UNPLUGGED: a standalone novel

by LK Collins

  “Quinn, I know you’re in there.”

  Placing my hand on the handle, I turn it as my heart races, and he steps inside. I back up and sit down on the bed, barely able to look at him. He’s standing in the middle of the room, glaring down me, and I hate myself so bad. “Why are you doing this?” I can’t answer him; I can’t even look at him. “Are you doing this to get back at me?”

  I swallow and remind myself to remain in control. I remember how Charles can be—very unreasonable. “I didn’t know he was your son.”

  “Oh come on, you expect me to believe that? You’re my financial advisor. You know everything about me.”

  “I don’t. I never managed your accounts from the day they came into our office.”

  “That’s a lie, and you know it. You gloated about signing me. Bought that shiny new car.”

  “I didn’t, and that’s the fucking truth.”

  “So you want me to believe that you being with my son is a mere coincidence?”

  “Yes, it is. Honest to God.”

  “Honey, you need to get better at lying. Even you can’t believe that.”

  “I’m not your ‘honey.’ Merritt told you we met on vacation in Colorado, through Ari. How could I have known he was going to be there? I go on those trips every year.”

  “I’m not buying what you’re selling. I think this is your way of getting back at me because I ended things.”

  “It’s not, I love him. What he and I have is real. We have to tell him about us.”

  “You’re not telling him shit!”

  “The hell I’m not. You can’t tell me what to do anymore.”

  “Come on, Quinn, we both know you’re not good enough for him. You’re just a money-hungry whore. Name your price, and I’ll let you walk, he’ll never know. But I don’t need you in his head.”

  “I’m not leaving him, and most definitely don’t have a price.”

  He steps close to me, the smell of his cologne now nauseating to me and he says, “If you won’t leave him, then I’ll show him the things you’ve done with me. I recorded them all.”

  “You didn’t record shit, you fucking bastard.”

  “The choice is yours, sweetheart. Do you think my son’s gonna want you after he sees you are my sloppy seconds?”

  I open the door to the hotel room, anger blazing in my eyes. “Go!” I shout, and he tries to touch me as I push him out. “Keep your fucking hands off me,” I yell and slam it.

  Sliding down to the floor, huddling my knees to my chest, I sob uncontrollably like a baby. How could he do this? Does he really not care about Merritt’s happiness at all?

  Thinking of everything makes me so sick. This will crush him. Charles is right—he’ll never look at me the same way again, no matter what.

  Picking up my phone, I need to have the upper hand. I have to get to Merritt before his dad does if I want any chance of saving this relationship. But looking at the screen of my phone, I can’t bring myself to call him. I’m just in shock—stunned that this is my reality.

  Deep down, my gut is telling me that Charles doesn’t have a video. I’d know if he recorded us doing anything, so it’s my word against his. I imagine what it’ll do to Merritt finding out, and I can’t do that to him. He means too much to me.

  But what if somehow, there is a video, then what? I decide to send Merritt a text to get him back here, to talk to him, he needs to hear this from me.

  But as I type the words, they nauseate me. Running into the restroom, I throw everything up and lie on the cold tile floor. I can’t hurt him. I can’t imagine the way he’d look at me.

  Completely fucked, I stare up at the ceiling, broken from the inside out. Why is this happening to me…why?

  ***

  Waiting for Merritt to return from his meeting, I’m on edge. My mind is constantly battling within itself about what to do. And as I feel like I’m about to lose it…he walks into the room.

  “You know, I love knowing you’re waiting for me, baby.”

  I about cry, imagining that soon, he won’t want me waiting for him. “How was your meeting?” I barely choke out the words, trying to settle my belly.

  “It was good, I closed the deal, babe.”

  He is so happy, I can see the excitement all over his face, and I can’t bring him down right now. Inside, I hate myself. This man that I’ve grown to love and depend on so much, who is my everything, doesn’t know what I’ve done. Even though it wasn’t intentional, it’ll eventually come out, and that scares me. Charles is a ticking time bomb. At any minute, he’ll ruin it all, video or not. But looking into his eyes, I just need one more normal day, before I let him go.

