The Rules of Persuasion

by Amity Hope

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Luke

  My bedroom door swung open without warning. I glanced up from The Outsiders to see Dad filling my doorframe. He gripped a snifter of brandy. His posture implied an impending attack. I tossed the book aside and got to my feet.

  “Luke,” he started, “your mother is pretty unhappy right now.”

  “How is that my problem?”

  “She knows you spent the night with Meg up at Adam’s place last weekend.”

  “How would she know that?”

  “I understand how rocky things are between you and Jaclyn. But she still cares about you.”

  Jaclyn? I’d ignited her wrath and now my ex had launched a sneak attack.

  “We don’t think Meg is a good fit for you. She wouldn’t be the first woman to use her wiles to snare a man.” He sipped his brandy. “Your mother doesn’t want you meeting up with Meg tonight, or any other night.”

  My stomach twisted.

  “Now I don’t care if you mess around. We all need to sow our wild oats from time to time. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the moment. You forget about protecting yourself. She tells you she’s on the pill. You hit the sheets. Next thing you know, you’re hit with a paternity suit. Some women see nothing but dollar signs.”

  “She’s not like that.” I knew this was an argument I would never win.

  “I’ve done some digging. The girl spent a few years in therapy. There’s no telling how messed up she still is. Your mother is beside herself worried that you’re tangled up with some head case.”

  I wondered if he knew about Sydney. If he did, it was clear he didn’t care.

  “Fooling around with a girl like Meg is one thing. I see the appeal. But you need to end it before you’re tied to that girl for life. You’ve got a bright, successful future ahead of you. It does not include getting ensnared by some girl.”

  “Meg’s not just some girl. She means a lot to me. I know you don’t respect that, so I don’t see the point in discussing her with you.” I dropped back down on my sofa and swiped up my book. It was the best way to show I had no interest in what he had to say. He yanked the book out of my hand.

  “Dammit, Luke. Her family is drowning in debt. How do we know they aren’t behind this? Maybe they encouraged their daughter to attach herself to a rich young man.”

  “Or maybe she just happens to like me.”

  He surprised me by saying, “Maybe she does.” He grunted as he settled into the chair across from me. He pulled out his reasonable tone, the one he used when trying to convince a jury to see things his way. “We both know your mom isn’t going to let this go. How about you make it easy on me? There’re a lot of pretty girls at your school. At your age girlfriends come and go. Don’t ruin your future for a fling. You’re young. Have some fun. Move on to the next one.”

  “I’m not ending anything.”

  My father studied me. “Of course you are. I just need to know what it’s going to take. Everyone has a price, Luke. What’s yours?”

  His question didn’t shock me, in fact, I’d been expecting it. He was so predictable. In his world, there was nothing money couldn’t fix.

  “I don’t have a price.”

  Ignoring me he said, “What will it be? An upgrade on your SUV? An all expense paid ski trip for you and the guys? I could make another sizable donation to that nonprofit you were so interested in last summer.”

  “You’re bribing me with charity?” I shook my head in disgust.

  “How about that camp in Colorado? You still want to go? Get rid of Meg and consider it done.” When I didn’t say anything, he got up and walked out without another word.

  My blood sizzled through my veins. I was angry at his offer and even angrier at myself for knowing he would make it. This was playing out just how I’d wanted it to. Just how I’d planned the day I’d blackmailed Meg into being my girlfriend.

  Only now, I regretted it all.

  …

  The possibility of a full-ride was finally within my grasp. The only way to hold onto it was to push Meg away. Funny thing was, the camp didn’t seem so important to me anymore.

  Meg felt like the only stable thing in my life. No way was I giving her up. I’d done some research. I could find some other way to get through college. If Meg could do it, so could I.

  Dad could take his offer and stick it.

  I tossed a selection of ties on my bed, trying to decide which one would annoy Mom the most. Any minute now she’d be hounding me to greet our guests.

