The Fixed Trilogy: Forever With You(49)

“No. No, he didn’t trick me.” Things were starting to fall in place, but not enough of them. I took a step toward her. “Look, I’m sorry that—”

“Don’t bother.” She practically spit. God, she was mad.

“Please!” I put my hand up either to prevent her from stopping me or to shield me from any further assault. “Please let me finish.”

I don’t know why I waited for her permission, but she gave it to me. “Fine.”

“I’m sorry I told Hudson, and that it betrayed your confidence.” Honestly, it hadn’t occurred to me that she wouldn’t want me to tell him. Now that I thought about it, perhaps it hadn’t been in good taste. “I wasn’t trying to…hurt you…or piss you off in any way. I was just trying to be honest with my boyfriend. And I didn’t tell him what it was, obviously, because I didn’t know. I asked if he knew what you might have and he said he had no idea. End of discussion.”

She started to open her mouth to say something, but I spoke before she could. “Wait, one more thing—” The most important thing. “How do you know that I told him?”

She tapped her finger against her thigh as though considering whether or not she wanted to tell me. “He’s emailed,” she said after a beat. “And called me, asking about it.”

“Emailed…?” Hudson had emailed Stacy about the video?

“And called. Every day last week, in fact.”

The color drained from my face, and I had to sit down on the dressing room bench. “But why would he do that? What did he say?”

“His email said he learned that I had a video with him in it, and he wanted to talk to me about it. He mentioned a bunch of legal things about privacy and libel and all that crap. Then he asked if I’d send it to him. His phone messages said the same.”

“What did you say?”


“I didn’t actually talk to him. He kept calling, though, so I finally sent it Thursday. There was really no point keeping it from him. He knows I saw what’s on the video, even if he didn’t know about the video itself.”

If she sent it on Thursday, then Hudson had most likely already seen it himself. Was that what he’d been referring to the other morning? His secrets?

“Then he emailed me today and asked me if we could talk about what he’d need to do in order to ensure the video was gone forever.” Her voice was thick with disgust. “Like I could be bribed.”

“I don’t understand.” My eyes rested on my lap, my words for myself, not Stacy. “He said there was nothing you could possibly have that would interest me. He wasn’t concerned about it. Why would he…?”

“Because he’s lying to you, Alayna!”

Stacy’s emphatic statement drew my focus back to her.

“That’s exactly my point about him. You can’t trust him or anything he says. He’ll string you along, make you think he’s interested, make you think he’s available. But he’s not. I don’t know what the hell game he’s playing, but he’s good at it.”

A game. Was that what the whole thing was about? Had Stacy been one of his victims? It would explain why he’d been so protective about the material.

I felt sick.

Though I knew about the things he’d done to people, it didn’t mean I was comfortable with it. Didn’t mean I wanted to have to meet face-to-face with the people he’d hurt.

And what if that wasn’t what this was about at all? If he’d scammed Stacy, I could deal with that. It wasn’t new information.

If it was something different…

I made a choice. One that I didn’t know if I’d necessarily be proud of later, but the only one that would protect my sanity. “What’s on the video, Stacy?”

“Uh-uh.” She turned back to the dressing rack, busying herself with straightening the clothing. “I’m not playing this game. You didn’t want to see it.”

I still wasn’t sure that I wanted to see it. But now I had to. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have…I don’t know…dismissed it so easily. You have to understand—I was trying to trust him because…” Why was I trying to explain the details of Hudson’s and my relationship? It didn’t matter why I hadn’t wanted to see it. What mattered was that I’d changed my mind.

I stood and stepped toward her. “Look, you wanted me to see it to warn me about him. Don’t you think I need the warning even more now? Woman to woman. Please.” I was desperate—grasping at whatever would speak to her. It was manipulative, perhaps, but I’d been learning from the best.

Stacy’s face softened. “I’m off at four. Give me your email and I’ll send it to you as soon as I get home.”

“Thank you. Thank you.” I dove for my purse on the floor where I kept my business cards.

“But I’m done. I’m destroying the damn thing like he asked and then no more. Whatever you decide about the man, you’re on your own.”

“Of course.” I found the item I was looking for and handed it to Stacy. “Here’s my card. The email is my home and work.”

She took the card from me and tucked it in her pocket.

“Thank you, Stacy. And, again, I’m sorry. If I can make it up to you…”