5: The U

y's

ame while I was

ORY CALLAHAN: LOVE MATCH OR PR STUNT? INSIDE

en so long toothpast

in my bathroom, barefoot, hair a mess, one hand gripping my

e sou

cou

der, pretending not to carry a knife. Someone had leaked the fake relationship. Someone had spo

questio

shment written by a committee of men in expens

exhau

ed my chin, and walked

y there, staring

r a moment, neit

d, "We have

umorlessly.

*

oach Harris, Lena Brooks, Victor Shaw, and three other people from management

een showed

fingers were clenched in his jacket. His hand was in my hai

The story is spreading fast. If the relationship is exposed as fabricated, t

m did mislead th

hot me

rry. Did we stop pret

is silver watch catching the light. "Thi

d for everything. Might as well

tched in response

e. If this becomes a formal investigation, you may both

ened. Suspension

beside me. "You said

said. "Until

hem," h

ooled. "That is

ust the way

ime, we go bigger. You need to be mor

er. "What doe

live togeth

ew that. I hated mo

," I

omantic trip this weekend. Somewhere photogenic, intimate and priv

tal," I

blink at all.

his arms. "No

s time. "I am startin

ed his hea

blank, controlled look he wore when he want

re for one second. Then gone. And

*

n was no

lished wood, a fireplace big enough to burn evidence in and a bedro

dr

Great. Rea

ust inside the doo

e, carrying his duffel.

somehow your emotional damage s

damage is ne

designer

ooked around the room, jaw ti

I said very

yes came to mine. "I

wanted to ask if

he strategy. Th

Instead, I

*

far enough from the city to feel like another world, which was pr

urvive the weekend the same w

ter than ever

ed to making him confusing. I chopped vegetables with too much

e with a kni

N

ma

trust y

o sm

before I asked. I handed him a towel before he realized he needed one. Our sh

y was dangerous. How i

le looked too formal and the couch looked too in

hing in the room or may

ire for a long mome

you somet

im over my gl

h you had chosen

gers s

ctly. Just... something where you

se he did not ask it like a reporter waiting to use my answe

d into

ngle day,

e settl

softer. Something people did not argue about. Something that did not require me to prove my exis

that followe

was low when

not cha

ked a

ld my

ng you,"

ed so suddenly I

part of this was real. That somewhere beneath the contract

tion. Not the

o fast. "I am

id not

*

not

closed my eyes, I saw the email. Every time I opened them, I remembered his hand brush

n the mornin

a sweater and padd

tching the hard lines of his shoulders and the scar near his ribs I had never noticed before. He looked tired. Not in the polished

e heard me. "Can

N

r my face, then aw

me out before pride

sta

low hum of the refrigerator and th

d been rotting inside me for two

htened aroun

eason," I s

answer im

oice was rough. "I

ughed. "Tha

N

ce rose and I hated that it

own. Slowly. Then

m smaller. I should hav

close enough that I could

ly hard not to ru

eath

asked. "Car

roke through. Something honest a

oving

between us like a

nd, I could

areful and shaking slight

aid like my

should

The phone calls. The warnings. The fact that every tende

he careful performance of a man playing a role. He kissed me like the

lt like e

was lonely. Because I wanted to punish him and for

as so tired of being stron

a line we coul

ered names and the terrifying silence of t

ing alwa

e up

e empty space beside me. Then I heard Jaxon

around myself before pulling on the nearest

ony was cracked open. Jaxo

you, I am h

us

e does not w

ent cold j

e a damn abou

her

h

h her. No, that w

d just then in

t this is the

ack. Quietl

d gone silent. Not bro

which scared me more than shaking would have. I booked a

I stared at th

g I could: This was a mist

efore he came

*

k to the cit

three times. I did not check it. I could stil

s not t

had been stupid enough to be

ver, walked upstairs and unlocked the door w

ded t

ed to

Kane and his contracts and his

not run at all. I told the team I needed time. A month. A clean break. A holiday, Lena

still

y legs burned and my chest went numb. I played sharper no

s called

led it di

d it su

, I stood in my cousin's bathroo

, I forgot h

o

no

my stomach befor

ad followed

ugh contracts. Not through

ugh

of the bathtub, the t

gna

preg

his

my career had left me with some

d, clear and terrifying

mpletely