  A crinkling sound caught my attention. I twisted around. Someone shoved a lavender envelope under my door. Probably Mom’s sarcastic way of inviting me to come down for dinner.

  It felt weirdly spongy. I dumped out the contents on my desk.

  It was a stack of napkins from Common Grounds.

  A half dozen napkins covered in Meg’s doodles. Not just doodles. But doodles that looked a hell of a lot like the mural on the school.

  The sight of them was so surprising it took a minute to wrap my head around it. Realization started snaking around in my brain. This could be bad.

  Beyond bad.

  Who…?

  My phone pinged, the alert for a picture. Jaclyn’s name popped up. Dread started pumping through my veins.

  It was a shot of the mural on the high school.

  I dropped onto my desk chair.

  Another ping.

  The water tower.

  Another ping.

  Another photo.

  My heart slammed and my palms began spewing sweat. Jaclyn had warned me outside of Common Grounds that she was going to make my life hell. She had everything she needed by the end of the day. She was sitting somewhere, loving this.

  My fingers were gripped so tightly around my phone, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it shattered. Jaclyn had followed us from Common Grounds. I’d thought the building was private. No one from the road could see us—but we couldn’t see them, either. Jaclyn obviously found the napkins, followed us, parked nearby, and then crept through the woods. She was probably hoping to nail us for trespassing or…who the hell knew what she’d been hoping for.

  What she’d gotten was a whole lot more.

  A photo of Meg standing in front of her nearly completed mural at the factory glared back at me. It was a shot of her in profile only. But all that red hair would give her away.

  Another alert sounded. I jabbed at my screen.

  Jaclyn: Guess whose daddy owns a paint store? Meet me in your gazebo.

  She was ruining me from my own backyard.

  Thunder rumbled, rattling my windows. Rain hadn’t hit yet but a storm was definitely brewing.

  I shoved the napkins in my desk drawer and my phone in my pocket and rushed down the stairs. I could hear the chatter of a few guests. Mom would be looking for me any minute. I flung open the back door and darted across the lawn.

  Jaclyn was right where she said she’d be. The air felt electric with the storm coming in. Lighting flashed in the distance, flickering across Jaclyn’s face, distorting her features. She looked like the evil witch she was.

  I stomped into the gazebo.

  “You have no idea how hard it’s been to sit on this for a week.” Her voice oozed confidence. “It was worth it, just to be able to do it in person.”

  “You can’t—”

  “Don’t make excuses. If I take this to the police, it’s all the evidence they would need to launch an investigation. It’s the same artwork, Luke. The pictures speak for themselves.”

  She was right. If the police questioned Meg, she wouldn’t deny it.

  “I thought you wanted to hurt me. Why are you going after Meg?”

  “Figure it out. You two have been like Velcro. I figured the best way to get to you is to use her.”

  “You’re going to turn her in.”

  “That is one option.” She smiled. “Would you like to hear option two?”

  Did I have a choice? “You obvi
ously want something. What is it?”

  “I know you. You’re needy. You have this obsession with needing people to like you.”

  “It’s called being a decent person. You should try it.”

  “Maybe some other day.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want you to end things with Meg.”

  “What? Why? You don’t think you and I still—”

  “Don’t be so conceited. Dad will never make partner so why waste my time on you?”

  My heart hammered. Why was she doing this now? Now, when Meg and I were finally moving toward really being together.

  “Look at it this way, if I go to the police, I get to take down Meg. But this way, I get to take you both down. Two birds, one stone. Right?”

  “So I’m just supposed to break things off?” I tried to hold an even tone. I didn’t want her to know how much this mattered to me.

  “I’m going to need a little more than that.” Her tone was playful. She was loving this. “I want to know she’ll never take you back.”

  “No.” I felt sick. I felt worse than sick. I felt like I was being shredded apart from the inside out.

  She held up her phone. “Break her heart, or I’ll ruin her future.”

  I had to find a way out of this.