  “I’m so happy for you, babe,” I tell him and hold him close.

  “It’s the first step in securing our future.”

  “Yeah?” I ask, hating that it can’t be true. This is the first he’s spoken of a future together, and it won’t happen.

  “Yeah, what did you think? I’d get the company, and we’d still be traveling every weekend?”

  “Well, I’d hoped not, I guess.”

  He kisses me, and I kiss him back, praying to God that somehow, our time doesn’t end, that we can persevere and last forever.

  “You guess?” His eyebrows rise as he looks deep into my eyes.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I do, I’m just teasing you. I’m so happy right now; we should celebrate.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Just this…” he says, “Just this, baby…”

  Chapter 40

  Merritt

  “Does six o’clock work?” Suzy asks me, and I look at my calendar to be sure I don’t have anything pressing so I can pick Quinn up from the airport.

  “Yeah, that’s good with me. Did you run it by Quinn?”

  “I did, she’ll be able to leave work early.” My dad pops his head in, working out of our office all week, and to my surprise, he’s been pretty cool.

  “Quinn coming here?”

  “She is—Friday.”

  “All right. Well, I should be getting the draft back of the documents. I wanted to go over them with you when they come in if you have time.”

  “Of course. I’ll have time.”

  “Great, I’ll have Suzy add it to your calendar as soon as they come in.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” My phone rings, and we both glance down at it on my desk. It’s Quinn. “I’ll let you take that,” he says, and as he leaves, I can’t help but think, maybe now he’s becoming the father I lost all those years ago.

  “Hey, babe,”

  “Guess what?”

  “Ummm, I have no idea, just tell me.”

  “I got us tickets to the Nuggets game next weekend.”

  “Again?”

  “Yep, same courtside seats too.”

  “Man, how did I get so lucky to snag your fine ass?”

  “I could say the same thing.” My phone vibrates, and I pull it away, noticing a text from my dad. “Hang on, babe.”

  “‘Kay.”

  As I open it up, it’s a video. The whole world around me freezes as I click “play.” Betrayal like no other takes over, and I can’t believe my eyes. It’s Quinn and my dad…together.

  Vomit rises in the back of my throat, and I try to hold it back, but as I watch the woman I’ve grown to love have sex with my own father…I lose it, gagging and throwing up in my trash can.

  I drop my phone to the floor, her voice as she says his name sounds just like when she says mine, and I don’t want to believe what I’m seeing. It can’t be true…can it?

  “Mr. Smith, are you okay?” Suzy asks, and I shake my head holding on to the can. “Close the door,” I shout and right away she does. Pulling myself together enough to speak, I pick my phone back up; Quinn is still there, and I ask her, “When were you going to tell me, or were you?”

  Very calmly she says to me, “You have to let me explain everything.”

  “Explain? There’s
nothing to explain. You lied to me.”

  “I didn’t mean to.”

  “Goddammit, how do you accidently lie to someone, Quinn?”

  She sobs, and as much as I just want to hang up on her, I have to know more. How? Why? When? “You’ve gotta talk to me, Quinn, or I’m gonna fucking lose my mind. My father just sent me a video of you having sex with him, and it’s all I can think about.”

  “He was in Denver for a meeting way before I knew you. I met him when I was out having drinks with some co-workers.”

  “So you slept with him? A man double your age?”

  “I’m so sorry, baby.”

  “Am I dreaming?” And I ask, “Is he your ex?”

  “Yes. He’s the one you emailed, but you have to believe me that I didn’t know you two were related.” What the fuck? Am I hearing her right?

  “My dad?” I repeat softly; tears are in my eyes and that vile feeling of despair reeks inside of me. Closing my eyes, the usual beautiful vision of her face—that not long ago was my salvation—has been destroyed. All I can see is her and my father.

