Page 44 of Changed By You
“Dalton!” I find him on one of the patios talking to Ben, one of the production assistants. “Do you have a minute for me to get your lunch order?”
“Yeah, of course.” He nods at Ben. “I’ll catch you later, man.”
“Hey, so I just need to find out what you want for lunch.” I hold the pen over the pad like I’m about to write it down as we walk.
Once we’re alone at the far end of the patio, he says, “Do you know how hard it is not to kiss you right now?”
I keep my expression placid. “Farrah checked your room last night and this morning. She knows you’re sleeping with someone.”
“Damn, psycho much?”
“We can’t do this anymore.”
His expression snaps from carefree to serious. “What? No. She doesn’t know it’s you.”
“Yeah, and she wants me to help her spy on you so she can figure it out. Should I tell her I have a conflict from ten p.m. to four a.m.?”
He shakes his head, a smile playing on his lips. I write “ham and Swiss on wheat” on the notepad, so it looks like I’m doing what I’m supposed to.
“Babe, this isn’t a big deal. We’ll figure it out. You haven’t had a good night of sleep in a while, so everything feels more magnified than it is.”
He doesn’t get it. He doesn’t have anything on the line here, and I haveeverythingon the line.
“Don’t come to my room tonight.”
“You’re serious.”
“Yes!” I write “fruit” on the notepad. “You know I can’t lose my job.”
“Hey...” His expression softens. “I’ve got you. If you need money--”
“No.”
He doesn’t get it. I can’t risk my dad losing his therapies. My mom losing her housecleaning and caregiving help. The word of a man I’ve been secretly sleeping with for less than a week isn’t enough to make me risk those things.
“Please respect what I’m asking.” I give him a final pleading look before walking away.
sixteen
Dalton
The screamingand laughing from the contestants in the pool is grating on my nerves. June could announce she’s taking her top off without belting it out to everyone within a mile radius.
Things are heating up on the show; people are hooking up. I’m relieved because the heat’s off me now. JP is going full throttle after Farrah, and I hope he gets what he wants.
I just don’t get why Alice and I can’t also get what we want. Instead of spending the evening in bed with her, I’m staring at the rotation of the ceiling fan in my bedroom, fighting my urge to go to her room.
Farrah has put her in an impossible position, and I’m seeing red over it. Because Farrah is demanding, controlling, and out for herself only, Alice is afraid to be with me.
And why? There’s zero chance I’m going to be with Farrah now that Alice doesn’t want me. I’d leave the show, but then I couldn’t even see Alice.
I’m looking at new photos of Micah and watching videos Trin sent me of him, feeling like a caged beast, when Alice finally texts me back.
Alice: I can’t risk her finding out. You know my reasons. If it was just about what I want, you and I would be in my room right now.
I groan, my cock stirring as I think about burying my face between her thighs.
Dalton: Where are you?
