“Great,” Sean said. “They’ll probably put it in their magazine, too, the filthy vipers.” His attention flittered to Chloe and stuck there. “What? You’re holding something back. What aren’t you telling us?”
She couldn’t seem to control her shallow breaths. And her heartfelt as if it might leap from her chest. “I—I might’ve told Liam about our father recently.”
Understanding dawned in Sean’s eyes. Then they went deadly narrow. “I’m gonna kill him.”
“That doesn’t mean he did it. He wouldn’t do that.”
“Oh really? Seems pretty obvious to me that he would—anddid.”
“Chloe,” Meghan said, “I don’t mean to pile on, but didn’t Liam have an interview withPeoplerecently?”
Chloe’s eyes locked on Sean’s. Admitting it would damn Liam in Sean’s eyes. But it was obvious he’d already made up his mind anyway. She released the words reluctantly. “His interview was yesterday.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
“That’s not proof, Sean,” Chloe said. “It’s possible the marriage record is still out there somewhere, isn’t it? Or—or that someone else knows and told the media.”
“Why are we even discussing it?” Sean barked. “We all know who’s responsible for this.”
“We don’t know for sure. You never liked him to begin with.” While Chloe might be reluctant to admit Liam would do something like this, Sean’s opinion was subjective.
Her friend, however, was more objective and she’d always been a voice of reason. Chloe glanced at the phone, her left eye twitching. The seafood gumbo she’d had before dinner service roiled in her stomach, threatening to make an appearance. “Meghan...? What do you think?”
There was a long pause. “I’m sorry, honey. I know you care about him, but I don’t know how else they could’ve found out. And it’s a little too convenient that you just told him and that he interviewed with the magazine yesterday.”
Chloe didn’t want to believe it could be true. But the evidence was strong, and she was no doubt blinded by love. She rememberedthe things he’d said recently about needing to stay on the media’s radar. And how noncommittal he’d been about their long-distance relationship. Was that because he knew it was about to end?
This didn’t seem consistent with the Liam she’d come to know and love. But people weren’t always who you thought they were. Sometimes they failed you. Caring fathers left. Loving boyfriends cheated. Somehow she’d forgotten that.
She had to face facts. Liam had betrayed her. How ironic that the first man she’d trusted with her deepest wound was the man who’d least deserved that trust. She blinked back tears.
Sean’s expression softened. “We need to tell Mom what’s happened before she hears it from someone else. I hope this doesn’t cause bigger problems.”
“What do you mean?”
“She signed an NDA with dear old Dad. He won’t be happy about this getting out. What if he sues her and the courts make her pay back all that money she won in the civil suit?”
“Can they do that? She didn’t reveal anything. This isn’t her fault.”
“I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out.”
This situation just kept getting worse. Chloe had to get it together. One way or another this was her fault. She was the one who’d brought this media attention—and Liam—into their lives. And she was the one who’d take responsibility for it.
“I’ll tell her,” she said.
Chapter36
Liam should’ve gone to bed an hour ago. He set his phone on the nightstand and turned out the light. It had been a long day on set, but now they were running a day ahead of schedule. Which meant filming would wrap in four days. It also meant he’d have a whole day free to spend with Chloe before he flew home. That was something to smile about.
Tomorrow at sunrise they’d shoot the last chronological scene of the movie. It would show Ledger and Cate’s future together, giving moviegoers a chance to savor the characters’ happily ever after. Liam had taken special care with his lines since the timing would be critical—sunrises didn’t last long.
A text buzzed in and he considered ignoring it. Four a.m. would come early. But it was just after eleven and Chloe would be getting off work. He grabbed his phone and opened the text. It was from Chloe.
Just tell me why you did it.
He frowned at the message. Read it again. Maybe she’d intended to send this to someone else. He replied,What?After sending it he waited for her to acknowledge her mistake. But that’s not what happened.
Don’t play dumb. Just answer the question.
