Page 128 of Dead Pretty

“Audrey, we have to talk. This isn’t right. That picture—”

“Stop talking!” I cry.

I can feel my eyes filling with his betrayal.

Heart pounding, I turn away from him, refusing to let him see my tears.

I’ve already opened the door, and I’m walking through it when he says in a low voice, “I am sorry, Audrey. I never meant … for this.”

I pause for a second, keeping my back to him.

Then, I just slam the door on his words. So hard that the drywall rattles.

Running to my apartment, I dig in my bag for my keys, blinking away the stupid tears threatening to fall.

Finally, I find them and let myself in, and then I lock the door behind me, sliding all the dead bolts into place.

I slump back against the door and then slide down it until my ass hits the floor. Bringing my knees up to my chest, I wrap my arms around them. Let my head fall to them.

And I allow the tears to silently run down my legs.

“Audrey.”

The sound of Jack’s deep yet soft voice on the other side of my door jolts me awake.

I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here, but my ass is numb, my legs are stiff, and the tears I was crying have dried on my face.

Even though everything aches, I don’t move, afraid he’ll hear me.

I hear him sigh. It sounds sad.

I hate that my heart reaches for him. Stupid, dumb heart.

How can I still feel anything for him?

I let myself be vulnerable with Jack. I showed him the worst part of me, and he betrayed me. In the worst possible way.

“Audrey … I know you’re there.” His words are tentative. “I can hear you breathing through the door.”

I instantly hold my breath even though it’s pointless because, like he said, he knows I’m here.

“Look …” he exhales the word. “You don’t have to say anything … just listen to what I have to say. Please.”

I say nothing.

He must take my silence as my acceptance.

It’s not that I want to listen to him. But moving from this spot doesn’t seem doable either.

“I’m sorry I lied. No … that’s wrong. I’m not sorry. Because if I hadn’t lied, I would never have gotten to know you, and for that, I will never be sorry.”

Tears start to pool in the corners of my eyes again.

“But I am sorry for the way you found out. It should have come from me. And I wanted to tell you. I just didn’t know how. As time went on, it got …” Another sigh. “I knew I would lose you the moment I told you, and I wasn’t ready for that … I don’t know if I ever will be.” I hear his intake of breath. “Audrey … I need you to know that being with you … the way I feel about you … that was never a lie.”

A tear runs down my face.

“I came here … because …”