“Sorry. It was Paige. There’s a situation involving Julius.”
“Hm. And she’sstillin something real ugly.”
Squeezing his steering wheel tightly, he grumbled a curse. “Listen, I need to go.”
“Drew, I’m not trying to piss you off. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
Andrew knew Connor was coming from a good place. His brother was recently divorced himself, ending a twelve-year marriage after his wife cheated on him. “I get it.”
“I think Paige is a beautiful woman—kind, intelligent. She definitely doesn’t want your money. She’s a catch. I don’t believe she’d ever hurt you intentionally. But she’s still dealing with her ex and all the baggage that he left her. I’m not telling you to let her go. I just want you to remember what I said. Tread. Lightly.”
“Thanks, bruh. I’ll call to check on Mom tomorrow.” Ending the call, Andrew thought about everything Connor had said. Paige had told him she loved him many times since he’d said it—first. And she’d never lied to him. Yet, despite his desire to move forward with her, he couldn’t let the doubt go. Because maybe it reallywastoo soon, too fast.
Chapter Sixteen
Paige paced the private room at the Harris County Justice Courthouse. Grand juries were typically conducted in secret, so she’d managed to get to the courthouse without being spotted by paparazzi. After prepping her for a few minutes, her attorney left her alone to gather her thoughts.
It was a struggle getting on the plane to Houston, knowing what she was coming to do. Learning her husband was a sexual predator, on top of being an adulterer and a liar, had been a difficult pill to swallow. It had only highlighted just how oblivious she’d been before and during their marriage.
Nervous, she bit down on her thumbnail as her mind replayed every trip she’d made to Houston with Julius. They hadn’t traveled to Texas often, but they’d attended a couple events there during their marriage—the wedding of one of his friends and a birthday party for one of her colleagues. But she couldn’t remember anything specific about either of those visits, so she wondered what the prosecutors planned to ask her.
The fact that her attorney couldn’t actually go into the room with her heightened her anxiety. Andrew had done his best to calm her nerves before she left for the airport that morning, but he wasn’t able to come to Texas with her because of work. Her only solace was that Julius wouldn’t be in the room either, and neither would his attorneys.
Paige pulled her cell phone out of her purse. She still had another half an hour or so before she’d be called into the room. She needed to focus on something else. Namely, her job.
Last night, she’d received a script for a new thriller and wanted to read it over. The director of the film had specifically requested her for the role, but the studio wanted another actress for the part. Andrew had set up a meeting with the director and the producer for next week, and she wanted to be familiar with the project before they met.
Opening the document, she started reading. Seconds later, a text came through.
Andrew: Miss you. How are you?
Smiling, she thought about the going-away present he’d given her that morning before he left her house like a thief in the night. After her second orgasm against his tongue, he’d taken her hard against the wall. She loved that they didn’t need a bed to get freaky. Over the past month, they’d christened every room in her house, and almost every surface. And she’d loved every minute of it.
She typed out a response: Miss you more. I’m nervous. Waiting for them to call me.
A moment later his reply came: You got this.
Andrew had always made her feel like she could do anything. She’d signed with him because he was genuine and knowledgeable. But more importantly, he believed in her. That meant the world to her.
Replying, she said: You always say that.
Andrew: Because it’s true.
Paige smiled. She wanted to live up to his belief, she wanted to be the woman he believed she was. She replied: Thank you. Love you.
Andrew: I’ll be waiting for your call afterward. Love you, too.
Paige stared at the text. He’d typed a full sentence, but her mind was stuck on those two words. He loved her. And it wasn’t just words for him. Andrew showed her every day how much she meant to him by the way he treated her—with respect. He accepted her for who she was, and he never made her feel bad about her choices. He didn’t insult her or blame her for his faults. Yet it was still hard to trust it at times. Because she’d been disrespected, she’d been hurt, she’d been lied to, and she’d been manipulated.
Even though she’d tried not to, she found herself anticipating the moment the other shoe would drop. In the back of her mind, she assumed he would disappoint her eventually. It wasn’t fair to him, but she couldn’t help it.
Sighing, she sent him a response: Talk to you soon.
A few minutes later, her attorney let her know they were ready for her. She walked into the room. Gratefully, there weren’t many people there, aside from the grand jury and the prosecutorial team. Once they swore her in, they asked her several questions about the nature of her relationship with Julius.
Knowing the history and saying it out loud to a bunch of strangers made her want to run out of there screaming. But she held her head up high and answered each question as best she could.
The line of questioning veered toward one night in particular—her colleague’s birthday party. As the prosecutor launched into a series of questions about the party, the guests, and Julius’s behavior, she realized that the alleged assault had taken place there.
