ChapterThirty
Oliver
She hangs up on me.
My heart stops. No.
I call her back. She doesn’t answer. I call Arnold.
“Is she okay?”
“I don’t think she’s bleeding, if that’s what you mean, but she might be in shock. She seemed confused and extremely angry.”
“Please stay nearby in case Ben returns.”
“You got it.” He hangs up.
I call her again. Dread is a lead weight in my belly.
She answers and immediately speaks. “You should have told me. When did you hire him? How long has he been following me?”
I wince. “Piper, I—”
“When? When did you hire him?” Her voice is a knife.
“After you told me about the first package from Ben.”
There’s a long pause. Her voice is soft when she asks, “That long ago?”
I say nothing. I can’t defend myself.
Her breathing falters. “That’s the real reason you came to the party in Brooklyn. You knew he was there.”
“I never lied to you.”
“A lie by omission is still a lie.”
The words are a blow. But she’s right. I’ve been so used to doing what I want, never considering other people’s feelings, until now. Her feelings are the only ones that matter, and I ruined it. I need to fix this.
“I had to do something. I don’t trust Ben.”
“You don’t have to trust Ben—you have to trust me. I told you not once, but twice that I didn’t want security and I needed to have control over my own life, and you said you understood. But you didn’t, did you?”
I broke her trust. I’ve always known I don’t deserve her. I just thought I would have a little more time with her.
“Ben was staying too close to Mindy’s. I was worried about you. I had to keep you safe.”
When she speaks again, her voice is low and shaking. “How did you know where he was staying? Why didn’t you tell me? Wait,” she says before I can answer. “I know exactly why. If you told me, you would have to explain how you’ve been interfering in my life and making choices for me when you know what I’ve been through.”
My stomach churns, revolting at the thought that she would think I’m anything like him. I’m bleeding inside, and I’ve never been good at bleeding alone.
“You’ve been hiding things too,” I say.
She pauses. “What?”
“You told me you needed a work space to finish, when the truth was you hadn’t even started.”
“I was scared.”