It was past midnight, and I was walking alone on the streets of Oakland. It was almost as though I witnessed someone being shot. The numbness that gripped my head wouldn’t let me think about anything but placing one foot in front of the other. I couldn't believe what had just happened.

Ben had lost his mind. There was no other explanation for why he would do something so petty, but this wasn't just the action of a jealous ex. No, he had leaped far beyond jealousy and had crossed into creepy as fuck. Ben wasn't a bastard when we were together, but somehow he became one when we were apart. Will was carted off to jail because of me, and now I'd dragged Luke into this mess.

Un-fucking-believable.

My pocket buzzed, and I slipped my hand inside for the phone.

“Hey.”

Jessica’s voice was a nervous bubble of energy. “Natalie? Where are you? We’re stopped near Ben’s apartment.”

“Just keep driving. I walked about a mile.”

“Natalie! You shouldn’t be walking alone in Oakland!” She said something to Luke. “We’ll be there soon.”

“Okay,” Nothing worse could happen at this point.

Luke's car rolled up next to me, and he honked to get my attention. Jessica popped her blonde head out of the window and beckoned. I got into the car and stared ahead as they both turned their heads to look at me.

It was like swimming through water. Every sight and sound distorted into confusing messages I couldn’t understand. I asked Luke to repeat what he said three times before I understood.

“Did Ben hurt you?”

"No, but he hit Will." A horrible image of Ben's fist slamming into Will's head replayed over and over in my mind. "It's all my fault. Will was just defending himself." I looked into Luke's blue eyes. "I'm sorry for all this."

“Natalie, you’ve nothing to be sorry about. You did nothing wrong.”

“Yeah, but…” my voice cracked, and I bent my head to the ground.

“What happened?”

I told them everything in a robotic tone; the severity of his actions hadn’t hit me yet. From the backseat, I watched Luke’s face tighten as I finished the story.

"Someone needs to contact Will's father…and his publicist if he hasn't already. This is really bad."

My throat squeezed. “But he did nothing wrong!”

"It doesn't matter. It's the word of a criminal defense lawyer against a man who has had trouble in the past with the law."

Shit. He was right.

“Once this gets out, it’ll be a circus. Uncle Dominic will be livid.”

“Shouldn’t you call him?” Jessica asked.

He shook his head. “I’m in a lawsuit with the man. Can’t.”

She held out her hand. “Give me the phone. I’ll call him.”

“I’m sure Will already has.”

The rest of the car ride passed as silently as it could with me trying to stifle my crying.  Would he hate me for getting him into this mess?

When Luke parked the car, he turned around in his seat. “Just stay here. I’ll get him.”

I nodded, my eyes were still full of tears. Jessica and I waited in silence, both of us yawning in exhaustion.

What time is it? Three or four in the morning?

At last, two tall figures left jail, and my pulse raced as I made out Will's outline. Was he angry? Was he relieved? Not being able to take it anymore, I got out of the car and walked toward him, trying to see his face in the darkness.

Luke kept glancing at his cousin as if wondering the same thing. Luke walked away from his side when he saw me standing there, waiting for Will.

The side of his face was red, but his eyes were bright with the manic energy that always drew me toward him. Will looked more alive than ever. Blinded by tears, I stopped in front of him and stared at his tan shoes. I heard Luke’s low voice talking to Jessica in the car.

“Will, I’m so sorry,” I mumbled. “I’ve gotten you into so much trouble.”

The scrape of his shoe against the concrete brought him closer and then he pulled me into his chest. I wrapped my arms around him, dissolving into tears. Will stroked my head and the gentleness in his hands made me cry harder. I didn’t deserve it.

“Why are you crying? I’m the one who was arrested.”

I felt the bump of his lips on the top of my head.

“Natalie, it’s not your fault. I hated leaving you there at his apartment.”

My face burned against his chest. “I kneed him in the balls after you left.”