  “You’ve been treating me like I’m dirt. It might’ve taken me a while to figure it out, but the whole time you were dating a girl who’s wanted by the police. You had to know. You were at the abandoned building drawing with her. What right do you have to be so critical of me?”

  “You’re right.” Maybe she was right. Maybe I’d been too hard on her. “I’m sorry. Can we talk about this? Can we think it over?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it all week.” Her tone was matter-of-fact. “I told you what I want. I’m not going to sit through another dinner having you toss condescending looks my way. I’m tired of your arrogance. But I’m willing to make a deal with you.”

  “Jac—”

  “You have daddy issues. You don’t want to be like your father. You’re such a…people–pleaser. You’re so nice to everyone. But you’ve been really awful to me.” She stuffed the phone back in her pocket. “I think you need to be taken down a few notches. Make her hate you.”

  I raked my hand through my hair. “How am I supposed to make her hate me? What am I supposed to say?”

  “Tell her you’ve been with someone else. That’s why you hate me, isn’t it?”

  It was only one of many reasons.

  She shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

  Rumbling floated through the air. For just a moment I thought it was thunder rolling in. Horror snared me when I realized it was a motorcycle. More specifically, Meg’s Rebel. I could pick out the frequency anywhere. I flicked my gaze toward the road.

  Jaclyn laughed. “Oh, Luke. This couldn’t have worked out more perfectly.”

  The engine quieted as Meg parked on the street.

  This couldn’t be happening.

  “No time like the present,” Jaclyn gloated. “You might as well get it over with. If you don’t, I’ll make sure the dinner conversation is captivating. Imagine what a table full of lawyers, employed by your father, will think about you dating a bona fide criminal.”

  My phone rang.

  Jaclyn’s smile lit up her face. “Answer it.”

  I turned away from her. “Hey, Meg.”

  “Can we talk? I know you have the dinner party. It’s probably a bad time.”

  It is the worst possible time.

  Jaclyn looped her arm through mine, then squeezed in warning.

  I cleared my throat. “No. It’s okay. I’m actually in the backyard.” Big, fat drops of rain burst out of the sky, plopping against the ground. “We can talk in the gazebo.”

  When I spotted Meg, her arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. Even in her riding gear, I knew she had to be cold. The yard light lit up her face. Her hair whipped around in the wind. Her lips were trembling.

  “Meg?”

  “I needed to see you.” Her voice sounded off-kilter. “I was hoping we could talk.”

  She kept a few feet between us as a bolt of lightning split the sky. The roar of thunder rolled closer. Dizzying flickers followed. Jaclyn watched from the back patio. There was no way she could hear us, but body language would tell her everything.

  I began to pace. My mind was spinning. Words started pouring from my mouth faster than I could think them through.

  “Yeah. I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a while. The deal we made? There’s more to it than I let on.” I had her attention. “I needed leverage.”

  “Leverage?”

  “The night I caught you vandalizing the school, it got me thinking. I hoped pretending to date you would be enough to push Jaclyn away, but the real reason I needed you to pretend to date me had to do with my parents.”

  “Because you wanted your mom to back off.”

  I shook my head.

  “Then what…?”

  “I knew they wouldn’t want me to date you. The motorcycle alone was enough to tip my mom over the edge. Not to mention my dad. He’s all about appearances. I knew they’d want me to end things. And they did. Right away, they did.” I was rambling. I couldn’t stop. “But we continued on with this…this arrangement. The longer we pretended to date, the more frustrated they’ve become. Now I have them right where I want them.”

  “What does that mean?” Her voice shook.

  “If I don’t see you again, they’ll sign the papers for Colorado.”

  The weight of my words seemed to crush her. She looked like she was folding in on herself.

  “You needed me to be your pretend girlfriend because you knew I would be an embarrassment to your family?” Her voice was cold. “You wanted them to disapprove of me. You wanted them to hate me. That’s why you let them rip me apart the night of the ball. You never once stepped in to defend me. You wanted them to think I was nothing but trash.”

