He shrugs. “Well, I figured you’d want some here. You know, in case you need a spare bra, or an extra butt plug, or something.” He frowns at my suitcase. “Unless you’re going somewhere?”
“Am I not getting thrown out?”
He scoffs. “Pfft. Course not.”
“But Alec was so angry.”
He waves a hand. “Don’t mind him. It’s a tough time of year for him, what with the stormy season. Not your fault.” His smile softens. “Now, come here.” Before I can move, he crosses over to me and pulls me into his arms.
It’s a hug so good it steals my breath. Warm and solid and safe. I feel his heart beating steadily, and I want to cuddle into him and let him carry me for a bit. “Um,” I say. “What’s happening?”
“Are you feeling okay?” he asks, his breath brushing my hair.
My stomach flip-flops. “Oh. I guess you saw the video?”
“Aye.” He pulls back, frowning. “Although I dunnowhatI saw, to be honest.”
“It’s exactly what it looks like,” I admit. “I got really drunk at a party and cried myself to death over my lipstick breaking.”
His frown deepens. “That’s it? Christ, I read the comments. They’re on you like hounds.”
“Yeah.” I sniff. “It did make me look shallow?—”
“No,” he says immediately. “It didn’t. Who hasn’t gotten steaming and had a wee cry? You didn’t hurt anyone, right?”
I pull a face. “Well, no. But itwasdramatic.”
My mum’s voice echoes around my head.Stop being so emotional, you look ridiculous.
“Hey,” Fraser says softly, his big hand coming to cup my cheek. “You want to talk about it?”
“I just…” I mean to sayno, but his eyes are so kind that I can’t help myself. “I just get overwhelmed sometimes,” I blurt out,the words suddenly streaming out of me. “Especially at parties where there are so many people. I’d barely slept in days. I was so tired and anxious, and everywhere I went, people were filming me. So I ducked into the bathroom to pull myself together. But because it was an influencer event, these girls were in there taking mirror selfies. I couldn’t pretend to pee too long, so I came out and tried to fix my makeup, and…” My cheeks heat.
“And your lipstick broke,” Fraser says sympathetically.
“Yeah. It was like the last straw. I just couldn’t stop crying.” It happens sometimes when I’m really stretched thin. I’ll be trying to hold everything together, and then a tiny inconvenience will send me over the edge. I’ll suddenly be so flooded with emotion I feel like it won’t fit inside me. “I know it’s not an excuse, but?—”
“You don’t need an excuse,” Fraser says simply. “You did nothing wrong.”
“But—”
His voice deepens. “Listen. When I watched that video, all I saw was a sad girl crying her heart out. It’s messed up that someone would film that, let alone post it. I’m sorry it happened to you.”
My heart lurches. “Oh.”
He bends to press a kiss to my forehead. My eyes prickle. “Fancy a cuppa? I nabbed some shortbread.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have work to do, do you?” I don’t want to piss Alec off even more.
He waves at the bed. “Sit down. Won’t be a moment.”
Dazed, I do as he says, watching as he moves around the small kitchenette making tea. He’s so big he takes up most of the cabin. The mattress sinks as he comes to join me, passing me a steaming mug and a tin of biscuits. “There you go. Get a couple of those in you. Cameron’s shortbread will make you see God.”
I take a bite, and my insides light up at the buttery sweetness. “Cameronbakes?” I manage. “He doesn’t seem like the type.”
“Oh aye. He loves to cook. A real homebody.” He leans back on the bed, his massive biceps flexing, and grins at me, biting into another biscuit. “So. Five million followers, eh?”
“Four point nine,” I correct automatically and swallow a groan. “I’m really sorry I lied to you?—”