The vibrations of his laughter shook through my body. I felt a little lighter.

"You crazy girl. You shouldn't have done that. He could have hurt you."

“He wouldn’t.” My mouth went dry. How would I even know? Ben had done things I never thought he was capable of.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Will was smiling as if it would be all right, but I wasn’t sure it would be all right ever again.

* * *

Billionaire Will Pardini arrested for battery, B&E in Oakland - Pardini sons out of control?

Another article included a picture of Will waving to the camera as he was escorted in handcuffs to jail.

I closed the lid of Will’s laptop, fear gnawing at my insides. He slept in the bedroom, but I didn’t think I’d ever be able to sleep.

When we reached his apartment in the city, William made a few calls to his father, to his lawyer, and had collapsed into bed.

I checked my LinkedIn profile as soon as I got home, but all the nude photos mysteriously disappeared.

Slimy bastard.

I logged in and changed my password. What was Ben playing at? It was becoming more and more apparent that the photos were used to draw us to his apartment so he could get Will arrested. Plus, they had the bonus effect of humiliating me.

The insecure voice in my head, the one that sounded like my mother, uttered a small thought: Did I do something wrong? Did I deserve this?

I kept remembering Ben’s blue eyes, devoid of all the warmth I’d grown accustomed to seeing. Ben was never the type to rejoice in other people’s pain, but yesterday he looked at me and smiled through his bloody lips, gloating as Will was dragged off to jail. How could he become a different person?

Fuck. The news teams will flock to Ben’s door.

I paced Will’s spacious, San Francisco apartment. It was nowhere near the level of Luke’s mansion, but it had wonderful views of the Bay. I returned to Will’s bedroom and watched him sleep.

He needs to get up, dammit.

My head pounded with a massive headache. I'd been up the whole night, and the orange sky was receding into blue. Will was on his stomach, dead to the world. I peeled back the comforter and his back muscles twitched.

The phone rang and still Will didn't move. It blared through the entire apartment, blasting in my ears. He moaned, and his head jerked, but the call went to voicemail.

"William, this is your father. Your lawyer called me, and he says that Ben Osland is suing you. Several media outlets have already contacted him. We need to begin damage control. This Ben character is on a warpath. I do not understand what the hell you did to piss him off, but I wanted to thank you for once again making my life difficult. Call me back."

Don't get angry with him; It's my fault. I wanted to pick up the phone and call him back to explain everything.

“You’re welcome, Dad.”

Will's muffled voice filtered out of the comforter. I sat on the bed, and he rolled over, his bleary eyes watching me. The side of his face was a livid purple, and I felt another stab of guilt.

“You look worried.”

“I am. You should be too.”

“Relax, it’ll be fine.”

“I’m not so sure. Those cops who arrested you are in his pocket. He’s friendly with a lot of them because they work together all the time.”

“Great,” he moaned. “You sure know how to pick ‘em.”

I grasped his warm shoulders and leaned in. “I’m so, so sorry.” My breath caught in my throat.

“Why do you keep saying that?” he said in a low voice.

A fluttering feeling kept distracting me when he touched my arms. "Because you mean a lot, and I hate that I brought all of this chaos into your life."

His fingers encircled my arms and pulled me into the warm bed. His face pinched with fatigue, but I looked at his lips and felt my body heat all over. Every time he touched my skin, a jolt of electricity shot through me. The excitement and the strange, pounding feeling in my chest were new.

“You didn’t bring chaos into my life. Natalie, you’ve no idea how empty I was before I met you.”

“Me too, Will.”

The palm of his hand increased pressure on my upper back, and I fell in my arms as Will placed a soft kiss on my lips. I kissed him, and then his half-naked body turned and fell on top of mine. I caressed his broad back, his shoulder, over the dark bruise showing on his face. He hissed in pain, and I pulled away.

"I'm glad you kneed that prick in the balls. I wish I could have seen it."