  “I’ve never thought you were trash.” How could she think that?

  “You used me.”

  “You knew this relationship wasn’t supposed to be real.” My heart was beating so fast I thought it might explode. This was so much worse than I thought it would be. I thought she’d be pissed. I didn’t think she’d be crushed.

  “What I knew,” she shoved my chest, “was that you needed some space from Jaclyn. You never said anything about the rest of it. You handpicked me for what…my freak factor?”

  “No,” I choked on the word. “You’re different. That’s a good thing.”

  “Is it?” Her voice cracked. “It worked in your favor that I only wear black, that I drive a motorcycle, and that I live in the crappy part of town.”

  I was going to find a way to destroy Jaclyn if this didn’t kill me first.

  “The worst thing? You made me fall for you. You tried so hard to win me over. What was the point? You’re worse than your father. He’s awful, but at least he doesn’t try to hide it.”

  I wanted to grab Meg and run. I wanted to beg her to let me explain things better. I wanted to do it without Jaclyn lingering in the shadows.

  Meg swiped at her face, wiping away tears. “I came here tonight because this has been one of the worst nights of my life. And that was before this insane conversation. I thought seeing you would make me feel better. You’ve made me feel a thousand times worse.”

  She bolted into the downpour before I could stop her.

  Every cell in my body was screaming at me to go after her. I couldn’t let her leave. Not like this. I ran out into the rain, digging in my pocket for my keys. I raced around to the front of the house where my vehicle was parked. The Rebel roared to life in the distance.

  I had to weave my way out of the driveway, past all the guests. Rain smeared my vision, even with my wipers on. My headlights cut into the darkness. I stepped on the gas, trying to catch up with Meg before she got away.

  Her tail
lights glowed red in the distance. I was gaining on her. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then a car whipped around the curve ahead, swerved into Meg’s lane, and my world imploded.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Meg

  My mind was fuzzy. My eyelids felt thick, sticky. My body ached and nausea rolled through me. When I finally managed to pry my eyes open, the bright light sent a slicing pain through my skull. I slammed my lids shut again.

  “Meg? Sweetheart?” Mom’s voice was soothing even though it crackled with concern. “I’m right here.”

  My eyes fluttered open. Mom’s face was a silhouette against the fluorescent light behind her.

  “It’s okay. Don’t try to move,” she said calmly. “You’ve been in an accident, but you’re going to be okay.”

  An accident?

  “She’s awake?” Dad barged through the door holding two cups of coffee.

  “Yes,” Mom said to him. She returned her attention to me. “Do you remember what happened?”

  “An accident…?” My voice was scratchy. I hated riding the Rebel in the rain. I usually avoided it at all costs. But last night… I vaguely recalled headlights…and then darkness.

  “A car crossed the center line on Bendham Street. You swerved to avoid him and lost control. You slid into a ditch.”

  “Thank God you were in town and not out on the highway going sixty-five.” Dad’s tone was tense.

  “You were in no condition to be riding last night,” Mom added. “We never should’ve let you walk out the door.”

  “I see our patient is awake.” A pretty woman with flawless cocoa skin and dark hair tugged into a tight bun scooted up to my bedside. “Meg, my name is Aubrey. You were given a mild sedative. You probably feel a bit groggy.”

  “It was to help with the pain,” Mom chimed in. “How are you feeling?”

  “Awful.”

  Aubrey busied herself taking my vitals and jotting notations onto her clipboard. “You could be feeling much worse,” my nurse chided. “You got pretty banged up, but you’re fortunate it’s nothing life-threatening. You have bruised ribs and a fractured wrist. I imagine you’ve got a pretty bad headache. You have a concussion, and you’re awfully lucky you didn’t end up with a skull fracture. Often in motorcycle accidents we see serious abrasions but again, you were fortunate.”