I turn away.
I need space, I need air, I need to think.
For the first time since he kissed me at that noisy, small-town rodeo and tilted my world on its axis, I am questioning everything.
Chapter 34 - Tessa
The ride to Nate's apartment building was surprisingly quick.The elevator ride to the penthouse feels like being trapped underwater.
My ears still ring with Brielle’s voice.The look on Marcus' face before I left.
Everything is spiralling in my mind, and then I'm immediately telling myselfno, that’s not Nate, that’s not us, that’s not what this is.
Because our relationship can't be what she is suggesting, there's no way that he could fake loving me like that.
My reflection in the elevator doors looks like someone else.I still look perfectly put together in a dress that fits like a costume for a version of me built by a stranger.But inside, I feel like I'm breaking apart piece by piece.
I step into the penthouse and just… stop.
It smells like him.That perfect mix of cedar and laundry detergent and something warm underneath that feels like home.I am suddenly too hot, and my skin feels like it's crawling.I grab the hem of the dress and tug, desperate to get out of it, desperate to feel like myself again.The zipper sticks.My fingers shake.The room tilts.My breath scrapes.
“Get off,” I whisper, tugging harder.
The first tear falls as I step into his closet, bracing one hand on the wall.
If I can just get this damn dress off.
I trip in these ridiculous heels and grab at the rack to slow my fall, my elbow knocks against one of the shelves, and something slips.
A stack of neatly organized binders tumbles forward.One pops open when it hits the carpet, and I freeze, because I know that logo.That glossy team stamp across the front.
The top folder is labelled:NARRATIVE + IMAGE STRATEGY - CARSON
A breath snags somewhere in my throat.I kneel and reach for it, intending to close it, put it back.Respect his privacy.Give him the benefit of the doubt.But then my eyes land on a page that shouldn’t exist.
Phase Two:Public Relationship Stabilization
My legs go numb.
I shouldn’t look.
But I do, and my name is everywhere.
Lane Effect – public perception: grounded, wholesome, stabilizing.
Tessa Lane softens Carson’s reputation after the Brielle fallout.
Strengthens family-friendly optics.
Drafted timeline for appearances...
My eyes start to go blurry, and I realize I am crying.I fall the rest of the way to the floor and keep reading.
Recommended integration points: kiss-cam moments, coordinated outfits, community features.
My heartbeat stutters.It hurts, but there’s more.
Key Messaging: Carson returning to roots, choosing ‘real love’ after past mistakes.
