Brett thought the reason I was such a mess was because Abel and Sophia were attending the party. He was right, but that wasn’t the whole reason. The day after Eve had arrived, while we’d been swimming in Max’s pool, I’d decided tonight was when I would confront the two of them about Calvin and see if they knew anything about him.

They were the only ones I hadn’t asked. And, because I knew Abel so well, I’d know if he was lying, so face-to-face was the only way to do it.

While Eve and I had been getting ready, she’d tried to talk me out of it. She knew Scarlett would be angry since Eve had promised to keep me away from them. She’d promised Max. And she’d promised Brett several times that she’d take care of me, and part of that meant keeping me separated from them.

I knew what everyone wanted.

But this wasn’t about them. This was about me getting my career back. We weren’t any closer to identifying Calvin, and if there was something Abel or Sophia remembered, maybe there was a chance the police could find him.

All I wanted was to clear my name.

So, while Eve and I had been hanging out on the top section of the patio deck, I’d had her constantly checking out Abel and Sophia’s location. I didn’t want to approach them when a lot of people were around. I wanted to wait until they were alone.

Less than an hour after Brett left us, the opportunity came.

They were standing on the far side of the pool, closest to the beach, leaning into a railing that overlooked the ocean. It appeared to be a quieter area, and there weren’t many people near them.

“Let’s go,” I told her, and I scanned all the different paths I could take that would bring us there.

“Are you sure?”

“No, I’m definitely not sure, but I have to do this, or I’ll regret it.”

“Brett is going to fucking kill me, so can we make sure he doesn’t see you guys talking? That means, no yelling and no fists being thrown.”

“I’m not going to punch the girl.”

“I was talking about me. So, don’t say anything to provoke her; that way, I won’t have to knock her out.”

Instead of responding, I grabbed her hand, and we made our way down the stairs and toward the side of the pool, so I wouldn’t have to walk through the middle.

Since I’d arrived, Eve and I had stayed glued in our spot near the entrance. Before the video had been leaked, I would have walked around the room, introduced myself, and chatted with everyone I knew. But, now, all I thought about was that the people here had seen me naked. And that was enough to keep me planted away from the crowd.

Staying to the side, where hardly anyone was standing, I took us straight toward the back and up the few short steps until we were on the upper balcony and just a few feet from them.

Only a few months ago, I would have wanted to tell Abel how much I loved him, hoping he would say it in return. I would have wanted to know why he’d chosen her over me.

Not now.

As I looked at his back, at the two of them cuddling with his arms around her, I felt no love for him. In its place, I felt anger at the way he had hurt me. At the way he had treated me. I felt disgust over his cheating.

The betrayal I felt weighed so much more than any of the good times we’d shared.

Eve squeezed my hand before I took another step and mouthed, Are you sure?

I nodded and continued walking until I stood at the railing next to Sophia. “Can I talk to you?”

Her head snapped in my direction, and she gave me the same look as when she had seen me at the restaurant in LA. “What the fuck do you want?”

Slowly, my stare moved to Abel. This was the first time I’d seen him in person since the last party we were both at. It was the first time I’d felt his eyes on me. The first time I’d looked at his face, the one I’d kissed so many times and loved on and whispered all my goals and fears to.

And this was the first time I saw him for who he really was—the asshole who had lied and cheated and not given a shit about me.

I’d known the second Brett touched me outside the ladies’ room at the bar that he was the man I was supposed to be with.

I knew that even more now.

Abel was my past, and I felt nothing for him. All I wanted was to ask him a question, and then I never wanted to speak to him again.

“James,” he said softly.

It was just one word, but it was a powerful one. And it had been spoken right at me with what sounded like a little sympathy.

It was far too late for that.

After a quick glance at Eve, I shifted on my feet and moved my gaze to Sophia. “I just need to ask you both something. Then, I’ll leave you alone.”

“Why don’t you turn around and leave us alone now?” Sophia said.

“Why don’t you relax?” Eve spit back at her.

“Who the fuck are you?” Sophia snarled. “The director of the porn video or the girl who fixed James’s makeup when she was done banging him?”

“Listen, you fucking bitch—”

Abel interrupted Eve by saying, “Sophia, just let her speak.”

I took a deep breath, thinking of how I should word this. I had one chance, and if I messed it up, Sophia wasn’t going to give me another.

“There was a guy I hung out with at that party,” I started with. “We were together most of the afternoon and into the night. A few times, we passed where you guys were sitting.”

“What’s the point?” Sophia hissed.

“Do you remember him? Or what he looks like?”

“No,” Sophia said. “I barely remember you being at that party.”

That was a lie.

Every time my eyes had caught hers, she’d made sure to lay on the PDA extra thick. She’d definitely seen me; she just wouldn’t give me the satisfaction of knowing it.

“He had messy brown hair,” I added. “An extra-big smile. Larger teeth in the front. Some freckles under his eyes. He was about the same height as you, Abel.”

