Page 42 of The Girlfriend Card (Vegas Sin #4)

Videos Don’t Lie

Ottavia

I knew Dad was behind it all …

When this horrible day began to unfold, I knew he would try, but I didn’t think he’d actually succeed in breaking me and Dakota apart. I’d underestimated him. I’d underestimated them all: Dad, Leo, and Dakota.

But I never could’ve guessed Dad knew all along about how I’d met Dakota, because of Leo’s deceit. I never could’ve known that Dad would have Dakota followed around everywhere, waiting for him to slip up.

Scratch that. He didn’t merely wait for Dakota to slip up.

No, he documented Dakota slipping up, again and again and again and again.

After I left Leo’s, I didn’t even know where to go. I had several places I could stay—my house, Leo’s, Dakota’s—yet I felt so alone, so manipulated, so lied to by each and every one of those people. It was the worst, loneliest, most devastating feeling in the world.

With nowhere else to turn, I called up Sienna and asked if I could stay at her place for a little while. I’d been spilling my guts to her ever since. She now knew basically the whole story.

I lay on Sienna’s living room floor, my face buried in my hands. I wasn’t crying anymore, at least, but I wasn’t exactly making happy noises, either.

“I’m so sorry, O,” Sienna said, stroking my hair.

She sat on the floor next to me, trying her best to console me.

“Honestly, I always thought, because you were a billionaire and all, that your life must be so easy. But fuck all that,” she said, angrily shaking her head. “Your situation makes me so mad, girl.”

“Thank you so much for listening and letting me stay here,” I said.

“Absolutely. You can stay here for as long as you need, okay?”

“Thank you …” I murmured. “I won’t stay long … just tonight.”

“Really, are you sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m heading back to Stanford tomorrow.” I sat up, my butt on the floor, and hugged my knees. “At least I’ve still got school and acting to take my mind off things …”

Sienna hesitated, her lips pursed. “You’re not going to see or talk to Dakota at all before you leave?”

I shook my head, my frown deepening. “Nope.” The thought that I wouldn’t see or talk to him again settled heavily in my heart, and made me want to cry—but what else could I do?

The painful reality was, my dad had won.

But he’d only won because Dakota wasn’t truthful with me in the first place.

His dishonesty was the opening Dad needed to destroy us.

“But don’t you still have a bunch of stuff at Dakota’s place?” she asked.

I thought it over. “Yeah, but nothing that can’t be easily replaced.”

“I see.”

I happened to glance out the living room window. A flash of silver caught my eye; it was Dakota’s Mercedes, which I’d parked in Sienna’s driveway. Panic surged through me.

“Crap. I’ve still got his car.” Gritting my teeth, I turned to her. “Can I ask a favor?”

She nodded with understanding. “On it. I’ll get it back to him tomorrow, after you leave.”

With a breath of relief, I hugged her. “Thank you so much, Sienna. You’re amazing.”

“Hey, I’m just happy to help,” she said, hugging me back. “We’re all gonna miss you so much at BarDown, O.”

“Aw, thanks. I’m gonna miss you guys, too.”

“So tomorrow, huh …” Sienna trailed off, leaving something unsaid.

“What is it?” I asked.

She hesitated. “Well—before you leave—shouldn’t you like, talk to Dakota? Just to hear his side of the story? Because your dad doesn’t sound like the most honest person in the world.”

“Maybe I should,” I said, “but if my dad finds out, he’ll make sure I don’t get my trust fund.”

“But that is so insane! Who would do that to their own daughter?!”

“My dad, that’s who. And I believe he means it, because he has eyes and ears everywhere, apparently. So yeah, fuck that. I’m not even going to risk it.” I shook my head. “Besides, I saw what I saw, Sienna. Those videos don’t lie.”

First, Dad showed me the video of the girl from the bull video. I wasn’t sure if I believed her or not until she shared her videos and pictures. Even though private parts were blurred, they were still X-rated—and seeing Dakota be intimate with another woman was like a knife in my heart.

That video proved he’d lied to me about not sleeping with her.

The videos Dad showed me after were the icing on the cake, though.

He’d had Dakota tailed all summer long. As a result, he had endless footage of the athlete talking and flirting with numerous girls.

Of course, those girls were all ridiculously hot and beautiful.

They couldn’t keep their hands to themselves, and Dakota clearly loved the attention.

