Jerry couldn't avoid Sarah forever.
"Be a man and fix it or I'll kick your butt," Kyle said, his tone as polite as it could be in a situation like this.
It was strange how those simple words triggered an unreasonable amount of jealousy inside him, even if he was aware Kyle and Sarah talked.
Kyle let out a sigh and massaged his forehead, leaning the other hand on the kitchen table. "Look, I know it's none of my business, but just don't leave her hanging. I don't know what the deal with you two is, but don't... Not communicating sucks. It screwed up Angie and Tom and Jimmy and Jessie."
Jerry just nodded. Jimmy and Jessie breaking up had been so hard to stomach, even if it had been two days since she left. Two days since Angie came back and she and Tom officially broke up. Two days since Kyle had spent his time at home for some reason which had Jerry more worried than he liked to admit.
He didn't like any of it. Not the depression Sam was slowly but surely downing in, not Tom and the unusual silence surrounding him, not Jimmy and how he buried himself in work and didn't speak unless it was absolutely necessary. And definitely not how tense and worried Kyle was, as if the pressure of being the last one standing was bringing him down. The least he could do was give him this.
So he nodded, texted Sarah and agreed to meet her. As nervous as it made him, he knew it had to be done. He had to face her, tell her what was going on, and take it from there.
When he reached the small cafe, she was already waiting, a laptop in front of her, typing away. She closed it when she saw him and didn't look too belligerent. Maybe just a little disappointed.
"Let me guess," she said instead of a hello. "Kyle bullied you into coming."
"Not exactly." He sat in front of her, already feeling like a douche. "Can I get you anything?"
She narrowed her eyes. "We're not on a date, Jerry. I got myself something."
Right. She had a point. She wanted answers. And he had no idea where to start.
"You don't have to spare my feelings," she said. "Just let it out. What happened? What did I do?"
"How did everyone find out about Sam and Christine breaking up?" he asked instead.
She faltered. "I don't know. I guess they were going to figure it out eventually seeing as they haven't been seen together in a while."
"They were tipped off by sources close to the group."
Her expression turned to stone. Where before there was mild concern, now was an unreadable mask, shutting him out completely. "You think I sold you to the press."
It sounded horrible, but it wasn't question. She'd basically admitted it. "You were the only one who knew. And you said it yourself. Lack of money makes people do things they later regret."
"I wish I had my coffee so I could throw it in your face." But she didn't cry, didn't get up and leave, didn't try to throw something else at him.
"Understandable." He paused for a moment. "So you're denying it?"
"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer." She looked out the window, her face set in a neutral expression. "And you know why, Jerry? Because you shouldn't even have to ask. Because you should know better."
He didn't like this. Didn't like it at all. Especially because she wasn't alleviating his fears that she'd been the one to do it, even if by mistake. "Try to see it from my side. There are very few people we can trust and things like this have horrible consequences on everyone."
YOU ARE READING
Lose Control (The Jewel Project #5)
Adventure"It's never going to end, is it? The rivalry, the hatred, the madness. Not even now. Not even after so many years." It has been three years since the last jewel was recovered, and the Agency seems to have put the project to rest. They have a new tar...
