If I hadn’t rushed to Fever Falls to persuade him to sign on to that endorsement deal for Hacksmore, he would never have accepted, and his family would have never been put on the spot likethat.
“I’m fine. I’m just going to get some water. No emergencyhere.”
As he opened the cabinet, I pushed to my feet from the recliner and approached the kitchenisland.
“If there’s anything you need me to do, though, Ican…”
“You know, Dax, I don’t mean this in any sort of bad way, but I think I need to spend tonight on myown.”
“Oh…”
I couldn’t help but sound disappointed, and as he looked at me, I wondered…did he think this was all my faulttoo?
I reminded myself that it had to be a lot for him between the accident and the news report. He was overwhelmed, and he had every right to blameme.
An awkward silence stretched betweenus.
“Yeah. Gotcha. I—” A buzzing sound filled the air, interrupting me. I checked my phone.“You mind if I take this real quick? It’sCarter.”
“Sure,bud.”
Bud? He never fucking calls mebud.
Something was verywrong.
“Hey, man. What’sup?”
“You guys okay?” Carterasked.
“Yeah, we just got back from the hospital. We’re at Jace’snow.”
“Well, you might want to sitdown.”
“For?”
“That WME guy I’ve beenseeing—”
“Are you calling right now to brag about your sexual exploits, Carter? Because I can tell you I’m not in themood.”
“No, I was calling to tell you that he said he heard thatsomeonescored a pretty timely interview during this shitshow.”
“Who?”
“Who do youthink?”
There was no way. I’d just seen Serena consolingKeegan.
And yet…my heart sank because suddenly everything made that much moresense.
“ABC’s Melissa Fairfax ring any bells?” Carterasked.
I thought on the name for a moment. “Melissa Fairfax, formerly withGlitz & Glam…a.k.a. friend of FreydaInc.”
“Bingo. Serena’s booked to interview with her thisweekend.”
“Of course she fucking is,” Imuttered.
How could I have been dumb enough to believe she’d shown real compassion for another human being? She was only getting close so she could run off and jump-start her owncareer.
