7
VIVIEN
Vitriol spills from Reeve’s lips and pours from his eyes, and it’s so unlike him. He’s starting to sound as twisted up and angry as his brother. And just like Dillon, he’s blaming his twin when it was others who were responsible. Simon set everything in motion. And Saffron manipulated Reeve in Mexico to aid her agenda.
Will this cycle of blame and hostility ever end?
“I saw the photos last night. They confirmed my suspicions about everything.” He shakes his head, and the look of disappointment etched across his face is crystal clear. “You let him fuck you against a cross at the top of a hill in the middle of the night? And in the sea when others were around?”
Disgust replaces disappointment on his handsome face, and it makes me mad. It’s not like Reeve is a prude or the type of guy fixated on vanilla sex. We’re adventurous in our own way. Yes, we have never fucked in a public place, but that’s only because it’s too damn risky given his celebrity status. I don’t like his judgy, hypocritical attitude one little bit. “You don’t get to judge me, Reeve. I was with my boyfriend, and everything was consensual. At least my photos didn’t end up splashed all over the tabloids and social media. You were spared that humiliation.” That’s a low blow for me, but I’m riled up now and seething at the sickening invasion of my privacy.
“Do I even know you?” he continues, narrowing his eyes, and I see red. He has no right to look down his nose at me. Certainly not after all this time. “Do you have any idea what it did to me seeing that?”
It’s just like Reeve to try to turn this back around on me when he’s the one in the wrong. “Well, maybe you shouldn’t have invaded my privacy in such a revolting manner! Doyouhave any idea how it feels to know someone was watching me withmy boyfriend? Capturing our most intimate moments on film?” Anger mushrooms inside me until it explodes. “Those photos should never have been taken! And they sure as fuck shouldn’t be sitting in some pervy PI’s office like a ticking time bomb.” I’m enraged and horrified and feeling a ton of other emotions.
“I didn’t know they’d done that because I didn’t ask for it, and I never looked at the photos. After I got you back, I didn’t give them a second thought.” He pulls a thick white envelope from the glove compartment, tossing it into my lap. “There you go. That’s all of them. Carson already got signed declarations from the US and Irish security firms confirming no other copies are in existence in physical or digital format.”
I swivel on my seat, the leather squelching with the motion. “Did you arrange that photo of us on the balcony the day I came home?”
A muscle pops in his jaw, but he says nothing.
“Answer me, Reeve. We might as well bring all the skeletons out of the closet.”
He looks at me with pleading eyes. “I was so scared I’d lost you. You were really upset. I knew you were in love with him. Possibly more than with me, and I wasn’t risking losing you forever.” Fierce determination glistens in his eyes. “I’d gotten friendly with a photographer. He’d suggested we could have a mutually beneficial arrangement. I called him that day and set it up.”
Oh God. Dillon was right. My head drops back against the headrest, and I close my eyes as if that will ward off the incoming fresh wave of pain. Tears fall from my eyes, almost in sync with the drip-drip of the rain as it pelts our car. “You seduced me on purpose so the photographer would get the money shot and you’d use it to drive Dillon away.”
“Don’t rewrite history, Viv.” I open my eyes, noticing his fingers digging into the wheel. “I seduced you because I fucking love you and I missed you. I wanted to feel close to you again. Staking my claim, and warning that prick off, was secondary.” He casts a quick glance at me as he rounds the next bend. “You’re mine, Viv, and that’s never going to change.”
I’m dumbstruck, and my brain is clouded with so many emotions. Did Reeve want me back for the right reasons, or am I a possession he was determined to win from his competition? Has Dillon been right about everything? I don’t even know what is real anymore. All I do know is Reeve has been lying to me. And I’ve been lying to him. Which is worse? Are they even comparable? Can I call him out on his shit when I’ve been concealing big things from him these past two weeks? Are we both as bad as each other?
I can’t make sense of the warring thoughts churning through my jumbled brain. “I always thought you stopped to talk to the reporters that day to send a message to Saffron. To let her know we were back together and to not try anything. I never stopped to consider you were sending Dillon a message too. I was so fucking naïve.”
“Two birds. One stone.” He shrugs, like it’s no biggie, and I lose the tenuous hold on my emotions.
“Don’t act so freaking flippant! You lied to me! Manipulated me! How often have you done that in our marriage, Reeve? What else don’t I know?”
“Oh no, Viv. You don’t get to throw that shit at me.” The car accelerates as an angry red flush creeps up his neck and onto his face. “You’ve done exactly the same! You should’ve confessed the second we stepped foot in our living room that day. You should’ve told me immediately who Dillon was. Instead, you sat there and let him try to make a fool out of me.”
“I wanted to tell you,” I cry. “I was planning to, but he blackmailed me into keeping quiet.”
“He what?” Reeve roars, and I cover my ears at the bellowing sound.
“He took photos of me, when we were together, without my permission. He threatened to post them online along with the truth that he was your twin and that E…” I break down, sobbing into my hands.
“He has no intention of developing a relationship with me. He’s here for you. You and…my son,” he croaks.
I lift my face, staring at Reeve through blurry eyes. “We are yours, Reeve. He can’t take us from you.”
“If you didn’t meet with him to fuck him, there is only one other reason you would.” His chest heaves, and silent tears stream down his face. “You did a paternity test. Didn’t you?”
I nod, swiping at the hot tears coursing over my cheeks. “He insisted on it. I wanted to tell you, but he blackmailed me into keeping silent. Then I thought maybe it was for the best to wait until we had the test results, but…” I sob into my hands, unable to keep my emotions in check.
“No, Viv. Please, God, no. Don’t say what I think you’re going to say.”
His choked tone is killing me, along with the intense pain pressing down on my chest, making it difficult to breathe. “I’m sorry, Reeve. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were twins! I kept my distance when I first returned from Ireland because I wasn’t sure you were the father. I’m sorry I lied about that, but I was trying to protect you. I was so happy when Easton was born and the test confirmed he was yours.” My cries bounce off the insides of the car.
“I knew you lied,” he says, and I jerk my head up, my tears faltering.