Page 44 of Dare (Fighting Fate)

“Like what?” she asked, confused.

“I don’t know, like the argument I saw them having the other day,” I said, running a hand over my head. “But that makes the drugging thing even more weird, don’t you think? Why would Zac want to drug you if he prefers dick?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh my God, Eli, you can’t say that!”

My brow creased. “Why not? I don’t care who either of them fuck, Jess. I’m not discriminating against their sexuality. I’m just stating the obvious. They both obviously like dick, so why would they want to drug you?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe they didn’t. Maybe it was someone else?”

“That’s what I’m worried about. Either there’s someone else out there who was trying to fuck with you, or Zac was trying to do something else completely.”

“Like what?” she said dryly. “Kill me?” Raising a shoulder, I let it drop suggestively. Her gaze intensified, telling me she thought I was insane. “Zac was not trying to kill me, Eli.”

“How do you know, Jess?” I said, standing and walking across the room. When I turned, I tried letting out a calming breath. “Look, I’m not saying he was. In fact, I kind of doubt it. I just want you to see that anything is a possibility. You need to look at things objectively, from many different angles. Unless you can do that, you’re never going to find the answers.”

Dazed, she shook her head. “This is crazy,” she whispered.

For once, I had to agree with her. And from this point onward, I was going to do everything I could to help her find the answers.

Chapter 31

Jess

Sliding my mug onto the counter, I grabbed the pot of coffee Emmy had left me and filled it to the top. It was only ten in the morning, but after deliberating for the last hour, going back and forth between napping and caffeinating, the smell of sweet coffee won out. Besides, I still had two more episodes of Pretty Little Liars to get through yet. I promised myself it would be the last of my Netflix and chill until I was a graduate, so I was hell-bent on making the most of it. Tomorrow was the beginning of the end.

Grabbing a packet of cookies off the counter, along with my mug, I shuffled back to the living room and deposited them onto the table. With a contented sigh, I settled back onto couch and pulled the blanket up over me again. Unfortunately, I was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

Frowning, I carefully placed the remote back down, wondering who the hell it could be. Everyone I knew messaged me before they came. Except Eli.

Tossing the blanket off, I made my way to the door, checking to make sure I was at least half presentable before I opened the damned thing. But instead of finding Eli like I’d been hoping, it was someone I wasn’t prepared to see right now.

“Wyatt?” I said, blinking at his still figure, trying to work out why on Earth he would be here. But then I comprehended his mood. He was angry, and not just a little bit. He was borderline furious. It actually made me take a step backward.

“You know I’m going to sue you for this, don’t you?” he snarled, his face twisting with disdain.

I had no idea what he was talking about, but my heart raced regardless. “Huh? Sue me for what? I don’t know what you’re talking about, Wyatt.”

He stepped forward, forcing me to take another step back. “Defamation, Jess. That’s what. Spreading lies—damaging my career possibilities. Do you have any idea what your little gossip fun has done?”

He grabbed at my wrist, hatred burning in his eyes. Panic swelled inside me. “I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about, Wyatt. I haven’t said anything to anyone,” I said, trying to stay calm.

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Jess!” he raged. “I know you and your little bitch friends. You were pissed about the threesome rumors and decided to spread your own so you didn’t look so much like a slut. But I’m here to tell you, you fucked with the wrong person, Jess. I knew you were stupid, but what the hell did you think would happen if you spread lies about someone studying the fucking law?”

He shoved me back again, releasing my wrist and stepping in after me. I didn’t know this Wyatt. This Wyatt was wild and unpredictable. He was the opposite of the cool, calm, and collected Wyatt who’d been planning our future less than a month ago. This Wyatt scared the crap out of me.

Moving backwards, I tried to put as much distance between us as possible, while searching for a way to get him to see it wasn’t me he should be pointing his finger at, but with every step I took, he took one too, following my movements.

“Wyatt, I don’t even know what you’re talking about!” I yelled, a tiny sliver of anger seeping into my veins. “Yes, I was pissed about the threesome thing, but I haven’t spoken to anyone about you at all.” Okay, so that wasn’t true, but I wasn’t telling him that right now.

I watched him jab his fingers into his hair. “Enough!” he yelled. “There’s no one else it could’ve been, Jess. So just stop lying to me! Besides, telling everyone I’m gay? What—? Just because you saw those magazines in my room? I told you they weren’t mine! Why did you do it? I was going to give you the world, Jess. You’re the one who broke up with me! I should be the bitter one,” he said, stabbing the points of his fingers into his chest.

Slowly, his words started making sense to me. Somehow, someone knew he was gay, and had outed him since yesterday. My head scrambled as Wyatt drew closer again. Now that I knew what was going on, I could clearly see he was out of his mind with panic and stress. But, other than Wyatt and Zac themselves, who could’ve possibly outed them? I knew Amber wouldn’t have.

My mind stilled as one name came immediately to the forefront. Shit. Eli.

Wyatt shook his head, his nostrils flaring. “I just want to know why, Jess. Why did you do it?”

The front door banged open wider, and a shadow appeared in the gap. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, Wyatt. It wasn’t Jess who outed you.”

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