Page 75 of Fletch

“He doesn’t care about you,” he shouts, “He said as much. He’s willing to send that tape to the news outlets. Everyone will see what you did.”

“Then change the birth certificate,” I argue.

“And then what? He’ll use that tape over and over.”

“He won’t,” I tell him. “I’ll get the tape and destroy it. I don’t want this out there any more than you do,” I reassure him. “Just change the birth certificate.”

I disconnect right as Fletch enters with Axel and Grizz. They’re laughing about something, so he’s too distracted to see my hand as it sails towards him, slapping his cheek so hard that my palm instantly burns.

“How fucking dare you?” I scream, not caring when he wraps a hand around my neck and forces me against the wall. His face is red with anger, and his eyes are burning into mine as Axel tries to pull him from me. “Give me the tape. Every last copy,” I demand.

“Not happening,” he spits, gripping my throat harder.

“You’re gonna sell me out again to get what you want,” I cry. Axel manages to pull Fletch from me and puts himself between us. “You’re gonna ruin me again,” I say, this time letting the tears flow. “You fucking wanker.” I rush upstairs to my bedroom, slamming the door extra hard.

Ten minutes pass before there’s a light knock on the door. “Go away.”

“Will you at least let me explain?” asks Fletch. I pull the door open, and he leans on the door frame while I drop back on my bed and stare at the ceiling. “He’ll change the birth certificate. The tape won’t get out there.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“He will.”

“But if he doesn’t?” I yell.

“We’ll deal with that if it happens. I have other shit on him, Gem.”

“Don’t fucking ‘Gem’ me,” I spit. “Not right now, when I’m so mad at you.”

“You’ve spent half your life being mad at me,” he retorts. “When will that end?”

“Maybe when you grow the fuck up.”

He rolls his eyes. “Cos you’re handling all of this so well.”

I sit up. “I wanted to set you up,” I admit. “Okay, there, I said it. When I raided your club and saw you in bed with that slapper, I thought, he hasn’t changed. He’s still the fuck boy who broke my heart and he deserves to suffer for putting me through everything he did. I was angry you walked away, okay, and I know you didn’t know about Ruby, so I shouldn’t be mad, but I am, and I can’t help it. But there was also intelligence on your club, okay, and I wanted to take all the drugs off the streets. I was doing my job.”

“You tried to entrap me,” he states.

“Yes,” I say, nodding. “But it didn’t work because you were also lying. You were trying to keep me close to find out what I knew. You made me think there was something between us. We’re as bad as each other.”

“How do we move forward?”

“We don’t.”

“For Ruby,” he adds.

I sigh. “We forgive each other for what we did.”

He thinks over my words. “Can you move past it?”

I shrug. “Can you?”

“Maybe.”

“Then let’s agree to at least try.”

He gives a nod and steps farther into the room. “I read your diary,” he admits, and I frown. “The one in Ruby’s memory box.” I relax slightly. I’d kept a diary of all the things she did or said that I found funny. “I’m glad you kept all that stuff.”