“Before I was here, ready to give you something I’ve protected my whole life.
Adam lowered his eyes.
“Yes.
Claire grabbed her bag.
This time Adam didn’t try to stop her.
She didn’t say she loved her.
He didn’t ask for another chance.S.
He simply pulled the key from the hotel room out of his pocket, left it on the table and said,
The room is paid. Stay if you don’t want to drive. I’m going.
Claire stared at him.
“You go?”
“I already took away a decision by knowing you under false pretensions.
He walked to the door.
I’m not taking another one off you tonight.
And he left.
Alone in that hotel room, Claire cried more than she had cried in years.
Not because I would almost have lost my virginity.
But because he had almost freely given it to a man without knowing the truth.
The next morning he blocked Vanessa.
Then to Laura.
Then to Michelle.
She later discovered that Laura and Michelle knew the original bet, but they believed that Vanessa would end up stopping it.
They didn’t.
They laughed.
They had observed.
And for Claire, her silence also made them part of the betrayal.
Adam never contacted her again.
Not for a week.
Not for a month.
It was three months.
So Claire got a little package.
There was nothing romantic inside.
No flowers.
No jewels.
