For Us (The Girl I Loved Duet 2)

And then I tell him the rest, word for word, as far as I can remember it. About Fantasia, and the pictures, and his assessment that since I’d had sex with Peter that I owed sex to him too. Peter’s hands don’t tighten on mine. They’re soft and soothing, but I can see the way the rest of his body goes tense with anger and that he’s clenching his teeth.

The waitress brings the pie and I have to let him go to eat it. I finish telling him how Clay followed me out of the house and I came here, not wanting to be sick on the side of the road. “What are we going to do?” I ask, fighting off the welling up of emotion that comes with telling him all of that. “It’s Clay Markham. He says he took pictures. It doesn’t matter how careful we are because of who he is. If he says he’s going to make sure I never work again, then he is. It’s going to happen. I’m so sorry, Peter.”

Peter looks at me, eyes blazing. “Don’t you ever apologize. None of that is your fault. I had no idea that Clay would do something like that, and the fact that I almost worked with him without knowing that he’s that kind of monster makes me sick.” He slips out of his side of the booth and comes around to mine. He slips a hand around my waist and kisses me on the forehead. “Are you okay to stay here for a few minutes? Because I’m going to talk to him.”

“What are you going to say?”

He shakes his head, hand tightening on my hip. “I don’t know yet, but I’m going to fix it. Eat your pie. Order yourself another piece, and don’t leave. I’ll be back soon.”

There’s a lump in my throat, but it’s okay. I know that he means it when he says he’s going to fix it. There’s a warmth in my gut, the sense of relief that being taken care of brings. Peter doesn’t lie. He’s going to fix it. I find a smile somewhere inside me. “Try not to kill him.”

Peter doesn’t return that smile. “I’ll try.” And then he’s up and striding out of the restaurant. I see him send a text before he gets in his car, and then he’s driving away.

I order another slice of pie.

19

Peter

Present

I can’t remember a time in my life when I’ve been this angry. Before I turn on my car, I send a text to Michael telling him where to meet me, because I’m going to need someone there to remind me not to kill this bastard, and Michael is a pretty good choice for that. We haven’t spoken since I had him kicked out of Fantasia, but he’ll have my back. I know he will.

I’ve been to Clay’s house once before, when he was courting me for the show. It looks different to me now that I know who he really is. I only have a half-formed plan, but I don’t even care. This has to be dealt with, and now, before Clay has a chance to ruin everything that Amber has worked for.

Banging on the door, I wait until I hear shuffling footsteps on the other side. The door opens, and Clay is there. No shirt, hair disheveled, he’s practically drooling. And I notice something that Amber didn’t tell me about. His eyes are so bloodshot that they’re red. I push past him, because like hell am I going to let him shut me out of the house. “I heard you threatened Amber.”

Clay starts laughing. Not a normal laugh, it’s maniacal and piercing. “I didn’t threaten her, I told her that she needed to pay her debt. You already got paid you pretty little pansy. She sucked your cock and now she needs to suck mine. It’s only fair.”

It takes everything I’ve got not to put his head through a wall. I do shove him into it though, and I put myself as far into his space as I dare. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you ever say that to a woman that you work with, let alone one that I thought you respected?”

His body is limp, and he lets his head loll on his shoulders while rolling his eyes. “Perer. Perter. Peter. You’re young. You don’t know how this works yet. Sure, Amber is fine. She’s not brilliant. But people like it when you mentor girls like that. They call you sensitive and give you more jobs and you get all the other women dying to fuck you. But Amber, she’s not just a decent director, she’s hot. You know. And I made her. The least she can do is give me what I need as a thank you. You know. You fucked her.”