“What are you talking about?” My heart rate jumped up again, it sounded like my pulse was ringing in my ears.
“You know he can’t be trusted, Allie. He’s been playing you this whole time.”
I was too stunned to speak. My mouth flopped open, but nothing came out. Bryce’s tone was harsh and vindictive and he continued without waited for me to respond.
“He made me a deal, Allie. If I got you a job at Spotlight, he would hire Clay to work for him at Brighton Enterprises. I didn’t realize that once I got you fired, that he would swoop in and give you Clay’s position.”
Full alarm bells were ringing in my head.
“Got me fired? It was you?”
He let out a cold laugh that scattered goosebumps all over my body. “Yes. Clay was at the party that night, Allie. He was the one who caught you tongue fucking with Cooper in the hallway. I sent the pictures to Rita.”
“But why? What did I ever do to you?”
“You really don’t get it, do you?” he replied. “It’s not personal, Allie. I did it to get back at that conniving Cooper. I held up my end of the bargain, but he backed out of his deal with Clay the moment he saw you at Spotlight. So, when Clay snapped the pictures of you at the party, we knew sending them to Rita would get you fired. He wanted you there, and after he backed out of the deal, I no longer wanted you here.”
I couldn’t think straight. The cold cackle on the other end of the phone filled my mind, leaving no room for anything else. I hung up the phone and backed away as though it were some sort of venomous snake. My hands were shaking and all the blood had drained from my face. I wanted to stand, to run away and never look back, but I didn’t trust my legs to carry me.
Bryce’s confession played over and over in my mind.
He had been the one to send those pictures. He’d gotten me fired from Spotlight.
All for what? So his boyfriend could get some tech job?
I shook my head. Something wasn’t right.
And what had he said about Cooper? Cooper had forced him to get me the job at Spotlight in the first place. But how did he even know who I was? For the life of me, I couldn’t recall ever seeing him at the cafe before and that was the only place I’d ever seen Bryce. Before I started at Spotlight, we only knew each other because he was a regular customer. Had he told Cooper about me? But, even if he had, why would Cooper have made a deal like that?
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Nothing made sense. I leaned against the desk, burying my face in my hands, trying to get the room to stop spinning.
When I righted myself, I knew what I had to do.
I grabbed my purse and stalked out of the office.
I went to the parking garage but stopped short when I realized that Cherry Bomb wasn’t sitting in the parking spot where I’d left her.
“What the fuck?” I hissed, looking around to make sure I was on the right level.
Once I confirmed I was in the right place, I fished my phone out of my purse and called Cooper’s cell phone.
“Allie,” he answered on the second ring. “Hold on one second.”
I didn’t respond. I waited until the shuffling sounds on his end cleared.
“Okay, go ahead,” he said.
“Where’s my bike?”
“Are you leaving the office? What time is it?”
“I don’t know and I don’t fucking care. I’m done. Tell me where my bike is so I can go home.”
“Home?”
“I just had a very interesting conversation with your pal, Bryce,” I said. “You know what, I’m not even mad at you. I’m mad at myself for, once again, getting sucked back into your fucked up game. I mean really, I played right into your hands again.”