He lowered himself and kissed me again, his tongue teasing my mouth as if he was turned on by the image of me kicking my ex-fiancé.

I felt myself opening. My skin was sensitive—every touch made me want to moan. What was it about him that made him so irresistible?

“Will,” I whispered in his ear.

A small groan left his mouth as he felt my lips moving on his ears. “I like that.”

With one swipe of his arms, my t-shirt flew from my head. He grinned as he reached behind my back and unclasped my bra. I let out a thin gasp as his hands grasped my breasts. His thumb and forefinger found my peaked nipples and squeezed them.

“Ah!”

His fingers already knew all the places where I was sensitive. I bit down on his neck as they shoved through the narrow space between my panties and dipped to stroke my moistening clit. He chuckled between kissing my breasts as I seized his back and dug my nails in. Ecstasy flooded my senses as his finger probed the heat between my legs until they slid inside the tight, wet passage. Two fingers curled like a question mark inside me, striking the hot bed of nerves that longed for something longer—thicker. His tongue played on my chest, exciting me, torturing me.

I seized his head, brought him to my face, and he grinned at my eagerness. I needed more. With his other hand, he pulled my jeans down to my knees and resumed fingering me. My wetness covered his hand, and I heard it slipping around him as he pumped his fingers inside me. I cried out when his hands dug to the hilt, and he curled up to stroke that sensitive spot.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this,” he groaned. “You are so wet.”

His muscular body glided over me, and I grabbed his waist to unbutton his jeans. I paused for a moment to ride my palm over the rigid bulge, and his face twitched as I squeezed it.

“Maybe I should tease you.”

“Don’t you dare,” he growled.

I unzipped his pants and reached inside for his long, hard length. Then I pulled him out of his briefs and watched as a drop trembled over the head. I lifted myself and kissed him, my tongue reaching out to catch the drop. My hands smoothed over his muscular ass, and I pulled him closer to my face. My mouth open, I heard his strangled moan as his cock passed my lips. His thickness widened my mouth, my tongue riding on the ridge. Excitement jumped up my thighs as I felt him take control.

He pumped slowly, taking his time as I kept my lips clasped around him. I guided his hips, urging him on—faster. Through his mouth, he uttered a stream of curses and guttural moans. I was fascinated by how dirty it was—and how much I liked it. Will’s face, streaked with sweat, crumpled as if he was in pain. He pulled out of my mouth and hovered in front of my lips, before he let out a sigh, like dipping into a warm bath.

Then he pulled out and his torso moved down. He ripped off my jeans and flung them across the room and suddenly my legs were wrapped around his waist, and he dove forward.

I let out a sharp gasp as he sank inside me, pounding hard enough to rob me of all breath. His hot face met mine with a steaming kiss as I moaned into his lips. The headboard slammed rhythmically into the wall.

Nothing could feel better than his hips driving his rock-hard cock into me. I clutched his head against my breast as his whole body surged forward, every muscle focused on delivering me as much pleasure as possible. My pulse maintained its rapid pace, and I clenched myself tight around him, my face screwing up as Will's heavy breaths surrounded me. The pleasure ramped up like the tight coils of a spring, and then suddenly he hammered forward, and I convulsed around his cock at the same time he uttered a low moan and jumped inside me.

“Natalie.” He bit down on my neck and squeezed my breast as his orgasm shuddered through his body. “I can feel you.”

He reached down and touched my twitching muscles as he slid out. I was too busy focusing on the electricity shooting through my body. He raised himself on his elbows, looking tired but pleased. I wiped the damp locks of hair from his eyes, and he lowered himself. His lips were soft against mine, and even though I was exhausted I felt I could kiss him for hours.

* * *

I spent the next few days away from William, hunkering in my cold apartment and refreshing ten different windows on my computer. William said he needed time to deal with all the negative press, and I understood that. The headlines got worse. A lot worse.

