"She used deceit, Ethan. That's what she did. She lied. And she was good at it. She could convince even the most powerful men to drop their pants for her, and she was cunning enough to gain access to them," she says. "Think about that for a moment."
I never really thought about it like that. I guess Cheryl has a fucking point. But what Brittney and I have together is fucking different. I'm not some cheating husband that she's been hired to uncover.
"Look, I'll prove to you that the prototype is fine," I say. "I brought my tablet. It's connected to the cameras in my apartment. I'll power it on, and I'll show you that the prototype is still sitting in my briefcase, on the table."
I hold down the home button and toggle my tablet on. The screen glows to life, and I click on the application that'll show Cheryl everything's fine. Maybe then she'll get off my back. I know she means well, but I wish she'd just fucking trust me.
The app launches and I immediately see a live view of my apartment. Everything is still. I don't see Brittney anywhere. She must've already left.
I pan around to the living room, and I zoom in. I see the couch … I see the table … but I don't see the briefcase.
What the fuck? My heart sinks, and my pulse races. I know I left that briefcase in plain view. I should be seeing it. I'm trying to fight the dizzy feeling that's beginning to flood my head.
I'm trying to keep my cool in front of Cheryl. What if she's right? Fuck.
"I know the briefcase is around here somewhere," I say, panning around the apartment.
"I thought you said it was on your living room table?" Cheryl asks.
"It was… or I thought it was, but I could've misremembered," I say.
"It's gone, Ethan," she says. "I told you. Brittney couldn't be trusted. Now what are we going to do?"
My heart now sinks even further as I realize Cheryl's right. I'm not sure if this is what a broken heart feels like, but it must be pretty fucking close.
The realization finally sinks in. Despite the fact that I know what she did, I have to repeat it to myself.
Brittney used me. She stole the prototype.
There's a moment of stunned silence.
"Ethan you can trust me," a voice says from behind me. "Here's your prototype."
I feel a hand on my shoulder and I turn around. It's Brittney and she's holding my briefcase in one hand.
"I thought you stole the prototype," I say. I'm relieved that she's here, but she looks distraught. This isn't the Brittney I kissed goodbye to in my apartment.
"I love you Ethan," Brittney says. "I love you with every fiber of my body. I've never felt this way about a man before… but now that I've met you, I know what true love feels like. I can't imagine my life without you."
"Brit, come here," I say, embracing her in a hug. I see tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I'm afraid Ethan," she says. "Very afraid."
She continues, "There's a man out there who wouldn't hesitate to see me dead."
151
Brittney
I don’t care about what happens next. I can’t bring myself to betray Ethan. Whatever the consequences are, I’ll face them as long as he’s with me. When I first came into this, I came ready to do my job, but I ended up falling for the best man I have ever met… And I can’t turn my back on him. I deserve this.
It wasn’t easy to stroll into his office with an admission of guilt, throwing myself at his mercy. But this was what I had to do. Even if Simon makes good on his word, there was no other option for me. Not anymore.
So here I am, standing in front of Ethan, fear and hesitancy nestled in my mind. I look at him with pursed lips, knowing that there’s no going back from this; this is my personal Rubicon, and I’ve just crossed it. Cheryl dismisses herself from the room.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him, taking one step toward him. He’s standing in front of his desk, dashing as always. And now, more than ever, I need to feel his arms around me. “I really am.”
“Don’t.” He brushes the back of his hand on my cheek, and then runs his long fingers through my hair. “You’re here, and you did right by me. We’ll work this out.” I nod, hoping that his words turn out to be true, and that everything will work out. Looking into his eyes and seeing the confidence shining there, I can’t help but trust him. Still, deep inside of me I know that the world is a mean and dirty place, and it will do everything to crush me. I know it, and Simon does too. “I promise you,” he adds, and then leans into me. His lips touch mine, and there’s a gentle tenderness to our kiss.