Page 16

“She came onto me!” Micah points up at Billie.
My brows furrow as I glance between them.
“No! I did not!” Billie says, grabbing me and trying to pull me closer to her.
“Let me go, Billie!” I say, moving away from her.
The room is in chaos. Micah’s bleeding, and I bend down, brushing my fingers across his already-bruised face.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “Let’s leave, baby.”
He looks up at me, and I can tell he is in pain.
“Harp, don’t go with him. Please!” Billie’s voice rises as she reaches for me again.
“Don’t touch me, Billie,” I say as Micah grabs my hand, pulling me away.
I meet his eyes, knowing this is one of his concerns. He didn’t believe Billie or Asher would be happy for us.
He squeezes my hand hard, pulling me into him, then whispers, only loud enough for me to hear, “I told you so.”
I turn back to look at Billie. He did warn me, and we had a two-hour discussion on it.
“He predicted you’d ruin this for us. You can never be happy for me, can you?”
“Harper, please.” Tears stream down her face. “You can’t be serious!”
Micah pulls me away with him.
Asher losinghis temper makes more sense. He’d risk everything to protect Billie; he already did when he stepped in to help us save our fashion company. And how did I repay him? By bringing a predator into his home and into their safe space. I put my best friend in danger. Shit, I’ve done the same to myself.
I recall Billie’s frantic expression as she tried to pull me away from Micah. Her voice was raw with panic. She pleaded with me, practically begging. Micah must’ve known exactly what he was doing—he’d probably planned to push Billie into a corner that night, counting on me to blindly defend him. And like a fool, I walked straight into his trap.
He must think I’m a goddamn idiot.
I stare at Micah’s handsome face now—those magnetic eyes and smile once felt like a gift meant just for me. I wonder how I let myself be manipulated so easily. I know better, but I turned a blind eye for him, for what I thought was love.
Disgust burns inside me, but it’s aimed more at myself.
I’ve always craved affection. I’ve wanted to be enough for someone—anyone. I’m the poster child for daddy issues, and look where it’s landed me. Right back in the same place—used, betrayed, and humiliated.
Micah chuckles, interrupting my spiraling thoughts. “Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost in the bathroom.”
What I saw was much worse than a ghost. It was my damn reality. He’s already haunting me.
“I don’t feel well,” I whisper, my voice unsteady.
This situation hits me with a sickening force: I’ve been sleeping with Billie’s stalker, the man who terrorized her—both of us—for over a decade. Nausea surges violently, burning the back of my throat, and I struggle to swallow it down.
Micah single-handedly destroyed Billie’s twenty-first birthday, the party I had meticulously planned. It was supposed to be perfect—memorable. Instead, that night shattered Billie’s sense of safety forever. Since then, she’s lived life glancing over her shoulder, wary of every shadow and dark hallway. He stole something priceless from her, and she’s never gotten it back.
“I might throw up,” I mutter as the horror of Micah’s deception washes over me.
He targeted me—I was nothing but a stepping stone to get to Billie. She’s the real prize; the ice queen; untouchable, elite royalty, and I’m the pawn who led him straight to her.
Micah’s expression shifts to fake concern, but his voice is tender. “We can leave. I’m so sorry,” he says, reaching across the table to touch my hand.
I force myself not to flinch or pull away. I want to break each finger at the knuckle, but I swallow that rage, masking my emotions with practiced ease.