Billionaire and pal kill three with DUI in Redwood City in ’11

Battery victim condemns Pardini family for “covering up” DUI

He never said sorry: an exposé into the Pardini DUI crash

Opinion: Pardini family cover-up shows youth that drinking and driving is ok

Is the law lenient on the rich?

None of them seemed to care that William wasn't in the driver's seat. All that mattered was that he was rich. Ben mentioned the deadly crash during one of his interviews, and the media ran with it, igniting a firestorm of vitriol and public outcry against the Pardini family.

When I called him, his voice was quieter. He was spiraling.

“When can I see you?”

Silence crackled on the other end of the line. Ten—fifteen seconds.

“Will, are you still there?”

“Uh—what? Sorry.”

“I said, when can I see you again?"

“Natalie, I don't know. I really can't talk.”

I bit my lip hard so that he couldn’t hear the tears in my voice. “Okay. Bye.”

Without so much as a farewell, William hung up, and I stared at my empty phone as if it could tell me what was wrong with him.

I crumpled up the piece of paper I’d been using to sketch a design and hurled it across my too small bedroom. The final designs I had yet to finish glared at me through the computer screen.

A soft knock at my door interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in.”

A sliver of Jessica’s slight figure appeared in the crack of the door. She gave me a wry smile. “Come here. Luke has something for you.”

My eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“Just come."

Whatever it was, Jessica looked like she barely contained her excitement. I followed her into the kitchen where Luke stood, still dressed in his work clothes. He held a folder in his hands and was beaming at me.

What could he have for me? “What’s up?”

“Natalie, everyone loved the approach you took for the campaign.” Grinning ear to ear, he walked closer. “The creative director leading the bed-and-breakfast campaign wants to hire you as a full-time employee. Here’s the offer she wants to give you.”

Stunned, I took the folder he handed me. Jessica let out a joyous shriek and tackled me.

“You did it! You'll be working for Pardini Worldwide!”

Luke chuckled. “Well, if she wants to.”

I opened the folder and thumbed through the HR welcome packet, still not quite believing it. A surge of energy burst into my veins, followed by a sickening thought. “Did Will do this?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Ah, no. Like I said, our creative director emailed Will and said she wanted you. You'll get an email, but I thought I’d come in person. Will was supposed to, but he hasn’t been at work lately.”

All the joy I felt at being offered a position at such a great company evaporated into thin air. Luke’s eyes hardened at the mention of his cousin.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s in a really bad way, Natalie. I think all of this negative press is bringing back a lot of memories from the accident.”

My hand fell to my mouth as I realized the pain he must be going through alone. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked it for messages. Nothing.

“Why hasn’t he called me?”

His eyes wrinkled as he gave me a helpless shrug. “I don’t know.”

He needs me.

I dashed around the apartment, grabbing my keys, purse, and phone. Maybe he was too stubborn to ask for help. I glanced sadly at the packet Luke gave me.

“Thanks a lot, Luke. I wish I didn’t have to leave but I think Will needs me—I’m really excited to start working for Pardini Worldwide.”

He nodded. “I’ll tell them. Carrie will contact you with the details.”

* * *

A group of paparazzi clustered around Will’s apartment, surrounding the stairs that led to his building.

They whirled around to snap photos of me as I walked up the steps. Recognizing me, they screamed my name and the strangeness of having people I’d never met know my name distracted me for a moment. I stopped in front of the door and hesitated. I wanted to see him—I always wanted to see him—but would he want to see me? Would he send me back home?

Knocking on the door, I flinched as if I expected him to be standing right behind it. Several long seconds passed. The back of my neck burned as the vultures continued to click away. I knocked again.

Groaning, I sent him a quick text: It’s me.

At last, I heard the sounds of someone moving in his apartment. The door cracked open, and an angry, dark eye glowered at me.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

I was hurt by the gruff tone of his voice. “I know. Luke said you weren’t doing well, and you haven’t been responding to my calls.”

