Love Next Door (Lakeside #1) by Helena Hunting

Dillion’s jaw tics. “That’s not what’s going on. At all. And I’m pretty damn offended that it’s the first place your head went.”

“What the hell am I supposed to think, Dillion? You’ve been here for half an hour. You’ve had plenty of opportunity to tell me, and you didn’t take it.” I gave her the benefit of the doubt, but it’s only now, when confronted, that she’s come clean.

She leans against the deck railing. “I wanted to talk to Bernie first.”

“I bet you did. So you can see how many options you have.” I pace the length of the deck, stopping a few feet away from her. “Bradley called right after you two had your little visit. Don’t bother lying to me. I know he’s paying you off to help get the will reversed.”

Dillion’s lip curls. “Do you honestly believe I would screw you over like that? Go against Bee’s wishes? Listen to what you’re saying. How does it even make sense?”

I run my fingers through my hair, tugging roughly. “It makes perfect sense to me! You already know everything about Bee’s finances. You sure as hell know more than me.” I poke myself in the chest unnecessarily hard and then jab my finger in her direction. “You’ve been talking about all the McMansions on the other side of the lake and how great it’s been for your dad and his business. If this place gets chopped up, it’ll be just another project for your family to cash in on, won’t it?” Ever since the beach party, I’ve put my trust in Dillion, believing she’s been on my side. I needed a buoy, a lifeline to hold on to when everything else in my life is up in the air.

She crosses her arms and takes a cautious step toward the porch steps, away from me. “How can you believe that I’d do something like that to you? Or to Bee, for that matter? When have I ever done anything to make you feel like I’m not on your side?”

I take a breath; maybe I am going off the deep end here. I have no idea who or what to trust anymore. I want to believe Dillion wouldn’t do anything to me or to Bee, but I also never thought my brother would stoop to such lows for financial gain. All the things he said are bouncing around in my head, making it impossible to remain rational.

“This whole thing is messing with my head, and maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, but tell me, Dillion, honestly”—my voice is lower, calmer—“if you had to choose between protecting your family and me, even if it meant lying about Bee, which would you choose?”

She opens and closes her mouth a few times, a pleading, hopeless look in her eyes. “I . . . I can’t answer that right now. It’s why I wanted to speak to Bernie.”

I don’t know what I expected her to say, or if the question was even fair, but this doesn’t make me feel any better. “Well, I think I have my answer.”

“It’s not even a reasonable question, and you know it.” She steps down off the porch. “I don’t need this shit.”

“Of course you’re gonna leave. Don’t want to face the fact that you’re going to screw me over.” I recognize that my brother’s put her in an impossible position, but I hate that she wasn’t honest with me. There’s no way out of this that isn’t going to end up with one of us getting hurt.

“Your brother came to my house and threatened my dad’s business if I didn’t help him get the will reversed. He also seems to think he can put up a bunch of huge homes on the land back there and he won’t run into any roadblocks along the way, which either means he’s delusional or a complete narcissist, or both. I basically told him he could screw himself, but he felt that I needed to hear him out, because otherwise I’d regret the consequences. I planned to talk to Bernie first to make sure that the information Bradley had about my family won’t affect their business and livelihood. I would never betray Bee, not for anything. But I want to make sure Bradley’s threats can’t hurt my family. And at this point, I’m starting to think he’s done me a favor, since your true colors are shining through, and they look like bullshit to me. My brother is losing his mind, your brother is trying to blackmail me, and now you’re accusing me of . . . what? Commiserating with the biggest asshole on the face of the earth—aside from yourself, that is?” She flips me the bird and heads toward the path, shouting over her shoulder, “Fuck you very much.”

Now that I’m hearing it from her side, I’m aware I’ve overreacted, much like my brother might do if he can’t get the exact table he wants at one of his favorite restaurants.

“Dillion, wait.”

She shakes her head and tromps through the bushes.

Awesome. And now I’ve pushed away the one person I felt I could trust.





CHAPTER 24

BAD TO WORSE

Van

After some time to think and calm down, I realize that I’ve made a grave mistake with my accusations. And I’ve taken out my frustration on the wrong person. I send apologetic messages to Dillion for overreacting and being a jerk that, no surprise, go unanswered. Then I apologize for my brother trying to blackmail her. I’d say that whatever he’s planning won’t work, but I’m unsure if that’s true or not, because I’m still finding it hard to believe that he’s the one masterminding this. I didn’t even think he had the drive or motivation to blackmail anyone, let alone figure out how to do it. Obviously, he has piss-poor judgment in who he chooses to try to blackmail, but that he tried at all is ballsy. And, frankly, shocking.