Page 100 of Cocky Prince
He breathes into my hair. “Didn’t want you on Blackwell’s radar.”
I look into his face. “I should have trusted you to do the right thing, but you need to trust me too. We could have talked and I would have supported you.”
He nods. “I didn’t find out about the escorts until tonight. There were threats by Paul before—” He shakes his head. “I just didn’t want you hurt. I couldn’t have stood that.”
Adam was put in a tough position. I understand, but I’m not okay with him keeping things from me.
Before I can respond, Mira speaks up. “Just think, Hayden. If you hadn’t sucked up your pride all those weeks ago and made nice with Adam, the police wouldn’t have such good material.”
Adam looks at me. “What’s she talking about,sucking up your pride?”
Time slows. Adam lost his father tonight; he’s exhausted, vulnerable, and I can read the thoughts crossing his mind. “Something silly in the beginning. It was nothing.”
Mira rests her chin on her hand, leaning over the counter, and clearly not getting the tension she’s causing. “Hayden was supposed to get close to you so that we could figure out if Blue was still running the suite Tyler and I found, but I never thought you guys would getthatclose.” She snorts, laughing, and I glare at her. “What? You guys are cute.”
“You’re not helping.” I turn to Adam. “Don’t listen to her…Adam?”
He stands abruptly, wavering slightly on his feet. “I have to go.”
“Wait.” I stand beside him. “I’m going with you.”
“No,” he says forcefully.
I step back. “Adam, what Mira and I talked about all those weeks ago has nothing to do with you and me now.”
“Doesn’t it?”
My eyes widen. Anger radiates from his body.
Jaeger walks over. He’s one of Adam’s best friends and he must have read the hurt on Adam’s face. “What’s going on?”
Adam swivels his head and sneers at Jaeger. “Protecting her again?”
“Concerned,” Jaeger says. “For both of you.” He peers at me, a question in his gaze.
Adam has been frustrated with me before, but never like this. He took everything Mira said the wrong way, and I know why. “Tonight’s been horrible. Please just listen to me.” I look at Jaeger, who’s still watching us. “His father—”
“This isn’t about my father!” Adam snaps. “Was it all a lie?” He waves between us. “I was a dick to you in the past, but I never thought you’d stoop to this. Well played, Hayden. Kick the jerk while he’s down.”
“No! It’s not like that.” Tears fill my eyes. Not because of his words, though I’m not too fond of those either, but because he’s pushing me away—using this as an excuse. “You’re doing this on purpose. I don’t know why, but you are. If you’d just stop and think, you would know how I feel about you.”
He shoulders past Jaeger and stalks out the door.
“Go after him,” I say. “Don’t leave him alone. He—His father… Just go with him. Please.”
Jaeger glances at Cali, and she nods rapidly. He grabs his keys and takes off. I see him talking to Adam outside, then Adam gets in Jaeger’s car and they drive off.
The next thing I know, Mira is beside me, holding me up. “Hayden, oh my gosh. I’m such an asshole. I’m so sorry. The police told us everything Jeb’s friend recorded in the suite and how it all went down. I thought Adam protecting you tonight was beautiful—I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”
She hands me a tissue and I wipe my nose. “It’s not your fault. He’s not himself.”
I explain about Adam’s father and the room goes silent.
“You’ll stay with me and Tyler,” Mira says, and I nod. I want to be with Adam, supporting him, but he has it in his head that he can’t trust me.
He. Doesn’t. Trust. Me. Maybe he’s grieving and acting erratically, but it doesn’t change the result.
All this time, I waffled over whether or not to trust Adam, believing his omissions about Blue were damning. How did things come to this?
