Page 124 of The Broken Heart Playlist
“Are you in contact with him?”
“No, I’m not,” he answers quickly. “I promise I’m not.”
“Don’t,” I snap. “Don’t you dare promise anything right now.”
Tension radiates from his body. His eyes track my every movement and expression. “Give me a chance to explain. Please.”
I’m not sure I want to hear his explanation. Will it be more of the same half-truths he’s been feeding me? And why should I believe anything he says now? He’s been caught. He has no choice but to explain. Maybe this would be a whole different scenario if he’d come clean first.
“Wait,” I say, my tone clipped. “Just wait.”
I can’t sit here passively while he dishes up more stories for me to consume. He’s been in charge for too long. From now on, I’m the one asking the questions.
“How do you know Oliver?”
“We worked together.”
“At DesignPlan?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you move to Brown Oaks?”
He’s silent.
“Was it because of me?”
“Kate, please—”
“Yes or no.”
A tense pause. “Yes.”
My heart is hammering. I suddenly remember Janine telling me how much Gideon paid for his house, way above market value. “Did you buy this house because it was opposite mine?”
He briefly closes his eyes. “Yes.”
My chest constricts. “And volunteering at Lisset’s school? Was that also a setup?”
“No,” he says firmly. “The Reading Dog Program linked me up to the school. I had no idea Lisset was a student there.”
“Is Gideon even your real name?”
He waits a beat too long. “No.”
“What is your name?”
“Garrett.” He exhales tiredly. “Gideon is a name I made up.”
I feel the blood drain from my face. Out of everything that’s broken my heart into a thousand pieces in the last few minutes, this hurts the most. The name I love, just like the man I thought I loved, is a lie. Everything about him is a lie.
My shock and disillusionment give way to rage. Before I’m even aware of what I’m doing, I’m flying across the room at him, pummeling his chest with my fists. I’m not entirely sure whatI’m screaming. I think it’s “How could you?” over and over again, but I don’t know. I only know I want to hurt him like he’s hurt me. I want to give him a taste of what it’s like to have your hopes crushed and your heart fractured all over again.
He makes no attempt to defend himself. He keeps his arms at his sides and only braces his body against my assault. It’s ugly, but then everything about this situation is ugly. The woman beating him on the chest with tears streaming down her face is a woman I don’t recognize. Then again, I no longer recognize the man either, so I guess we’re even.
A modicum of sanity finally seeps into me and I realize what I’m doing. Remorse engulfs me. Look at me, resorting to physical violence after everything I’ve been through.
Abruptly, my legs give out and I collapse against him. His arms wrap around me and he holds me. I’m so shattered and broken I let him.
