That was just for me.
"So basically, I'm afraid to go out in public now. Like, they put that kiss on the news. It's supposed to be just a tradition thing, so maybe they do it every year, but you should've heard the way the men at the hospital charity event were talking about us. It was sick. And God, Amelia, he's twice my age. Literally. He could be my dad."
"Well, he's not your dad," she said, snickering. "But he could be your daddy if you let him…"
I couldn’t stifle the laugh.
She always knew how to break me out of my funk. I didn't know why I ignored her calls earlier. I needed this.
"Thanks for cheering me up."
"Anytime, babe. I know you don't like those cameras, but remember this is nothing like what Douchebag Brad did. Itseems like this Hearthkeeper gig is actually an honor or something.
And you've done nothing wrong.
You are a consenting adult.
So if you don’t want the heat, just use boundaries." She shrugged. "And if he fires you, then claim a harassment suit."
Someone knocked on my door and I looked up.
Suing Dr. Bradley wasn't ever going to be a thing, but shrinking back and dying a slow death in a dark cave somewhere might be. "Look, Amelia, I have to go, okay? Thanks for calling."
"Anytime, toots."
The call ended and my screen flashed before going black.
I struggled to my feet, leaving my phone there, and waddled out in my oversized sweats and sweatshirt to the door.
A glance through the peephole made me feel instant panic.
Nathan Bradley stood on my welcome mat staring up the hallway in his grey suit and silver hair.
My God, if my neighbors saw him, I was screwed.
I yanked that door open so fast it made my hair dance in the breeze and then I grabbed him by the arm and tugged him in even faster.
I almost slammed the door, but not before glancing both ways in the hall to make sure no one was watching.
"What on earth are you doing here?" I hissed, turning around, and he thrust the tabloid paper out toward me.
What I saw was worse than the shock of my boss showing up unannounced.
The photo from the fundraiser had been printed alongside a title that read,She Doesn't Just Keep Hearths Warm.
I felt my cheeks burning as I noticed the way Dr. Bradley's hand was almost touching my back in the picture, the way he was leaning in to whisper in my ear, and my smile. God, I was so relaxed with him.
"What the…"
"Okay, so take a deep breath. It's just a tabloid, but I wanted to be here when you saw it." He held his hands out to try to calm me, but I had to drop the paper and sit down.
My head spun.
I felt my vision blurring and I pressed two fingers to each temple.
This was how it all started with Brad too. He let things leak and then felt horrible when he knew it would go viral, so he came rushing to me to try to "fix things".
It'd been too late for months by then.