“Interfering jerk.”

“MR. PARDINI! Do you have a statement?”

He shuddered at the sound of their voices. "Get in quickly." He let the door open and squinted from the sunlight. I gasped as I took in his appearance. His face was pale and gaunt; he looked like he'd stayed up several days, but his eyes were listless. Dark.

The door closed behind me, shutting out the noise of the crazed mob.

“Heard about the job. Congrats,” he said with his back to me.

“Thanks,” I said in a small voice, feeling wounded at his indifference.

Without so much as a friendly greeting, Will walked into the living room and sat down on the couch where he watched the giant plasma television screen. A CNN host argued with a psychologist about whether rehabilitation worked for DUI drivers while a marquee near the bottom mentioned that Pardini stock had fallen several points. He pulled a laptop over his knees, and his sunken eyes darted across the screen as he read an email.

“Is this what you’ve been doing this whole time?” I asked, horrified.

He shrugged, looking defeated in his battered t-shirt and sweatpants. "What else is there to do? I can't leave, and it's all I've been able to think about for days. There will be a press conference tomorrow."

I sank into the couch next to him, feeling hurt by his utter lack of warmth.

This isn’t about you. “What? Did your publicist tell you to do that?”

Having a dozen different media outlets fire questions at him seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.

He sipped from the stone cold mug of coffee. “I fired my publicist.”

Shock rippled through my joints. I looked at Will’s sunken face, debating whether I should keep my thoughts to myself. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You can barely talk about the accident.”

“It doesn’t matter what I can or can’t handle. I need to do this on my own.”

The coldness in his voice made me think that he also included me. “You don’t need to. Let me help you.”

I tried to close the laptop, but he jerked the screen away from me. A pang struck my heart as he looked at me, a frightening, almost angry look striking out at me.

“Just leave me be.”

My heart seized with pain. I knew that he was hurting, but I wanted to help him. I felt responsible for the whole thing. My hand fell on his thigh. “Please don’t shut me out.”

I touched his shoulder, but he moved away from me.

What did I do?

"I can't deal with this. It's too much." He looked at me, and I could see the stress breaking him down. He was like a shattered sculpture. Maybe he could be mended, but he would never be the same. "There's just nothing left in me."

“Are you angry with me?”

There was no spirit in his body, none of that fevered energy that made him so exciting.

“I’m angry with myself.”

Something went through me as I looked at him: a silent howl. He’s breaking up with me. I shook my head, tears already spilling down. “But—Will—”

“I’m sorry. I can’t handle a relationship right now.”

He couldn’t handle it or maybe he really had no feelings for me. It didn’t matter. It was over. 

The air left my lungs, and a sob shook through my throat. His eyes glazed over, and he made a movement as though he meant to touch me, but I dodged out of reach.

I shot up from the couch, hoping he would catch up and apologize or beg me to stay, but I didn’t hear so much as a whimper. The hallway was dark as I glanced behind me. Then I opened the door to bright flashes. I threw my arms in front of my face.

“Ms. Porter!”

A dozen strangers elbowed each other to scream at me, demanding questions and offering me thousands of dollars to sell a story. A violent surge of hatred reared up inside me as I stared at their insistent faces.

“Fuck off!”

There were yells of anger as I stormed down the steps. My shoulder slammed against someone's camera, and his voice rose in outrage.

Good, I thought. Maybe you’ll understand how pissed off I am right now.

They followed me all the way to my car, still clicking away at me. 

For a moment, I saw myself yanking on the steering wheel to drive toward Oakland and running over Ben’s body. He’d deserve it.

My mother’s voice rang in my head.

First Ben, now William. You really go through them, don’t you?

I turned the key to my apartment and walked over the ugly carpet. Having no desire to be interrogated by Jessica, I headed straight for my bedroom. I saw a brief image of Luke and Jessica sitting at the kitchen table, standing up when they saw me. A bottle of champagne sat on the table.

