“I thought you said he was just a one-time thing?” He arches a brow.
“He was.” Well, twice. Okay, more than that if you’re counting in orgasms.
He chuckles and shakes his head. “I don’t think he recognized me. You were right though. The guy’s a total suit. Definitely not your type, but super-hot.”
“Trust me, I had no idea he was Madison and Matt’s lawyer for this case.”Or a mean dick.I shake my head quickly, trying to change the subject. “What happened up there?”
Leo’s grin deepens. “My admin will bill you. Fair warning, I’m very expensive. Especially when I win.”
I throw my arms around his neck, squealing loud and obnoxiously. The sound echoes through the courtroom, cutting through the soft murmur of voices. The judge who’s standing now clears his throat sharply.
“Ms. Carpenter,” he says, his tone clipped. “I suggest you and your lawyer take your celebration out of my courthouse before I reconsider my judgment.”
“Sorry, judge—uh, Your Honor,” I stammer, quickly detangling myself and grabbing Leo’s hand to drag him toward the exit. Assoon as we’re in the hallway, I let out another, louder squeal and hug him tightly again, not caring who sees or hears us now.
“You’re the best!” I say, burying my face in his shoulder as relief floods through me. “Gabriel will be so relieved. Come out to Brookhaven and I’ll cook you a big dinner with all your favorites.”
He laughs. “I’m going to hold you to that, but it wasn’t a big deal. They didn’t have a case. And how long has this been going on for by the way? I stayed up and watched all thirty of your videos last night in preparation. You didn’t mention you hadtwo hundred thousand followers.”
“You watched my videos?” I bat my eyelashes, trying to deflect from the extremely serious look that’s on his face.
He shakes his head. “You’re ridiculous, and your face isn’t even in the video. It was for research alone though Chris was super invested in a pair of socks that you recommended.”
I smile. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too, but you’re crazy. Don’t do this shit anymore,” he says, kissing my cheek and giving me another hug. As he pulls back, my eyes catch sight of Cain and Madison exiting the courtroom doors while Madison turns to make a straight line directly towards me.
“Quick, put your arm around my waist,” I hiss at Leo.
“Hey!” she shouts, now standing right in front of me.
Her face turns about the same shade as my suit, and though she’s always looked calm and collected on camera, right now she’s completely unraveling.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but two can play this game now that I know your name and what you look like,” she snaps. “That judge got it all wrong.”
“Madison,” I say evenly, “I can assure you I’ve never mentioned you in any of my posts, and I never would because my page isn’t aboutLive Like an Influencer. I’m just offering an alternative perspective. Sharing my perspective on life. It’s the same thing that you’re doing.”
She scoffs. “That’s bullshit and we both know it. You’re going down.”
Okay, I’ve played nice. I’ve looked at things from her point of view, but now this is getting a little hostile.
“What are you going to do? Ruin my reputation? Destroy my career?” I laugh softly. “Good luck. There isn’t much to ruin. Can’t destroy my sponsorships either considering I don’t have any of those. I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing this because I’m trying to share another side of the conversation, just like you are. Neither of us have it all figured out.”
Madison’s brows knit together as she glares at me, confusion flickering beneath the anger, like she’s trying to decode what I just said.
I press my lips together and offer a small, understanding smile. I don’t like being threatened, but I get it. She feels like my posts are a direct attack, and she’s reacting out of fear, of losing influence, maybe, or credibility.
The truth is, you only take threats seriously when you’ve got something to lose. And other than my family, I have nothing.
Her heated glare flicks to Leo, and she looks like she’s about to unleash something sharp on him too, but then her mouth opens and closes like a stunned fish.
And I get it.
Leo has that effect on people—women and men alike. One look at those piercing, ocean-blue eyes, framed by jet-black hair thatalways seems to be styled so perfectly, and people lose their composure. Add in the corded muscles on his broad shoulders and his height, and it’s no wonder Madison’s at a loss for words. He’s a big, handsome, guy, tall and broad, with arms thicker than my head.
When I first met Leo in middle-school, I was certain I was going to marry him someday. I remember telling my mom that he was my future husband. That is, until I realized he wasn’t into women. So instead of a husband, I made him my best friend, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. That doesn’t mean I don’t know just how good-looking he is.
Always game for my antics, Leo wraps an arm protectively around my waist, pulling me flush against his side, just like I’d asked. He’s so convincing that if I were watching from the outside, I might believe my best friend of over fifteen years was into me.
