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I could tell him I was going to do it, and that might buy me time to work something out with Gemma. Perhaps we could speak with Janice. But that still put Gemma at risk of losing her job, and the second Gemma knew Vaughn had returned and was blackmailing me, she would summon her own personal arsenal of loathing and spite. She’d probably resign and then do something completely out of pocket to get back at Vaughn—most likely somethingnotlegal—and that would put her in even worse shape than if I’d simply vanished quietly.

Which left me with the only fair option. And Vaughn knew it. From the tilt of his smug smile to the twitching eyebrow above his dark brown eyes, every micro-expression on his face told me he had already worked through the conclusions. And he knew which path I would take. Vaughn lowered the phone,clicking off the screen and slipping it into the pocket of his khaki pants. “Give me some credit, Ruthie. I know you.”

My glare turned arctic. “Yes, you’re very clever.”

“You’re just as clever, which is why I’m going to insist that you come with me now.” Vaughn watched me closely, his expression guarded. “I suggest you tell that doctor of yours that you’re changing your mind and leaving here with me tonight.”

The oxygen in my lungs seemed to dry up completely. “Now? I didn’t think you meant literally—Vaughn I’m in the middle of a—” I faltered.A what? A date? Jesus, Ruth. You fucked him twice—one and a half times?—and you think that turned into something substantial?

“I mean, make sure heknowsyouwantto go, Ruth. Otherwise, you’ll have a knight in shining black tie close on your heels, and our entire plan here will go sideways.”

Cal would definitely try to rescue me if he knew. He’d do something rash like tell Gemma or Janice… he might even take it out on Vaughn directly. I was fairly certain that award-winning practices didn’t like doctors who decked people in the face or landed themselves with battery charges. Especially notatthe awards ceremony. I ground my teeth. “Fine. Yes. I’ll make sure he knows Iwantto go.”

“And to makeextrasure you aren’t planning to concoct something behind my back,” Vaughn went on, pivoting to put an arm around my waist and hook me to his side, “I suggest youtext him, Ruthie. No need to make a scene.”

“This feels dangerously close to a kidnapping. Forhumanitiesresearchof all things,” I said icily, pushing at his arm.

“It’s for our careers,” Vaughn said easily, and his clammy hand stuck to my bare arm like a wet starfish. “And you’ll thank me for it eventually.”

He guided me toward the doors, but I resisted him. “I’m not going with you right this second. I’ll speak to Cal and inform him of what we’re doing first. Getoffme, Vaughn.”

“Stop it,” he snapped. We stopped just in front of the doors, and he tightened a vice-like grip around me. Looking down with nothing but anger to be found in his expression, he hissed, “You’ve caused me enough trouble without adding a public breakup to the list. We’re flying out of here Wednesday, and you can send your apologies via email.”

I panicked. I wasn’t sure what I had expected from him, but it wasn’t to be trundled off in silence without telling Cal. Without explaining… something.

I didn’t know what I would say to convince him that I wanted this, but I had to give him some justification. Cal and I both knew what it felt like to be abandoned, and it would hurt him deeply. It wasn’t that I thought he was in love with me or in any way reliant on me, butJesus. I’d slept with him and laughed with him and opened up to him. I’d bared my soul to him and he to me, and now I was going to walk away like he didn’t matter to me?

Like my thoughts had reeled him in, footsteps echoed through the dark hallway, approaching the foyer. Cal rounded the corner. At first, he drew up short, his expression surprisedand bouncing over me, Vaughn, and then his arm around my shoulders. Then confusion pulled his features inward, and he started toward us again. His vibrant eyes latched onto me with worried intensity. “Ruth?”

I stared at Cal in tight-lipped horror. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t pretend that being in Vaughn’s embrace, that being stuck to his side like an unwilling barnacle was anything I actually desired. What I desired was Cal. I wanted his kindness and buoyant personality. I wanted his teasing smiles and teaching kisses. I wanted all of him. I wanted it so much, I suddenly considered giving up everything—everyone—for the chance to stay in his presence for however long he would let me.

But then Vaughn held out a hand to Cal in greeting, effectively popping my bubble of panic. “Cal Reed? We were just talking about you. I’m Dr. Hormel.”

Cal ignored his hand and kept his gaze trained on me. “What’s going on?” The silky black of Cal’s suit set off his bright green eyes, which were slowly darkening with anger as he turned them on Vaughn. “Get your hands off her.”

I swallowed against a dry throat. “Cal.”

Vaughn dropped his outstretched hand and gave me a convincingly wry, amused look. “Oh dear. I thought you told him, love.”

He lied so smoothly. It shouldn’t have surprised me, but it only made my insides twist tighter. They wrung themselves together like a wet knot of ribbons in a dryer. “I…” I couldn’t find the words. Cal’s expression was falling from cautious andangry to downright murderous, and my panic cinched tighter. “I—I couldn’t tell you,” I admitted to Cal with some truth.

“You couldn’t tell me what?” Cal asked. The line between his brows had deepened, and he flicked a cold glare at Vaughn before returning it to me. “You have three seconds to explain this before I remove his hand for you.”

“It’s about her job,” Vaughn rushed to explain, like that should have been obvious. He dropped my shoulders, too, and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “We have an assignment in Italy? Didn’t you tell him about that at least, Ruth?”

Numbly I shook my head. I couldn’t look Cal in the eyes. It was torture. Burning, shaming, gut-wrenching torture. “I couldn’t tell him.”

“You…dohave a job in Italy?” Cal clarified with a dubious tilt to his voice.

I nodded, staring at my high heels. “Always did,” I mumbled. “I just couldn’t… I lied.”

“Ruth,” Cal said, and the sound whipped through the cavernous foyer with a sharp intensity that caused me to look up again. He reached for me, but I stumbled away, closer to Vaughn. And then my heart turned to lead because I couldn’t believe I’d done that. I couldn’t believe I’d avoided Cal and his warm hands, his safe hands, to get closer toVaughn Hormel.But I had to get away from Cal. I couldn’t take the fury and hurt. I couldn’t stand to reject him the way I’d been rejected. I knew that was exactly what I was doing right now, but I wished more than anything that I could be done with this moment and lock itin the basement of my nightmares where it would undoubtedly haunt me for the rest of my life.

“Hey, buddy,” Vaughn said, taking my limp hand in his and tugging me away from Cal. “Listen, I know what she told you, but it’s not what it looks like. Ruth is my girlfriend. And she gets a little… carried away when I’m gone. Ruth,” Vaughn muttered, like he was genuinely embarrassed. “This is your thing. Are you seriously not going to explain yourself?”

My twisting insides snapped like weathered bone.Girlfriend.I forced the tears in the corners of my eyes to hold at bay. “I’m so sorry, Cal. He’s right. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but…” I trailed off, hating myself with a deep kind of loathing that I knew would stain my soul.

“Excuse me?” Cal asked, clearly enraged and incredulous. “This makes no sense. Ruth, if you’re in some kind of situation—”