“Natalie! We wanted to celebrate—where are you going?”

Oh, God no. Not now.

Jessica took one look at my flushed face. “What happened?”

My eyes darted to Luke, who still had the vestiges of a smile on his face. He fingered a bottle opener.

“We broke up,” I said in a hoarse voice.

My best friend gasped and looked at Luke. “Why?”

I shrugged as if it was a minor inconvenience. “He couldn’t handle it.”

Luke’s eyes were sympathetic, and I felt a sudden rush of anger for him, too. Stop looking at me like I’m a beaten dog.

“He’s under a lot of stress. It’s probably the best thing for now—”

“How the hell would you know?” I snapped.

“Natalie!”

“No!” I looked at both of them, seizing upon something—anything that would make me feel better. “You never even liked him! He dropped everything in Italy and flew to Chicago just to help you.”

“I know,” he said quickly. “I never said I didn’t appreciate it. I’m really sorry, Natalie.”

It wasn't enough. Will was gone from me, and it was all Ben's fault, but Ben wasn't here for me to get angry with. Even if I wanted to sue him, how would I ever afford the lawyer fees? How could I prove he'd done anything? Ben would get off scot-free and my life—Will's life was in shambles.

The dirty apartment only added fuel to my anger. There were crumbs on the floor, and I knew she hadn't vacuumed while I was gone. I looked at her round, blonde face and felt a stab of anger.

“Couldn’t you have cleaned once?”

I left Jessica as she stammered a reply and entered my room, slamming the door shut. I buried myself under the covers of my soft bed and tried to close my eyes, but a vicious cycle of images passed through my head like a slideshow: the nude pictures, Ben, William in handcuffs, him breaking up with me, the paparazzi outside his apartment, and Jessica and Luke waiting for me in the kitchen with a bottle of champagne.

As I thought of them, I felt a fresh wave of remorse and shame. They had done nothing but support me. Luke posted bail for William, and they planned to celebrate my new job with me, but how could I celebrate when William was suffering?

* * *

I woke up the next morning with my eyes swollen shut with dried tears. I rolled out of bed and grabbed my phone, hoping for a text from Will or a missed call—nothing.

He really is done with me.

I hurled it to the carpeted floor, which absorbed the force of my throw. A swell of rage burst through my limbs, and I wanted to smash the phone with my feet. Ben was the one who deserved this. I took it and threw it across the room with a small scream, but I only felt disappointment when it struck the wall, leaving a small dent in the plaster.

Jessica was in the kitchen when I emerged from my bedroom. Her delicate wisps of hair were caught into a severe ponytail, and she looked at me and flinched, as if she expected me to throw her across the room, too. I couldn't help but notice the spotless floor.

“I’m sorry about yesterday."

She nodded. “It’s fine. You’re pissed. I would be too.”

“I need to apologize to Luke, too. He’s been nothing but helpful.” I sank down at one of the metal chairs surrounding the kitchen table and heaved a great sigh. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to move on.”

“For starters, you could press charges against Ben.”

I snorted. “With what evidence? And money? The fucking bastard won. He got what he wanted, he drove us apart.”

It should have been easy to move on from a three-week relationship, but I grew way too attached to him during those weeks, and there was that I was never happier in my life. I never felt so satisfied with someone. Still, I tried to seize upon the advice I always gave to other people.

Oh well, you’ll find someone else. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.

Only there weren’t any that interested me. I had done nothing wrong. It ended because of Ben.

No, it ended because of Will. He doesn’t want you.

“Maybe you should go back to his apartment,” she suggested.

 “If he doesn’t want me, he doesn’t want me. Begging won’t help my cause.”

“This isn't about begging. I’m talking about just being there for him, even if you’re not in a relationship.”

I grabbed my laptop from my room and collapsed onto the couch, reading my work emails, which consisted of an introduction from HR. I turned on the TV for a distraction.

