my fingers followed last night. “I don’t mean to be blunt, Zoé, but your dad isn’t open for negotiations.”
“I don’t think I am either. This ismyproject.” My thoughts are reeling at a speed I can’t keep up with. I can’t think properly, can’t focus clearly. “I…I’ll check with my team, dig into the legal stuff a bit. Maybe there’s something that’d make him back off.”
He sits on the couch, his elbows on his thighs, and sighs with defeat. “We’ll figure it out. But we have to do it fast. Because the minute this gets out—”
His phone rings. He picks up.
“Yes?” He rubs his jaw, his knee bouncing. A lowfuckescapes his lips. “Now?” A pause. “Okay. We’ll be right over.”
“What is it?” I ask, my heart in my throat.
“Emergency town hall meeting.”
“Why did you come?” Matt grits out between his teeth when his parents arrive with Daphne.
“Rob texted that it was an emergency meeting. We had to be here,” his mom says. “What’s the big deal?”
Matt pinches the bridge of his nose, exhaling. “I wish Daph would have stayed home, that’s all.”
The ride here was filled with silence and buzzing nerves; both of us were lost in our thoughts. Matt whispered, “It’s gonna be fine” as he squeezed my fingers again and again, and I’m not sure if that was meant for me or to reassure himself.
