“I think my head is spinning,” I moan, clutching my head. “Stop the world. I want to get off.”
“If only we could,” Tim mutters, watching Shep’s tail thump against his leg.
“Lauren took a big risk throwing us together then,” I state, considering the possibilities. “I mean, wasn’t she afraid that you’d tell me all of this?”
“I think she expected me to go along with the story she’d concocted for the screenplay. Eric and I had been on the outs for so long. There wasn’t much love lost between us. We’ve always wanted the same girl. Even if neither of us was able to hold on to her,” Tim relates, despondently. “I think she honestly thought that I’d never want to help you in a million years. She didn’t count on you winning me over.”
“Don’t tell me you just did it for me,” I admonish him, thinking back to our almost kiss and getting uncomfortable. “I’m not blind. I can see that there’s still some loyalty between you and Eric. I think you’ve wanted to tell him for a long time, haven’t you?”
“Not that he ever would’ve believed me before now,” Tim admits, digging his elbow into the armrest. “If Eric hadn’t fallen in love with you, I don’t think he would’ve been open to hearing the truth. We both had Cassidy up on a pedestal. I heard her confession from her own lips, but Eric was left to take my word for it. It’s tough. Sure, he’s struggling with the truth, but he’s not denying it, and that’s huge. He’ll work through it and be fine. It’ll just take time, and thank God he has you.”
“But what about you?” I ask, nudging his leg with my foot, not liking the adoring way he’s looking at me even though I’m worried about him. “What’s going to happen to you now?”
“As long as Eric doesn’t open his mouth, I’ll probably stay under the radar,” Tim says not too convincingly. “I just have to hold on until Ben graduates. Once he gets in the college of his choice, they won’t have anything else they can threaten me with.”
“But it’s not that simple,” I respond testily, bursting his bubble. “Tim, I don’t think I can keep quiet about this. It’s the only piece of leverage I have to get them to back off. Lauren wants me to finish her screenplay. We both know I can’t do that. I won’t do that. But her threats are real. If I don’t come through, she’s going to start destroying us one by one.”
“Ivy, you don’t know what you’re up against when it comes to Conrad,” Tim warns adamantly, causing Shep to pick up his head. “Dealing with Lauren is nothing compared to the type of damage he can inflict, and that’s saying a lot. With the money and resources he has at his disposal, we’d never stand a chance. Look at what he’s done to me. He cost me my job. He has me financially dependent on doing his stepdaughter’s bidding. And what kills me is that I was willing to go along with it all until you showed up.”
“Thank God for small favors,” I joke, but Tim doesn’t even crack a smile. “C’mon. You can’t back out on me now. I thought we were going to take them down once Ben was settled. We’ve already made our plan. Now it’s about sticking to it.”
“But that’s when we were talking about going after Ryan. You didn’t say anything about taking on Conrad,” Tim grimaces, uneasy with the proposition.
“It’s the only thing that’s going to get Lauren and that stupid screenplay of hers out of our lives,” I insist, driving the point home. “We’re not going to approach Conrad. We’re not going to go anywhere near Conrad. We just need Lauren to think that we are. Do you really think she’s going to go running to him for help and let him know that she let the situation slip out of her control? There’s no way she’s going to want to look weak in front of him. It’s our one and only chance to end this.”
“It’s such a gamble though.” Tim scratches his chin. “You’re betting an awful lot on the assumption that she won’t tell Conrad.”
“If you were brave enough to tell Eric the truth, then I know you have the guts to dupe Lauren,” I encourage him. “She’s already tried to take my baby from me twice. There’s no way I’m going to let her keep antagonizing me like this. Ever since I met her, I’ve felt like I’ve always been at a disadvantage, always a step behind, always playing catch-up. But now, thanks to you, I finally feel like I’m in the driver’s seat. And boy, am I going to enjoy it.”