Chapter 5

Summer parted her lips, but Moira's vicious threat left her speechless.

“You don't have to agree. But you'd better think carefully. Your mother killed your... to save you.”

“I'll do it.”

Summer cut her off before she could finish, her voice cold.

“Good. Now get lost.”

Moira smiled triumphantly and dismissed her.

Summer stood there, her clenched fists trembling.

In the end, she left.

Battered and miserable, she drove back to her apartment and shut herself away from the world.

When Ian finally woke up, it was already the next morning.

His head felt like it was going to explode from the hangover.

Out of habit, he reached for the person beside him, intending to pull her close and kiss her forehead good morning.

But when he opened his eyes, he found Moira lying next to him, looking as though she'd just woken up.

“Ian.”

“Why are you here?”

Ian frowned, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

He immediately pulled his arm away from her back.

As the last of his grogginess faded, he realized he was completely naked.

“Ian, you drank too much last night. I brought you home, and then you...”

Moira's eyes reddened, and she looked as though she might burst into tears.

She deliberately left the rest unsaid, letting him imagine what had happened and feel guilty about it.

“I'm sorry. I think I mistook you for Summer.”

Ian moved away from her and rubbed his throbbing forehead.

He couldn't remember much about the previous night. Apart from drinking heavily with Moira at the bar, everything was a blank.

“Summer? So you thought I was Summer?”

Moira bit down hard on her lip.

Tears glistened in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back, making herself look even more hurt.

“I'm sorry.”

Ian studied her with a troubled expression, his eyes darkening.

“You don't need to apologize to me,” Moira said, her voice trembling. “I'm partly responsible for what happened, too. I know I made a mistake.

“You've always known I met you before Summer did. I fell in love with you before she did, too. But you've never returned my feelings.

“I'll just think of last night as a beautiful dream. Now that it's over, you don't have to worry. I won't try to hold on to you.”

Ian said nothing, his brow deeply furrowed.

“I should go. I just hope we can still be friends.”

Moira pulled back the covers and got out of bed.

She deliberately exposed herself to him, then looked back over her shoulder with tears in her eyes.

But the moment she threw off the covers, Ian turned his head away and covered his eyes with one hand.

He felt nothing.

Moira hadn't gotten the reaction she'd wanted.

Furious and humiliated, she bit her lip, picked up her clothes, and got dressed.

Then she stumbled out of the room.

Only after hearing the door close did Ian sit up.

He slapped himself hard across the face.

Then he did it again.

“Ian Jensen, you bastard!”

—

Summer spent the entire day shut inside her dark apartment.

She couldn't figure out what the man who'd helped her stage the scene at the hotel had been planning.

She'd called the number he'd given her countless times, but his phone was always switched off.

By evening, she was so hungry she couldn't stand it anymore.

She changed into a long-sleeved shirt and pants, planning to go out and get something to eat.

But she'd barely opened the front door when a pair of polished leather shoes stepped inside.

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

“Ian.”

Summer stumbled back several steps.

Before she could tell him to leave, he grabbed the front of her shirt and shoved her against the wall.

Then he leaned in, towering over her.

Part of her desperately hoped he wouldn't remember what had happened the night before.

But another part of her couldn't bear the thought of him falling into Moira's trap.

She loved him, yet she had to push him away.

The conflict was tearing her apart.

“Summer, come back to me.”

Ian braced his hands against the wall on either side of her, trapping her between his arms.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked exhausted and heartbroken.

“Come back?”

“You slept with another man. And I slept with another woman.”

“You slept with another woman?”

Summer repeated his words, stunned.

Did he remember what had happened between them last night?

Or had he actually slept with Moira after Summer left?

“Moira.”

Summer felt as though a heavy weight had settled on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

“You remember what happened? You slept with her?”

“Yeah.”

Summer went rigid.

For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.

“We both betrayed each other, so let's forgive each other and move on. Summer, come back to me. Forget those other men, and I'll cut ties with Moira. We can start over.”

Ian suddenly grabbed her head and kissed her hard.

Summer stiffened.

Then she shoved him away with all her strength.

“Ian, we can't go back. I can't go back to you.”

“Why not? You made a mistake, and so did I.”

“What if I don't love you anymore?”

Summer's heart clenched so painfully she could barely stand it.

“You don't love me anymore?”

“No. I've loved you for four years, but I'm tired of it. I'm tired of us.”

She struggled to force out the next words.

“Ian, you and Moira. If she really loves you, maybe you two should...”

“Summer, is that how little our relationship means to you? Is that how little you think of me and my love for you?”

Ian's voice rose into a furious shout, the muscles in his neck straining with anger.

He'd come looking for her because he thought they could get past what had happened.

They'd both made mistakes. If they forgave each other, he believed they could have everything back.

And this was what she had to say to him?

Summer clenched her jaw so tightly that her cheeks ached.

Ian reached for the front of her shirt, but she twisted away.

The guilt in his eyes slowly gave way to cold fury.

As he grabbed for her and she tried to pull free, his hand caught the thin fabric of her shirt.

It tore open.

And suddenly, all the dark bruises covering her body were exposed.