“He went to your dad?”
I nod. “Dad plays golf with the Chief Justice of WesternAustralia. All it took was a few phone calls, and he’d shut down any chances of Nathan getting a law job in Perth. He dropped out of university and moved away from his family and friends. Because of me, his whole life was ruined.”
Zac mutters a curse. “You know it’s not your fault, right? Your dad did that. Not you.”
“It doesn’t matter. It happenedbecauseof me.”
He doesn’t say anything, but there’s nothing he can say. I’ll never have a normal relationship. My father will never allow it. I don’t know why I let Hannah convince me we could work it out. Rehashing what happened has reminded me how ruthless Dad can be.
“That wasn’t the end of it,” I say. “Dad threatened that if I didn’t fall into line and do what he expects of me, he’ll not only ruin any chance of Nathan practising law in the country, but he’ll extend it to Nathan’s family as well. I don’t know how far my father’s reach carries, but I don’t want to find out.”
Pain stabs into my chest, and I rub at it. If he even catches wind of me being with another guy… I hate to think what he’ll do.
Zac stares at me for a beat, then shakes his head. “I refuse to believe your dad is that powerful. He may have had the right contacts in WA, but I doubt he’ll cause any further damage to Nathan or his family. What about your grandad? Have you spoken to him about all of this?”
I let out a humourless laugh. “Dad would kill me if I told Grandad. I told you, Zac, this is hopeless. Euphoria was perfect for me. No faces, no names. It’s all I’ve got. Walk away now while you can.”
“So, what’s the plan? Pretend to date Hannah for the rest of your life? That’s not fair on her.”
I shrug. “It’s my grandfather’s birthday next month. She agreed to come with me to keep Dad off my back and giveme some breathing space. After that, I don’t know. Once I finish school, I’ll move back to Perth to take up my role in the family business and figure it out when Dad starts riding me about marriage and kids.”
“Sounds pretty lonely.”
“Better than him ruining anyone else.”
“Do you have to be involved in the business? Is that even what you want?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“Everyone has a choice,” he argues.
It’s what Hannah said. But it’s not that easy. Other people might have a choice, but this is what I was born into. My whole life, I’ve been groomed to take over the family business, to keep the Bentley legacy going.
“My only choice is to hide in the shadows or live a lie. There’s no in-between for me. I’m not a very appealing prospect. If I were you, I’d walk away now.”
His fingers grip my chin, and he turns me to face him, a playful smirk lighting up his face. “What if I don’t want to walk away?”
I need to tell him it’s over. We can’t be together. It’ll only end in heartache for both of us. My words catch in my throat. Something inside me tells me to be selfish.
It’s not like Perth. We’re out of my father’s reach here. If we’re careful, we can make this work. Dad will never find out. We have Hannah running interference for now. As long as she’s in my life, he won’t ask questions. He won’t look any deeper.
“I can’t ask you to hide away with me.”
“You’re not asking.” He leans in and brushes his lips over mine. “I’m not scared of your dad.”
“You should be.”
I’m terrified of him.
Chapter 23
Zac
Noah rushes off to Beckford U an hour later after his father calls asking why he’s not in class. I guess he has someone on the inside checking up on him. It still doesn’t scare me off. Noah deserves a happy ending, and I selfishly want to be the guy who gives it to him.
I still haven’t wrapped my head around the fact that my grumpy teammate is not only gay, but he’s the mysterious shadow I’ve been hooking up with these past few months. How is this real? It’s not right that he has to hide who he is because of his father. I met the guy for two seconds and could tell he was a fucking arsehole.
It doesn’t change how I feel about Noah. If anything, everything is amplified now that I understand why he’s been so afraid to get close to me. Pursuing something with him won’t be easy, especially because of the deep-seated fear his father cultivated in him after Nathan, but I can’t bring myself to walk away. There’s something about the raw vulnerability he showed when he opened up to me that makes me want to see where this goes.