Bury yourself in work. Don’t think about it.

The only reason I had this job was because of Will.

Jessica sat at the table. Every so often, she would give me an unhappy look as if my misery infected her.

I half-listened to the TV as I drafted a profanity-laden email to Ben that I wouldn't send. There was something about an exclusive report, and I almost wanted to change the channel.

I’m so sick of the news.

“Natalie!” Jessica gasped.

A familiar voice spoke from the TV, and I lifted my head from the laptop, bewildered. William stood in front of his apartment dressed in a suit. He looked—

"Oh my God. He looks terrible!" Jessica clapped her hands in front of her mouth, and her face went red. "Sorry."

He hadn't shaved for at least five days, and his face was skull-like. Bloodshot eyes looked into the camera without blinking.

“He looks like he’s going to throw up or collapse.”

“Shh!” I hissed.

“Several years ago I was involved in a fatal DUI accident. My friend, Daniel Martinez, was driving my car.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Three people were killed: Julian Metsky, Michelle Ramos, and James Ramos. I think of them every day. Words cannot express how much I regret my actions that night and if I could give up my life to return the victims back to their families, I would do it in a heartbeat.

“It has come to my attention that I am incapable of moving past the accident, and I would like to take this opportunity to give my resignation to Pardini Worldwide.”

With that, William turned around and reentered his apartment, ignoring the scream of questions that exploded the moment he stepped away from the microphones.

“Oh my God,” I moaned. “He’s resigning?”

Will, what are you doing?

Jessica removed her hands from her mouth. “His father won’t be happy.”

My heart pounded as I watched him disappear behind the door. “I can’t believe he did that.”

It’s not your problem anymore.

But there was no way I could ignore what just happened. Maybe I needed to do something to ignore the pain building up in my chest. I didn’t want to think about Will retreating into his own misery and wasting away. I needed to do something.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“To see Ben,” I muttered as I ran into my room. I opened my laptop and clicked on the email Will sent me days ago. Attached to the email were screenshots. They weren’t damning evidence on their own, but if I had more information…

"What?" Jessica's scream of outrage followed me into the room. She stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips. "Did I hear you correctly? You're not fucking going!"

“I will get Ben to drop the charges against Will.” I waved the printed screenshots at her. “If he doesn’t, I’ll go full steam ahead.”

"And how easy do you think it'll be for him to accuse you of blackmailing him because that's what this is! Don't be stupid!"

“I don’t care!” I stood up, and the printed pictures floated to the floor, sliding out of my grasp.

Jessica stumbled back from the force of my voice. “I know that you’re angry, but think, Natalie. If you go charging off to Ben’s house again, you’ll only dig yourself a bigger hole.”

Frustration was bleeding into anger. Why couldn’t she understand? I looked at her calm face and wanted to shatter it. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

“No,” she agreed. “You can’t.” Jessica heaved a sigh. “I will probably regret this, but I’ll come with you.”

“You two hate each other. It’s just asking for trouble.”

“You need someone with a cool head to come with you to stop you from doing anything stupid.”

"I'm leaving now." Grabbing my purse and keys, I swept past Jessica, who hurried behind me.

* * *

“We could still head back,” Jessica suggested.

I shook my head and raised my fist to the door.

“He might not even answer. Once he sees you, he’ll just—”

My fist pounded against the wood to drown out her protests. I brushed aside her sigh of anger and waited in front of the door, willing myself to be calm and not lose my head. Several minutes passed, but I kept knocking on the door.

“He’s not coming. Let’s go,” she pleaded.

A piercing pain shot through my heart as the door cracked open, revealing a tall man. I was pleased to see tape over the bridge of Ben’s nose.

Looks like Will broke it. Good.

“You’re not supposed to be here. If you want to say something to me, you can contact my lawyer.”

