The Rules of Persuasion

by Amity Hope

  “Sorry I’m late.” Gabe slid into the booth. “Traffic.” He set his briefcase on the table. “I’d give you a lecture on all the reasons it was wrong to blackmail Meg, but I think you’re being hard enough on yourself already.”

  I nodded. “What did you find?”

  “Good idea. Let’s get down to business. I poked around a bit at the office. George Winters isn’t exactly popular there. One of the underlings was more than happy to dish some dirt. He’s probably doing it to brown nose, thinking it’ll earn him points with the family. Or a promotion. But it got the job done.”

  I waited impatiently as he popped his briefcase open. “Do you remember a teacher by the name of Mr. Taylor?”

  “Yeah.” I scoffed. “He was young, a first-year teacher. The girls wouldn’t shut up about him. I was kind of dating Meredith at the time. She was always blabbing about how hot he was. What does this have to do with Jaclyn?”

  I took in Gabe’s smug smile.

  “No.” My heart slammed around as I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “She had an affair with a teacher?” Would it really be that big of a surprise? Nope. I wouldn’t put anything past her.

  “She didn’t have an affair. But not for her lack of trying.” He pulled out a manila envelope and shook the contents free. “Check this out.”

  “Order for Protection?” I clenched my jaw. “Did he hurt her?” The girl was proving to be a crazy pants bitch but there were some things guys just didn’t do.

  “Read the details carefully.”

  I did and felt my eyes bulge.

  “The order is against her.”

  “That it is. Little brother, your ex is a certifiable stalker.” He shifted, looking pleased with himself. “It gets better.”

  “How could it possibly get better? This is golden!”

  “Eileen has no idea. George took care of everything,” Gabe explained.

  “Eileen would come undone if she knew her teen daughter was stalking a teacher.”

  “As far as I can tell, it’s all in the past. But that could be in part because George paid this guy a substantial amount of money to leave town.”

  “I assume Eileen doesn’t know that, either?”

  Gabe’s smug smile was my answer. “Take this to Jaclyn. She’s not going to want her mom to find out any of this.”

  “Or her friends,” I muttered. Jaclyn had too much pride to let anyone know she’d thrown herself at someone. Thrown herself so repeatedly that the OFP was needed “How did you get this?”

  “I told you, I’m not proud of it, but I’ve learned a lot from Dad.”

  I needed no further explanation.

  “The way I see it, your problem is twofold,” Gabe said. “This will neutralize Jaclyn, just like we wanted. The cops are another matter entirely. The rewards aren’t just going to go away. Have you given any thought to how you want to handle that?”

  “Yeah.” I jabbed at the ice cubes again. “I’m glad you asked.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Meg

  I paused in front of Miss Perez’s door. It was closed. She was probably with someone. I should come back.

  I twisted around and nearly collided with her.

  “Good morning. How are you?” Her eyes scanned over me. “You look good. All things considered.”

  “Yeah.” I held my injured hand up. “I’m doing okay.”

  “I just got out of a staff meeting.” She shuffled the files she carried to her other arm and stuffed her hand in her pocket, producing a key. “I assume you’re here to talk. I have some time. I could write a pass for you if you end up late for first hour.”

  She opened her door but before stepping inside she ripped the reward poster off the wall. “These can all come down. Finally.”

  “What? Why?” I glanced down the long hallway where they were dotted about.

  “Whoever did it turned themselves in.”

  My blood turned to ice. Had someone turned me in? Is that what she meant? I pressed a hand against the wall to keep myself upright. My head still echoed with an ache from the accident. My wrist throbbed. My Rebel was totaled. The old adage “When it rains it pours” spilled into my head. On top of everything else—the accident, losing Luke—was I going to finally have to pay for this, too?

  While I knew it would only be fair, I didn’t think I could face it. My parents were finally willing to seek help. Our family was on the verge of a new normal. This could ruin everything.

  And it would be all my fault.

  “Meg?” She looped her arm through mine. “Let’s get you inside so you can sit down. You don’t look too good. Maybe you came back to school too early.”

  She led me to my usual chair. I slumped into it.

  “Who did it? The vandalism?” My voice quaked. I waited for her to give me a look of sheer disappointment, telling me I knew the answer to that.

  “All I know is that it was a student. He or she is a minor, they had a lawyer. Everything is very hush-hush.”

  A lawyer?

  I pressed my hands against my burning cheeks. My fingers were ice-cold. I happened to know someone who had a lawyer for a father. But he wouldn’t.

  Would he?

  “What will happen to this person?”

  Miss Perez winced. “Mr. Prichard has been furious about this incident. In past meetings he was adamant that if he found out it was a student, they would be expelled.”

  Expelled?

  “So,” she cocked her head to the side, “what would you like to talk about?”

  It took me a moment to round up my scattered thoughts.

  “I just stopped by to thank you. I know you’ve spoken with Mom a few times. She said you suggested a therapist for her and my dad. They already made an appointment. They’re going to go together.”

  “I was more than happy to do it. I know it’s been a long, painful journey for your family. I think a therapist will lead them down the road to closure.”