  “I’m so sorry, Merritt. I had no—”

  I cut her off, “We have the same last name and work for the same company. How did you not know?”

  “I didn’t even think about the last name…Smith is so common. And you know I kept my hands out of the deal when I signed him. You have to believe me, Merritt. I promise, baby.”

  “But you slept with him, Quinn, and then sat at breakfast in California and acted like everything was normal, like you two were strangers when he…he’s been inside of you and then I was inside of you. How am I supposed to get past that?” Saying the words makes me fucking ill again.

  “I don’t know,” she says, and I don’t know either…I can’t be with someone who would lie right to my face. A coincidence or not, she wasn’t honest about this, so what else has she lied to me about?

  “I can’t be with you anymore.”

  “Please, don’t do this. You have to believe me. I love you, Merritt,” she begs me and her words sicken me, how can she even say that or ask me that?

  “I fucking loved you too, and you ruined that. Goodbye, Quinn.” Pressing the end button on my phone is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve lost half of myself. What I thought was the good half, my Quinn, was all a lie, and my dad, how could he? Getting up, I roll up my sleeves and storm towards his office, ready to make him pay. He didn’t need to send me the video; he could’ve told me, man to man. And she had even more chances to tell me.

  My insides are a mess. A complete fucking mess! Anger fills me, everything that I once thought was my foundation and I could count on has all been a lie. If they could keep this from me…what else are they hiding?

  Chapter 41

  Quinn

  Have you ever felt like you were dead? Like part of you died, and inside of you now there is a huge gaping hole? As I lie on my couch, my arm hanging off it, dangling over the soft carpet, that is exactly how I feel…dead.

  Part of me died when Charles sent the video to Merritt. I underestimated Charles, which was ultimately my biggest mistake. I should’ve come clean with Merritt in California and been open with him. I should’ve followed my gut, even if it hurt him, and I’ll always regret that most. It was my one chance to save us, and I didn’t do that.

  There’s a knock on my door, and I get up to let Willow in. She didn’t need to drive all the way up here; I told her I was fine. But she was worried about me, and I guess I’d do the same if she were going through what I am. “How are you doing?” she asks me, as I flop back down flat on my face before she can even give me a hug.

  “I’m okay,” I grumble, my voice cracking because my throat is so dry and I haven’t talked for days.

  “You don’t look like it. When was the last time you ate or drank anything?”

  I shrug my shoulders, and she takes ahold of them sitting me up, “Goddammit, Quinn, snap out of it, you’re scaring me.”

  “I’m fine. I ate last night!”

  “Good. Now you need to get your ass up and take a fucking shower. You stink.”

  “I don’t stink,” I tell her and smell the shirt I’m wearing—Merritt’s shirt. It still holds his scent and instantly brings tears to my eyes. I sob like I’ve been doing for days now, somehow my body still producing the tears. Willow holds me and lets me be, the feeling of her arms around me, anyone’s arms around me, is so reassuring. Giving me hope that I’m going to be okay.

  “Come on, let’s get you in the bath.”

  Following Willow, I feel wobbly, but she won’t take no for an answer. As I strip naked, the smell of lavender fills the air, reminding me of the last time I took a bath. It was in here…with Merritt. Tears again consume me, and as she helps me into the bath, my teeth chatter, and she says, “Even though you don’t want to talk about what happened again, I really think it would be good to get it all off your chest.”

  Sinking as far down into the tub as I can, trying to warm myself, I know she’s right. I don’t want to talk about what happened. After Merritt broke up with me, I was a mess and could barely make it home from work. Right away, I called Willow, and she talked me through things and has been checking in on me every day. She’s also trying to get me to talk about what happened…but I can’t.

  “Has Ari said anything to you about him?” I ask her, hoping she’s heard something and that he is okay.

  “No, he hasn’t.”

  “Okay.”

  “Are you not going to talk to me about it?”