He smirked and shut the door, but I wedged my foot in between before he could close it.

“I’ll also be sure to contact your lawyer with the evidence you put those pictures online. I’m willing to settle this now without pressing charges.”

Ben’s smirk faltered. “You’re bluffing.”

“Okay,” I quipped, removing my foot. “I’ll leave since you’re not interested.”

Jessica looked at me in bewilderment as I turned around to descend the stairs.

One step.

Two steps.

Any moment now.

“Hold on.” His baritone voice called out, much clearer than before.

I buried the smile on my face before turning around with a neutral expression, pleased to see that Jessica lost her shocked expression. Ben stood on the patio of his brownstone, looking at Jessica with an ugly look.

“You.”

The way he said it made me think of cockroaches. Jessica returned the look, straightening her back.

“Me.”

“Are you willing to talk?” It was strange how powerful I felt, even as I looked up at him. His eyes flicked back and forth, unsure, cautious. I had all the cards. 

“Fine. Come inside.” He stepped aside to allow us into his dark apartment.

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jessica blurted. “I’ve no intention of being sent to jail for whatever trumped up charge you’re dreaming of accusing me.”

The smile returned to his face. “Whatever.” He zeroed in on me. “Now what is it you want?”

My hands tightened around the pictures I held. “I want you to drop the lawsuit and the charges against Will. In return, I won’t ruin your career by taking this evidence to the police.”

His thick arms folded across his chest, his eyes flicking from Jessica, the paper, and me. “What evidence?”

Now don’t screw this up. I kept my eyes trained on his, my eyes watering from not blinking. I held them out, and he took them, another infuriating smile forming on his face.

“Is this all you’ve got? Screen captures?” He shook his head and peered at them. “You know, these aren’t the most flattering pictures of you.”

Ignoring the barb, I forced a harsh laugh of my own. “Oh, that’s not all. Will has a ton of private investigators and computer savvy people at his disposal. We’ve already matched your IP address to the last login on your computer, and I already know that you emailed yourself the pictures from your phone.”

None of that was true, but as the last word fell from my lips his face whitened. Bingo.

“And I’m sure I can afford the best lawyers what with my boyfriend being rich and all.”

“I won’t drop the charges against Will. He attacked me in my home—”

“After you attacked him first!” It was hard looking at him. Pain still throbbed in my chest from what he had done. I couldn’t even see him anymore. I didn’t recognize this bitter, vile person who somehow took over Ben’s body.

“Says who? I have two police officers who arrived on scene—”

“Actually, they got there while you were fighting. I’m the only witness. You know that the judge will throw this case out, anyways. You have no proof, but I do.”

Fury worked all over his face as he twisted his mouth and thought through everything I said. He knows I’m right. He won’t risk ruining his career. Jessica caught my eye and flashed a quick, triumphant smirk.

"All right, I'll drop the charges and the lawsuit, but you better hold up your end." His mouth was twisted with hatred, he spat on the ground.

My eyes narrowed. “You’ll contact his lawyer tonight. If I don’t hear about this from Will, the deal’s off.”

I stared into his blue orbs until I knew he understood and turned away from the man who wrecked Will’s life. It was hard—really hard—not to run back up the stairs and knee him in the balls a second time, but I wanted this to work. A tiny pathetic part of me hoped that Will would call me when he heard the news.

We closed the doors to my car and sat there in silence for a few moments. I heard Jessica’s head turn against the headrest.

“That was awesome. I’m really proud of you.”

“Thanks.” My facial muscles somehow lifted into a smile. It was almost like I forgot how to do it.

“Now what?” she prompted me.

The car roared to life as I turned the ignition. The possibilities seemed endless—I had outsmarted the criminal defense lawyer who I used to look up to with a mixture of devotion and awe. He was the man who my parents loved, who had somehow gained their approval.

What did they know? He was just an idiot.

“Let’s get a drink.”

“Yeah, sounds good!”