“What are you thinking?” TJ puts his arm around my shoulder, and I sink into his embrace, hating what I’m going to say next, but knowing that it’s necessary.
I summon up my courage and take a deep breath. “I think the best thing for me to do is to disappear for a little while.”
Chapter 37
TJ
Every muscle in my body tenses when Lucy says she wants to disappear.
She places a hand on my forearm. “I’m going to go back to California. I already planned on visiting my family between Christmas and New Year’s. I was going to leave on Wednesday. I can move up my flight and get there late tonight.”
My grip tightens around her shoulder. “How long would you stay?”
“Indefinitely. Long enough to give things a chance to quiet down around here. I don’t want you to have to deal with extra media attention and the distraction of all this at the end of your season.”
There’s resolve in her gaze. She thinks this is for the best. I grit my teeth and attempt to keep the look on my face one of support, even though I hate the thought of her being half a country away from me. I don’t want her to go. I want her to stay here and face this. I’ll be by her side through everything, if she’ll let me.
But I also don’t want her to think I’m trying to tell her what to do. So much is out of her control right now, and the last thing I want to do is tell her whatIthink is best for her.
“You know what’s best for you, Lu,” I say. “I’m behind you the entire way. Whatever you need.”
She sinks further into my side. “Thanks for understanding.”
Poe clears his throat from across the room. “Will you come back to the Green Bay area when everything calms down, or … ?” Heflicks his gaze from me to Lu and back again. My pulse picks up. I’m at once anticipating and dreading Lucy’s response.
“I honestly don’t know.” She looks up at me.
I squeeze her arm again. “We’ll figure it out.”
She nods, but she doesn’t look convinced. She looks overwhelmed and fragile, and I want to go back to earlier this morning when everything was blissful and the future looked bright and full of sweet moments to be spent with Lucy by my side.
As much as I hate that Poe voiced it, he’s not wrong in asking what’s next for her. My life is in Green Bay. My contract with the River Foxes is for another four years, at least. Four years is a long time to live apart if she doesn’t plan to be in this area.
I suck in a deep breath. I need to slow my roll. “One day at a time, that’s all we can do.”
The door to Poe’s condo opens and Anton and Rose join us, followed by Del.
“Reinforcements have arrived.” Anton sets a tray of smoothies on the island in Poe’s kitchen. “With sustenance.”
Del grabs one and takes a sip. “I’m here for moral support. Hope you don’t mind, Lucy. We’re real sorry about this.”
Lucy manages a smile, and I make a mental note to thank my friends later. They’re the best, and the fact that they’re showing up for Lucy, making her feel cared for, means the world to me.
Rose opens her arms to Lucy, and Lucy accepts her hug. Even though my heart is still pinched at the continued stress lines on Lucy’s face and the apprehensive flicker in her gaze, I can’t help but feel a tickle of happiness that she gets along so well with Anton’s girlfriend. It’s a boost to my confidence—and my resolve. Lucy and I fit. She fits with my family and my friends and my friends’ girlfriends … or girlfriend, at least. I’m determined to make this work.
Rose rolls a suitcase in front of Lucy. “I had my sister grab as much as she could. I hope you don’t mind that Poppy went through your room.”
I hold my breath as my mind flies to Lucy’s writing notes and her secret career. She’s been so careful, and if her author life gets out before she’s ready to go public with her work, I worry that it’ll be devastating for her. I keep my gaze fixed on Rose. If Poppy saw anything that pertained to Lucy’s books, she would have for sure told her. They’re super close, and they all read romance novels, so it’s not like Poppy wouldn’t have known what she was seeing if any Ava Reese remnants were lying around Lucy’s room.
“Good thing I cleaned my room this morning.” Lucy shoots me a reassuring look, as if she knows I was panicking on her behalf. I breathe a sigh of relief, but then dread snakes through me as she takes the handle of the suitcase. “I can’t thank you and your sister enough,” she tells Rose.
“It’s no problem at all. Daisy is keeping everyone out of the Inn. She told the reporters that, unless they had a reservation, they weren’t allowed on her property. She’s not confirming that you’ve stayed there, just telling everyone reservation records aren’t publicly available. She also told a couple of paps who were trying to book a room that she was full.”
Lucy frowns. “She’s not full. I talked to her the day before Christmas, and she said she had at least three rooms opening up today.”
Rose offers Lucy a knowing smile. “If Daisy says she’s full, she’s full.”
Lucy’s eyes well with tears. “You all are being so kind to me, I … I don’t deserve any of this.”