“You want me to recall someone who had large teeth? Is this some kind of joke?”

“No, it’s not a joke,” I said. “I need to know if you saw him there.”

“Big teeth doesn’t sound familiar,” she said, laughing.

I looked at Abel. “How about you?”

It appeared as though he was thinking about my question, his face softening the more he stared at me.

Sophia turned toward him and said, “Come on, babe. Let’s go. This is ridiculous.”

His eyes stayed on me, and eventually, he shook his head.

“Are you sure, Abel?”

I just needed to hear his voice. I needed to see the way his eyes changed when he gave me an answer. I needed to see his expression when his mouth opened.

But he gave me none of that. He just nodded, and Sophia grabbed his hand. Then, the two of them walked away.

“She’s a real piece of work,” Eve said. “He’s going to get sick of that quickly. My God, I can’t believe he hasn’t already. Her voice makes me want to stab my ears.”

I needed a second away from this party to reset my thoughts before I returned to the perch we’d been standing on for most of the night.

“I’m going to run to the restroom,” I told her. “I’ll meet you back where we were before in a couple of minutes.”

“I’ll go with you.”

I put my hand on her bare shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Just wait for me on the upper patio.”

She nodded, and I went inside the hotel, weaving through the short hallway and into the ladies’ room where I locked myself in a stall. I took out my phone and scrolled through my messages just to get my mind off the last few minutes.

It didn’t work.

All I could see was the hatred on Sophia’s face. I had no idea why she disliked me so much. The only thing that made sense was that she felt threatened by me. I didn’t know why since she clearly had more of Abel than I had. She had to be an extremely insecure person, obviously worried that Abel would cheat like he’d done when he was with me.

Those two assholes deserve each other.

But, now, what really sucked, besides that I’d had to go to my enemies for help, was that I still wasn’t any closer to finding out who Calvin was, and I had no one else to turn to.

Knowing I wouldn’t come up with any answers in here, I left the stall and went over to the sink to wash my hands. I barely had the water turned on when I heard the restroom door open. Quickly looking over my shoulder, I saw Sophia walk in and reach behind herself to twist the lock.

“We need to talk,” she said.

My stomach began to churn, my hands shaking so badly that I had to wrap them around my body. “What do you want?”

“I want you to leave Abel alone.” She took a couple more steps, and now, she was only a few feet away. “I’ve asked you this repeatedly, but you’re not a very good listener, are you, James?”

“I have left him alone.”

“What do you call tonight then? Coming up to us at a party to ask us the most pathetic question, which was just an excuse to talk to him. God, you’re so desperate.”

“You have it all wrong.”

“Abel is fucking disgusted that you filmed a sex tape and showed your pussy to the entire world. You repulse him. He wants nothing to do with you, and he doesn’t want to talk to you. So, what is it going to take to get you to realize that? Because I feel like I’ve tried everything. I’ve warned you, and I’ve threatened you, and you still haven’t listened to me.”

“Abel means nothing to me.”

She laughed, and it was the most obnoxious sound. “Do you expect me to believe that? I know you’re obsessed with him.”

She was goading me. Fighting back was what she wanted. And it was taking everything I had not to tell her about Brett. But she was really starting to test me.

“I think you’re the one who’s obsessed with him.” I went to step around her, and she mirrored my movement. “We’re finished here.”

“Oh no, we’re not, honey. I asked you what it was going to take. I want a fucking answer.”

The sickness in my stomach was gone. Now, there was just anger, and it was running through my whole body.

“I’m telling you, I’m done,” I demanded.

“I don’t believe you.”

I heard someone at the restroom door. They were trying to pull it open, but because of the lock, it wouldn’t budge.

“Believe me,” I said, “I won’t be wasting my time talking to either of you. I’ve moved on, Sophia. You really need to, too. Dwelling on the past makes you look like a psycho, jealous girlfriend.”

“Fiancée.”

“Yikes,” I said. “That’s even worse.”

“Open this door right now, or I’ll call security,” I heard Eve say.

Eve is the person at the door?

She’s come to check on me.

God, I love her.

“Go ahead,” Sophia muttered. “Run off to your porn director. I’m done with you anyway.” She moved over to the counter and started opening her clutch, like she was going to grab a lipstick.

I rushed around her and met Eve outside in the hallway.

“Why the hell was the door locked?” she asked when I clung my arm around hers.

“Sophia locked it.”

“She’s in there?” She stopped and turned, as though she was going to go into the restroom. “I’ll kill that bitch.”

“Eve, no.” I squeezed her hand. “That’s what she wants, and I’m done pleasing her.”

She looked at me with her teeth clenched. “Then, we’re going to go tell Brett what happened because her ass needs to be kicked out.”

Oh, boy.

If this was the way Eve was reacting, I could only imagine how Brett was going to respond when I told him Sophia had locked me in the restroom.

The problem was, maybe I had asked for it by confronting them at the party.

Unfortunately, that was something I’d have to tell him, too.