  I nodded. “I hope so.”

  “And you?” she pressed. “Your mom mentioned you were having a bit of boy trouble. Care to talk about it?”

  Trouble? I felt like I was in the midst of a catastrophe.

  “There’s really nothing to say. He lied to me.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That’s not exactly true. He kept something from me. Something big.”

  “Is it possible he had a good reason?”

  “He thought so.”

  “You clearly disagree,” she said gently. “I don’t suppose you want to elaborate?”

  I shook my head.

  She leaned back. “Without knowing the situation, there’s not a lot I can say. I do suggest you try to keep in mind that sometimes things spin out of control. Sometimes something that seems harmless blows up in our faces.”

  I could completely relate to that.

  A water tower at the edge of town could attest to that.

  How was Luke any more at fault than I was?

  Maybe this could be one of those rare times when two wrongs could make a right.

  I glanced at the clock ticking over her head. I didn’t have a lot of time before class and there was something I needed to do.

  I slid out of my chair. “I really shouldn’t miss first hour my first day back. Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Check in with me soon, okay?”

  I agreed and then I was rushing down the hall.

  I went to the front doors and moved onto the steps that led out of the building. I studied the parking lot across the street. Mom had dropped me off this morning, and I’d gone straight to Miss Perez. Now, as I looked for Luke’s Navigator, it was conspicuously absent.

  Julia’s locker was near Luke’s. I swerved my way through the crowd, grateful to find her still there.

  “Julia?”

  “Meg.” Her eyes widened and she pulled me into a gentle hug. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

  “Thanks. Um, have you seen Luke?”
<
br />   “Not yet. Maybe he’s sick?” She shrugged. “Adam hasn’t said anything. I don’t know if he’s checked in with him or not.”

  I wasn’t sure what to make of the news. Surely, if Luke had been expelled, people would know by now, wouldn’t they?

  My first few hours dragged by. By the time I stuffed my books in my locker, ready for lunch, I was frazzled.

  “Meg.”

  I turned around and Francesca grabbed me by the shoulders.

  “I’m so glad to see you,” she said dramatically. She glanced around before leaning in to whisper, “There’s a rumor going around that the vandal was caught. I knew you were supposed to be coming to school today, but you weren’t at your locker this morning. I’ve been freaking out.” Her hands slid away and she gave me some space.

  “I was in Miss Perez’s office. Someone turned themselves in.”

  “Who…?” Her eyes grew wide. “Did…?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. But who else possibly would have? He’s not here today.”

  “Meg,” her tone turned serious, “if he took the fall for you, this is huge. This means no more posters around the school. No more front page stories. No more wondering if some witness is going to materialize out of thin air.”

  “I know.”

  “You need to find out what’s going on.” She grabbed my uninjured wrist and gave me a tug. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Who needs lunch? You need to clear things up with Luke.”

  …

  Francesca parked on the street. If Luke’s mom was home, I didn’t want to have a run-in with her. I hurried up the driveway and looped around to the backside of the house. Maybe he wasn’t even here.

  He could’ve taken a skip day. He might be at the coast. Or maybe his family decided on a last minute vacation.

  For all I knew, the boy could be in Rome.

  There was only one way to find out. I hit send and waited for the phone to ring.

  “Meg?” he sounded wary.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi. I’m a little surprised to hear from you.”

  “I think we need to talk.”

  “Okay…?”

  “In person.”

  He hesitated. “Yeah. Where do you want to meet?”

  “In the gazebo? I would’ve thrown a rock at your window, but you know, that’s kind of a cliché.”

  His face appeared in his window. “I’ll be right down.”

  I met him on the backside of the house. “Is there something you want to tell me?” I asked.

  “There’s a lot I want to tell you.”

  We wandered toward the gazebo and took a seat.

  “Did you take the fall for me?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why would you do that?” I collapsed against the gazebo’s railing, the weight of his admission hitting me hard. I had suspected—I mean, who else could it have been—but hearing him say it still stunned me.

  “The night of the accident, things got complicated. That night, what I wanted to tell you was that I’ve completely fallen for you. Instead, everything imploded.”

  He explained to me what went down between him and Jaclyn.

  “I was trying to protect you that night. I swear. Mom knew you and I were going to talk. Dad offered me the camp. I had no intention of taking it. I’d given up on the idea a while ago. But then Jaclyn showed up…and everything spiraled. When she wanted me to end things with you, it was the first thing that came to mind.”

  I was still reeling from the news that Jaclyn found out.

  “Are you expelled?”

  Luke scoffed. “I feel like a hypocrite. I always grumble about Dad getting people out of trouble when they don’t deserve it. But Gabe worked some magic. I got off pretty light. I’m suspended through the week, had to pay a hefty fine, which Gabe covered because he felt like he was partly to blame. I’m a minor so my name won’t be in the paper. Mr. Prichard and the superintendent know it was me, but they aren’t allowed to share the info with anyone without violating confidentiality.” He shrugged. “I have to fulfill ten hours of community service. It could’ve been a lot worse.”

