Beyond Me(34)
Author: Jennifer Probst

“Sure?”

“Sure.”

We hugged briefly. I made her promise not to kill James or his friends, and I headed back to the hotel to find out what the hell was going on. When I saw the news trucks and the crowds clogging the hotel, my heart sank. Too late. Poor Mac was probably trapped inside and couldn’t get back out. I had to show my key to the lobby, and then make my way past her bodyguard, who let me right through.

Mac’s eyes widened when she saw me. I probably looked like a mess. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I think. What the hell is going on, sweetie? Why didn’t you tell me about getting busted by the pap?”

She dragged me into the room. “I couldn’t deal. I wanted you to have a nice vacation and not worry about me.”

I dragged in a breath and just blurted out the truth. “Austin didn’t leak the news.”

“I know. I mean, I thought he did at first, but then I realized I was wrong. But it was too late.” Mac blinked back tears. “How did you know about it?”

I lifted my chin. “It was me.”

She laughed. “Really funny.”

“I’m not kidding. I didn’t actually do it, but I might as well have.” I collapsed on the couch and covered my face with my hands. “I told James about you. Told him I was here with you. I trusted him, and his friend…he did it.”

Mac sat down beside me and rubbed my back. “James told them?”

“No. James’ buddy. Dickhead Adam.” I uncovered my face. “He must have been eavesdropping…or maybe James told him. I don’t even know.”

“It’s okay. That’s not your fault.”

I shook her head. “But it is. I told James. If I hadn’t told him, then you’d—”

“I’d still be me, and chances are? Someone else would have figured it out,” she stated. “It was only a matter of time, really.”

“Mac…” I hugged her close and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for not being pissed. You’re too good to me.”

“Please. I’m not good enough.” She released me. “You didn’t do anything to be ashamed of. All you did was trust a boy…”

“And look where that got me.”

“All three of us made a mess of things down here, didn’t we? What happened to carefree sex and fun? Wasn’t that what I ordered us all to find?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged and tried not to think of James. Of how bad I still wanted him. Of how stupid I felt to trust him. “Maybe the two don’t go hand in hand.”

She got up and cracked open a bottle of wine. “I think we need this, and you’re going to tell me everything as we get drunk together and talk about how much boys suck. Deal?”

I let out a half laugh. “I think I can agree to that. Let me text Cassie and let her know we’re okay. I ran out on her, told her about the press, and left her alone. Someone has to save this vacation.”

“Good thinking.”

We spent the next hour drinking wine and confessing our escapades from the past few days. I cried on her shoulder, she returned the favor, and when I finally crawled back to my own room, I felt a bit better. I was still torn between wanting to die and wanting to kill him, so I decided to do the only thing left where I didn’t have to think.

I curled underneath the blankets, still dressed, and fell asleep.

Chapter Twenty

SHE FUCKING left me.

I stared at the closed door. The room swayed like I was a polluted drunk, but I didn’t move. Rich slapped me on the back and told me it was better this way. Adam apologized for springing the Mac thing on me, then offered me some of the money. Rich said he’d set up the appointment with Whit Bennigan.

I was in a fog for a while. Just sat there, going over the incident in my head, knowing I f**ked up, but not knowing how to fix it. Every way I looked at it, I felt completely beneath her, not worthy to be the one she loved. But to let her go, believing she was nothing to me? I couldn’t let her go like this.

My attention drifted toward Cassie, who stared at me with such hate I figured she’d like to rip my dick off for fun. She’d run out after Quinn, but now she was back. Why? Because Quinn laughed off the whole thing and didn’t need her?

I was so f**ked up. The moment she found out about the bet, I should’ve dropped to my knees and begged her to let me explain. Especially about the thong.

But no. All I could think of was the asshat bartender who probably deserved her more than I did. I got so jealous I went apeshit, and now I may have lost her for good. Quinn wouldn’t f**k with a guy’s head for fun. Then Adam had to go and make her believe I betrayed her.

Jesus, this was like a psycho TV show that was way worse than The Walking Fucking Dead.

I needed to get my shit together and find her. Make her understand that I was sorry, that I wouldn’t hurt her, that I’d do anything to make it up to her. Force her to understand I’d never betray her trust and I wasn’t the one to tell Adam about Mackenzie.

I walked away while the guys called out my name and begged me to return. When the door shut behind me, I knew it was symbolic. I was done. No matter what happened between Quinn and me, there’d be no more parties, or villas in Key West, or fake friends who didn’t even know who I was. I needed to start over and find a life for myself that was real.

I knew she’d be at the hotel. It didn’t take me long to walk there, but even though I had her name and room number, they wouldn’t let me into the building without a keycard. The news reporters were jacked up for a sniff of Mac, and it was a shitstorm. After a good forty minutes of staking out the hotel, I did what I do best: took one of the back doors, pressed a crapload of money into the hotel guard’s hands, and got through. The stairwell took me to her floor, and I thanked God I didn’t have to try to get to the penthouse, which would be Mission Fucking Impossible.

I knocked on Quinn’s door. I figured she may not answer, but I’d wait outside her door until she had to leave.

“Quinn.” I knocked firmly. “It’s me. Please open up. I need to talk to you.”

The silence rolled on.

“Quinn. You deserve to know the whole truth before you get on that damn plane. I’ll answer all your questions. Please.”

Silence.

“I’m staying out here all night if I have to. I’ll follow you to the airport, and won’t leave your side until you give me a few minutes. Please.”