Glitch (Next Level #1)(48)

A video plays on her screen. It’s Ara, in her bed, masturbating. Clip after clip after clip.

It doesn’t take a genius to know who sent her this.

Fucking Jason.

“He’s going to ruin me,” she sobs. “I’ll lose the school’s commission if this leaks.”

I’m seeing red.

“I don’t even know how he could have gotten this!” She clutches her hair. “How could he have videotaped me?”

I need to stay calm. Think. Breathe. “It’s okay.” I’m not sure it is. “We’ll handle it.” I’m not sure she’ll like how I plan to handle it. “We’ll figure it out.”

“You’re not…” She sobs again. “You’re not mad at me?”

I think I’ve snapped. I must be mad. Insane. Off the rails. “Why would I be mad at you?”

“I don’t know!” she scream-cries at me.

Jesus fucking Christ. Her exes have done such a head job on her. I’m going after every single one of them.

Starting with Jason.





Chapter 23


Ara



I was so happy. For a whole three days, I was the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. And now comes karma’s painful balance.

I stare at the message again. “If you don’t come back to me, I’ll make sure everyone knows what a disgusting slut you are.”

Jason could post this on porn sites. He could send it to anyone I might try to do business with.

I don’t care about my body being on display. I paint myself naked all the time. And porn is porn, but that’s not what bothers me. It’s that he’s violated my privacy. Stole private moments to use against me. It could cost me everything I hold dear.

It could cost me Glitch.

He has no reason to believe me when I say I didn’t know Jason recorded all this. And I can’t even figure out how he did it. But the angle of each video is almost the exact same, and that’s when it clicks. My blood runs cold. “Take me home.”

Glitch hasn’t said a word. He strangles the steering wheel while he drives, and I’m scared I’ve already lost him. I’m a mess. No one wants a drama-infested dumpster fire for a girlfriend. It’s too much.

I’m too much.

When Glitch leaves me, I won’t blame him.

I squeeze my eyes shut. Breathe, Ara. Hold it together.

We’re at my apartment in less than five minutes. I can’t believe I live so close to his sister. I’m not sure what to say or how to act or what to do, so I go with, “I’m sorry.”

“Stop. Apologizing.” His voice is intense. Dark. Strained. Glitch hasn’t looked over at me since we got back in the car.

“I…” Stop apologizing. He’s right. I didn’t do this. I did nothing wrong. And I’m not saying sorry on behalf of a bastard who I hate and who’s actions I have no control of. I just need to figure out how to make it not get worse. “Will you come up with me?”

Glitch fumbles with the door handle, his gaze still deadlocked straight ahead. I think he’s glitching, and it makes me feel worse. He hates this as much as I do.

His gait eats up the asphalt as we head to my apartment. Glitch swings the lobby door open for me and takes the steps fast, leaving me several paces behind. I only half expect Jason to be waiting at my door, a smug smirk on his stupid face because he thinks he can best me. Maybe Glitch expects him too, with how fast he makes it to my door.

But Jason’s not there.

“Open the door, Ara.” Glitch’s voice is still strained. He still won’t look at me.

Why won’t he just look at me?

I shove my key in the lock and my hands shake too much to make it work right. He places his hand over mine and whispers, “Relax. Breathe.”

I’m not even sure if he’s saying it to me or to himself. Probably both. I let out a long exhale and turn the key. The door opens. My home is quiet.

Empty.

Glitch storms into my bedroom and rips the laptop off my desk. Holding it under his arm, he heads back out and I panic. “Where are you going?”

“Get in the car.”

“But where are you—”

He stops short. “I’m going to find out how he did this. Then I’m going to ruin him.”

He’s not even joking.

We head to Glitch’s in dead silence. I’m scared he’s going to end this with me. I’m scared my reputation will be destroyed somehow. I’m scared for things I’m not even sure I understand. My head won’t stop overthinking. I’m angry and tired and fed up.

Glitch gets out of the car and storms over to my side. I barely get the door open when he swings it the rest of the way. I climb out. His grip on my laptop is so strong, I swear he’s going to crack the case. Before I can take one step, he kisses me. Hard. Fierce.

It resets my brain. Reassures me that we can handle this nightmare.

If he kisses me, it means he’s not going to run, right?

“Come on,” he growls, but his tone isn’t nearly as deadly anymore. It brings me a little relief. We enter his house, and I follow him into the living room like a lost puppy. He storms through it and takes the steps up to a spare bedroom where three massive monitors are lined across a desk. He boots up all the machines and plugs in my laptop.