  What he meant was that if I’d gone down for this, the punishment would’ve been a lot worse. Money and prestige talk.

  “Thank you. I can’t believe you did this for me.” I grimaced. “Even though you confessed, Jaclyn could still take everything to the cops.” What if Luke had gone through all of this for nothing?

  “Already got it covered. I don’t want you to worry about a thing.” I gave him a questioning look. “Let’s just say when Gabe works his magic, he really works it.”

  “Your parents?”

  He winced. “Not happy. Gabe spun some excuse about my behavior being an act of rebellion. He suggested they stop trying to micromanage my future. I don’t know if they’ll back off, but I think they bought it.”

  It took my brain several minutes to absorb everything. I was grateful Luke had Gabe. Dragging his dad into this would’ve indebted Luke to him in ways I didn’t even want to think about.

  “Would you have told me? About your original plan if she hadn’t cornered you into it?”

  Conflicting emotions flashed across his face. “Honestly? No. I didn’t see the point. I realized how stupid it was. I didn’t want you to find out. The fact that you’re different is what I love most about you. You’re not one of those cookie cutter girls, trying to be the same as everyone else.”

  I fidgeted with the hem of my sweater.

  “Is there any chance we can move past this?” he asked. “I want to make things right between us. I made a mistake. You can relate to that, can’t you?”

  “Yeah,” I admitted, “I know a little bit about things spiraling out of control.”

  “Then please tell me you understand that I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “I get it,” I said. “I don’t like it but I do understand.”

  What he had done had hurt. But I did believe him when he said that was never his intention. I knew what it was like to regret something. I also knew life was too short to hold on to a grudge.

  “I think I’ve made my feelings for you pretty clear,” Luke said. “But I have no idea how you feel after everything that’s happened.”

  He’d been so open with me I decided it was only fair to reciprocate.

  “I don’t know when it happened,” I began, “but somewhere along the way, I realized it’s pretty hard not to love you.”

  His adorable dimples greeted me. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  I leaned in, slid my hand around the back of his neck, and pressed my lips against his. It was a soft kiss, sweet, and full of promises for more.

  Epilogue

  Meg

  Over the next month Mom was true to her word. She met with the therapist Miss Perez recommended. She still had bad days. Lots of them. But as the weeks went by, as she learned to cope on her own, the bad days seemed to happen less and less.

  Dad had been serious about seeing a marriage counselor. They had a standing date every Tuesday afternoon with the same therapist that Mom saw individually.

  Mom had made a point of spending time with me every day. Whether it be breakfast, a few minutes after school to hear about my day, or a prolonged conversation at dinnertime. Dad noticed, and he definitely approved.

  We had a long way to go before we felt like a “normal” family again. Maybe, without Sydney, we never would. We had a long road to recovery ahead of us, but we were all walking it together.

  Mom and Dad adored Luke. Who could blame them?

  “Have fun tonight,” Mom said.

  Dad grinned and added the obligatory, “But not too much fun.”

  I rolled my eyes, enjoying the cheesy banter I hadn’t even realized I’d been missing out on. “Thanks. You two have a nice evening.”

  I grabbed my purse and darted onto the porch. I was anxious to see my boyfriend. I didn’t want to waste a minute of
this evening. I knew if he came through the front door my parents would tangle him up in a conversation that would feel like it would never end.

  He was halfway up the sidewalk when I emerged. The heels of my black buckled boots clicked against the pavement as I hopped off the bottom step.

  He froze in place when he saw me. For a moment I felt self-conscious. Then his familiar dimpled grin edged onto his face as he took in my appearance from head to toe. He didn’t bother to hide that he liked what he saw.

  I glanced down at myself, taking in the turquoise sweater that Mom said set off my hair. It hung slightly off the shoulders, giving me the edginess I still desired. My white skinny jeans fit like they’d been made for me. My boots felt comfortable and familiar.

  “Mom and I went shopping.”

  “I see that. I like this new look. What’s the occasion?” he teased.

  “Oh, you know, nothing special,” I teased back. “Just a one-month anniversary dinner.”

  “Well, I like it.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek, and I sighed happily.

  He escorted me to his SUV and helped me into the seat. Since the accident he’d become my self-appointed chauffer.

  “We have reservations at Natalia’s at seven,” he told me. “You can order the lobster ravioli and enjoy every bite of it. I was thinking for dessert, the tiramisu?”

  “Sounds perfect,” I said. “Although I’d be just as happy going out for a burger.”

  “I know,” he agreed. “That’s why I want to take you somewhere nice.”

  I assumed he was driving aimlessly, chewing up time before our reservation. I spotted the water tower looming in the distance. The sun was setting behind it. The sky was streaked with molten gold. I thought it looked like a glimpse into Heaven.

  I was lost in my thoughts, comforting thoughts of Sydney, knowing she was healthy and happy, in a better place.

  He pulled over to the side of the road.

  My mural stood watch over the town. The city hadn’t decided what to do with it yet. A surprising number of residents had spoken up. They appreciated the way it spruced up the crummy old tower.

  As happy as that made me, I wasn’t about to return to my old habit.