“Don’t apologize. This isn’t on you. The paparazzi have too much time on their hands.”
She takes her hand from mine and uses it to cover her face. “I can’t believe this. I brought all this media to your doorstep. Nobody has ever bothered you here before me, and now what are you going to do? Your home address will be splashed all over the internet.”
“You’re not the one leaking my home address.”
“I know that,” she grits out. “But you wouldn’t be in this mess if you weren’t tangled up with me.”
“Tangled up with you is how I like to be.” I grin at her, hoping my joke will lighten her mood, but all I get is a strained smile before her lips drop.
I switch gears, placing a call to Poe through my truck’s Bluetooth feature.
He answers on the second ring. “What’s up, Teej?”
“I’m with Lu. We need some privacy. Can we come to your place?”
“Can’t you guys find someone else’s hot tub to make out in?” Poe’s usual deadpan voice is a balm to my frayed nerves.
“No can do, my man. Yours holds all my favorite memories now. We’ll be frequent visitors.”
“I just threw up in my mouth.”
I chuckle. “Look, someone found out Lucy is in town. They’re staked out at her place and mine. Can we swing over and figure out next steps?”
“That sucks.” Poe’s tone changes from dry to alert. “Yeah, of course, man. You didn’t even have to ask.”
“Thanks, Poe. Be there in ten.” I disconnect the call, and Lucy lets out a deep breath.
“You have good friends,” she says.
“The best. They always have my back. Yours, too, now.” I cut her with a look, praying she believes me when I say, “You don’t have to face any of this alone.”
Chapter 36
Lucy
By the time TJ pulls into Poe’s underground parking facility, I’ve formed a loose plan. I don’t like it, but under the circumstances, I know it’s necessary. I want to stomp my foot and throw a tantrum because things were goingsowell. I let myself believe in the fairy tale of TJ and me. I got comfortable and complacent, and it was so nice while it lasted. Now, the delicate life I’ve rebuilt for myself here feels like it’s crumbling down around me. Once again, everything about my future feels uncertain, like it could get swept away in the wind at any given moment. It’s a startling reminder that I’m not a princess, and happily ever afters don’t just happen. TJ says I don’t have to face this alone, but he’s wrong. I do.
We take the elevator up to the condo, and Poe is waiting for us with a pitcher of ice water and glasses set on a tray on the ottoman inside his large sectional. TJ plops down on the nearest cushion, right at home, and he motions for me to sit.
“You need anything, Lucy?” Poe asks, following us into the living room.
“No. Thanks for—” I search for the right words. “Letting us in here.”
Poe looks at me funny. “Of course.” He swings his gaze to TJ. “I texted everyone else. Told them you were coming. Anton said he’ll bring Lucy’s things over.”
“You guys are the best.” My voice breaks.
TJ drops a kiss on the crown of my head. “Like I told you, Lu. You’re not alone. It’s all going to be okay.”
“I know.”
I want to believe that, and a part of medoesbelieve it. This will blow over as all things do. The paparazzi are fickle. They’ll move on to the next best thing as soon as fresh news drops. It’s the way of the world, or at the very least, the way of the entertainment industry.
That doesn’t change the fact that, right now, I’m in the eye of the storm. Worse, I’ve pulled TJ into the mess with me, debris flying all around us. If we could hunker down together, we’d be okay. I know he’d do everything possible to protect me, as would I for him. But we can’t fool ourselves into believing that the bubble we were in didn’t just pop.
If I stick around—if I stay close to him—I’m putting him directly in the path of the wreckage of my life, which has the very strong potential to mess uphislife. He’ll be caught in the crossfire, distracted from his work and his team because he’s worried about me. He’ll become the object of gossip and the public, all of whom will shout their opinions about him and our relationship. TJ deals with enough scrutiny on his own, even with his positive reputation. It’s not fair of me to knowingly set him up for more, especially since I’m a disgrace in the eyes of the world. I care for him too much to let him go down with me.
I glance at Poe, and my guilt amplifies. TJ is part of a team—a major part of a team. If he gets dragged into this, so do they, and the whole team will suffer. He loves his teammates, and they’ve poured so much into making a run into the playoffs. I couldn’t look myself in the mirror if I knew I could do something to spare all of them the interference that comes along with being made a public spectacle. That’s the crux of it. It’s in my power todosomething, and as much as I hate it, I have to act—and I have to act alone. I want TJ and me to work through this, to get through it together, but…
