Allie looked at the phone. It was Bryce. "It's just Liz," she lied and put the phone on silent.
Carter didn't say anything more and drove white knuckled back to New York City.
When she was safely in her apartment, only then did she dare to open the messages on her phone.
Bryce had sent her videos of him fucking various women and a message telling her, "You'll be next." There was also a long, vile message on her voicemail that she could only stomach partially listening to.
She was scared of how his behavior had escalated. But she didn't want to bother the Holbrooks with it. They had Carter's problems and Harris's problems to deal with. She could handle this, right?
Besides, Bryce couldn't be that dangerous, could he?
60
Carter
"What have I done wrong?" Carter complained.
Grant and Kate had left the birthday dinner shortly after he and Allie had left, and now the two cousins sat on the balcony of the penthouse.
"Why is Allie treating me like this? What did I do?" He didn't bring up Stacy's accusations that Allie was back with her old boyfriend, but the idea plagued his thoughts.
"It's probably something youhaven'tdone," Grant replied.
"But I’m trying!"
"Try harder."
"I took her for nice meals. I bought her flowers. My father doesn't think that Allie and I should be together. Maybe he was right," Carter whined.
"I'm tired of hearing you use that as an excuse," Grant snapped. "So what? Maybe he was right, but from where I'm standing, you haven't put in any sort of effort. At all. You've just been coasting, and Allie doesn't seem like the type to tolerate coasters."
"But I took her out for sushi!"
"So you did the bare minimum," Grant said, "and had sex with her in the print closet. That's real classy. I'm sure any girl would appreciate that."
Carter concentrated on his drink. He couldn't look at his cousin—he knew Grant was right.
"Get your shit together, Carter," Grant said. "Relationships take work. Real work."
Grant's words echoed in his head the next week when Carter sat in the office with Allie. She still seemed a little distant. She was on top of the projects they were working on, but he noticed that sometimes she would stare out of the window.
His phone beeped, and he glanced at the message. It was from Grant.
Up your game
Carter showed up at Allie's apartment that Friday night. He had flowers, and Margot was freshly groomed and sporting a large bow.
"I'm taking you away," Carter said as he walked into the apartment.
"I have to—"
"What, work?" he scoffed. "You aren't a bartender anymore."
"I can't…" She gestured to the laptop.
"We're just going down the street," he told her. "I have a nice hotel picked,andthey know we're coming. I have a suite booked for tonight and tomorrow night with a whole weekend planned."
"Why?" she asked.
