Page 97 of The Truths We Find

“Hey.” He shrugs. “Not my fault you two can’t keep it down. You were practically inviting me to peek the last time I crashed on your couch.”

The words hit colder than the video did. He’d been here. Listening. Watching.

I feel sick.

“Anyway,” he says, leaning forward. “Here’s my proposition. You’re going to leave Dani.”

A laugh bursts out of me. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

“You didn’t let me finish.” He holds up a finger. “You’re going to leave Dani… or that video goes online for the world to see.”

I freeze.

The air disappears from the room.

“Ah,” he says softly. “Now I have your attention.”

“Why—” My voice cracks. “What do you want?”

His expression shifts from smug to something darker. Obsession.

“I want Dani. I’ve always wanted her. When you break her heart, she’ll run to her oldest friend for comfort.” His lips curl. “And she’ll finally realize it was always supposed to be me.”

And for the first time, I understand.

This isn’t about jealousy.

This is about control.

“I just totaled your phone. The video’s gone.”

The words feel desperate even as I say them.

“Dude. How stupid are you?” He tilts his head. “You really think that was my real phone? Or that I didn’t back the video up somewhere?”

Of course he did.

My pulse pounds in my ears. I’m not thinking straight. I’m reacting. Breaking. Not thinking.

Deep breaths, Gavin. Think.

“What’s stopping me from going to the cops?” I ask, trying to steady my voice.

He leans back like we’re debating sports statistics. “Do you know how hard it is to prosecute revenge porn cases? I’d just say you asked me to record you. Besides…” His smile sharpens. “The minute you step into that police station, I’ll release it. And Dani’s career will be over before it even starts. No station in the country will touch someone with a sex tape.”

My stomach drops.

He’s not bluffing.

He doesn’t care about consequences. He cares about leverage.

“There’s a flaw in your plan,” I shoot back, grasping at anything. “You release it, you hurt Dani and her career, but we’re still together. You don’t get what you want. And she can tell her bosses it wasn’t her who leaked it. She can fight it. She can save her job.”

Please let that be true.

Please let there be a loophole.

“Ah,” he says. “That’s where you’re wrong, my idiot friend.”