I stared at the last one from the Red Sox PR chick until my vision blurred. Then I dragged a hand over my face and tried to breathe like I wasn’t about to punch the wall.
I called Faye first, and she answered on the second ring. “Hey.”
“You all right?” I asked, already knowing the answer because her quiet voice made my chest ache.
“I’m fine,” she replied. The words came out clipped, as if she were trying to convince herself as much as me.
“Don’t do that. You don’t have to be fine with me.”
There was a beat of silence, then she let out a slow breath. “I’m not fine.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
“But I’m with Morgan,” she added quickly. “I’m not alone.”
“Good.” I swallowed. “Did Dylan see it yet?”
“I haven’t talked to him. I was going to, but then my phone started exploding, and I just … froze.”
“Okay.” I began pacing. “I’m calling him now, then I’m calling my PR team, and then we’re getting on the same page, all three of us.”
“You don’t have to handle everything.”
“I know, but I’m not letting them turn this into you cheating on me, with Dylan dragged in as the homewrecker and me cast as the poor dumb boyfriend.”
“I hate that you even have to say that,” she whispered.
“I hate it too, but let me call D really quick.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you more.”
The second the call ended, I clicked Dylan’s contact to call him.
He picked up quickly. “Tell me you’re calling to say this is a joke.”
“It’s not.” My jaw tightened. “You all right?”
“No. I’m pissed off. And I’m worried about Faye. I’m worried about you too. And I’m worried my team thinks I’m some asshole creeping on my stepbrother’s girl.”
“You’re not,” I snapped, running a hand through my hair.
“I know,” he pushed back. “But the internet doesn’t care.”
“Yeah, well, the internet can kiss my ass.” I blew out a breath. “I just talked to Faye. I’m putting her on, and we’re figuring out what we’re doing because I’m not letting this spiral without us deciding on the next move.”
“Do it.”
I tapped her back in.
Faye spoke first. “I’m sorry.”
“No,” Dylan answered immediately. “Stop.”
I jumped in before she could argue. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“It feels wrong,” she admitted, her voice cracking. “It’s my life, and I still feel dragged around by people who’ve never even met me.”