If that’s how the athlete acted when I wasn’t around? I could only imagine what he’d get up to when he was on the road. How could I ever trust him again after seeing all that?

“But what if the videos do lie, O?” Sienna asked, her features pinching with doubt. “Because you know your dad has no problem manipulating you to get his way. Who says he didn’t fake those videos, too? Or maybe they weren’t fake, but what if they were from before you and Dakota even met?”

I tutted. “They’re definitely from this summer. The videos were timestamped.”

“Timestamps can be faked,” she said.

I sighed. “Sure, I know. But it just looked like Dakota from this summer. He was wearing the same outfits, gym clothes, everything.”

“Okay, so he’s on tape flirting with girls—and don’t get me wrong, that sucks—but did he actually do anything with them? Or was it just harmless flirting?”

“I don’t know for sure,” I begrudgingly admitted. “But c’mon, Sienna, you said it yourself early on. Dakota’s a player.”

She didn’t deny it. “Absolutely, yeah, that’s what I knew him as.

I’ve been straight with you from the beginning about that, O.

Which is why I’m now telling you that, I dunno, something seems off here.

Because Dakota totally started to change since you and he started screwing. Dating? What are you, anyway?”

“That’s another thing!” I mewled in frustration.

“I don’t even know what we are. We never even talked about it!

I just assumed, because I was always at his place every single night, that we were boyfriend and girlfriend.

But maybe he just wanted me to think that?

So he could keep chasing after other girls on the side? ”

“But if you were with him every single night, then when would he even find the time to cheat on you?”

“Men find a way.” I tutted. “After what I’ve been through? I’m done giving them the benefit of the doubt.”

“I hear ya, O. I don’t blame you at all for feeling that way.” Sienna bobbed her head with understanding. “Still. I think it sucks that you won’t see each other one last time. If nothing else, to give him a piece of your mind.”

“Yeah … I guess that’d be nice,” I said, a hint of longing in my voice. “But my dad made sure that won’t be happening.”

A silence came between us. I felt like I’d already said everything there was to say about my situation. As much as I wanted to scream at Dakota for lying to me? It was pointless. All I could do now was accept that it was over and move on with my life.

That’s what I was thinking, anyway, when a subtle droning interrupted the stillness.

It was just a car in the distance prowling down the street.

It wasn’t the first car to drive down the road since I’d arrived at Sienna’s—dozens had driven past without me even noticing.

But there was something unmistakably familiar about this car’s throaty rumble, making the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand tall.

“Do you hear that?” I asked, my ears perking up.

She listened attentively, her brows furrowing in concentration. “What? You mean that car?”

“Yeah.” The growl of the engine grew louder, and more familiar, as it slowly approached. “That sounds like a Porsche 911 Turbo.”

Sienna's eyes widened, and she let out a surprised laugh. “Oddly specific, but okay. I didn’t know you were a car girl.”

“I’m not, ” I said. “I only know what they sound like because that’s Dakota’s car.”

“Oh. Oh! ” Sienna couldn’t contain her excitement. “You really think that could be him?”

We got our answer a second later when a matte black Porsche 911 cruised past the window. I felt a strange mix of emotion—relief and disappointment, both—when the car sped right past Sienna’s house.

I was right about the car. I was just wrong about it being Dakota’s.

But just when I thought it was a mere coincidence, the Porsche’s brake lights lit, and the car screeched to a stop. The driver quickly reversed the car, its gears whirring, until he pulled even with Sienna’s. Then the Porsche growled as he pulled forward and whipped into her driveway.

Oh my God.

“That’s him,” I gasped, my breath caught in my throat.

A second later, the Porsche door swung open and Dakota stepped out, confirming what I already knew.

My heart quickly began to pump as I watched Dakota hurry up the driveway, filling me with a nervous excitement. Seeing him was what I both wanted and feared. What would happen if Dad found out? And how did he find me, anyway?

I turned to Sienna. “You didn’t tell him I was here, did you?!” I hated to accuse the only person who was actually helping me, but after today, how could I not have trust issues?

But Sienna vehemently shook her head, her eyes filled with sincerity. “No! I didn’t tell anyone, I swear!”

I believed her. “But how did he find me, then…?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she murmured.

Then there was a knock on the door.

“Ottavia!” Dakota called out. “Ottavia, please!”