  “What do you want me to say?” I snap at her and her eyes get wide.

  “I need to know how it was possible.”

  “How what was possible?”

  “That you didn’t know Merritt was Charles’ son.”

  “Do you think I’m lying, Willow?” I question her and sit all the way up, suddenly offended.

  “No, honey, not at all. But if I know how, then maybe I can help and talk to Merritt for you.”

  “There is no talking to him. I lied when I found out, and he saw a video of me with his dad.”

  “Oh shit. But at the time you didn’t know he was his dad?”

  “Of course not, I told you that. I didn’t even know Merritt existed when I was with Charles. His dad is my ex, Willow, plain and simple. I already told you all of this,” I get agitated easily, feeling like everyone is against me.

  “Calm down; I just want to understand how you didn’t know they were related.”

  I shake my head. My best friend evidently doesn’t believe me, and it makes me sick. Out of all people in the world, I thought I could at least depend on her…but I guess not.

  Chapter 42

  Merritt

  Coping with betrayal never gets easier. It seems death is easier to process. You find peace in knowing the ones you’ve lost have gone on to a better place. But with betrayal, the ones you lost and everyone involved seem to consume your mind reminding you of what they’ve done.

  My father, for starters, is a fucking bitch and set it all up. He knew Quinn was calling me, it was the perfect time to ruin us, and then he skipped out, and I haven’t spoken to him since he sent me the video.

  I get why my dad did it. Why he wanted to hurt me, even though the rest of the world doesn’t know, and when I went into his office to confront him, he was gone. Of course he was—he’s a fucking coward. I should’ve known he’d ruin my life one way or another. He’s not even my real father, as far as DNA goes. My mother cheated on him and had me, and he acted like I was his, but deep down he always despised me. The loss of my mom was so tremendous that I thought I owed it to not just him, but her, to stick by him. I was making up for her mistake all along when it wasn’t my place.

  Sitting out on my back deck, my mind keeps spinning the same way it has been for days, and I can’t shake the thought that this was all a setup. I mean, how could it be a coincidence?

  Hell, maybe Ari is in on it too. He and my father could be trying to p
ush me out of the business. He was always my father’s favorite, until he left, but maybe it was just a show. The same way everything between Quinn and I was…just a show.

  Picking up my phone, I dial Ari. I have to know; did he set this all up? Did he know all along that Quinn had been with my father?

  He doesn’t answer, which is not like him, but come to think about it, I haven’t been able to get ahold of him much lately.

  Calling Suzy, she answers right away, still at the office. “Hi, Mr. Smith.”

  “Hey, I’m glad you’re still there. You have Natalie’s calendar access for when she’s gone, right?” Natalie is my father’s assistant, and if I can’t get a hold of Ari, I can at least confront my dad.

  “Yes, sir, I do.”

  “Could you look at my dad’s calendar and tell me if he has any dinner meetings tonight?”

  “Um, he does from six ‘til eight at Shea Rouge, but I’m not sure who it’s with.”

  “Awesome, that’s what I needed.”

  I hang up with her, grateful to have her help. Shea Rouge is in town, which means my dad is still here. Grabbing my car keys, I make the trip across town and valet.

  Walking inside the upscale restaurant, the atmosphere in here is calm and relaxed. It’s right on the water, and there are tons of boats docked at the marina. Taking a seat at the bar, the bartender asks me, “What can I get ya?”

  “I’ll take a water, please.”

  I need to be clear-headed and on my toes, if my gut is right. Looking around, the sun is setting, but outside, I spot my father and…Ari. They are deep in conversation, laughing and enjoying each other like they are best friends. And immediately I’m aware they are working against me. Pulling out my cell phone, I dial Ari. He looks down at his ringing phone and ignores my call, sending me straight to his voice mail.

  Leaving the water I ordered on the bar, I head towards them. My father laughs and places his hand on his shoulder, and I pull out a chair, sitting down, shocking both of them with my presence.