Page 68 of Heart Match

I don’t bother scrolling down, there are way more than that. I also do my best not to click on each one of these headlines and read what’s being said—I’m almost late for my meeting. It takes all the self-control I have in me not to have a meltdown and to maintain my focus on the next couple of hours, in which I’ll be discussing details about the changes we need to make so that all the designs will be approved by Haley on Monday.

I’m the last one to arrive in the meeting room, which is already occupied by my team of five. I’m used to getting the wow, you look gorgeous today and the love your outfit looks. But I’m not used to get the kind of look that means they know something about what I’ve been doing in my private life. Because as friendly as I am, I’m not an open book, I’m no public figure, I’m no selfie taker, let alone someone who makes the headlines.

‘Good morning, everyone,’ I say, pulling out a chair, ignoring their gazes. As soon as I sit down and place my tablet and notebook on the glassed table, I decide it’s best to face the devil now than later.

‘Ok, spit it out, you have five minutes, then we’ll focus on what really matters,’ I say, looking around with a big sarcastic smile on my face.

‘Is it true?’ asks Steph, unable to hide her curiosity despite her insecurity.

Everyone else is waiting for my reply.

‘Partially,’ I say.

They don’t look happy with my answer, so I do my best to elaborate. ‘We’re not in a relationship, if that’s what you want to know. He’s a friend.’

A friend? God, even I can’t believe this lie. Of course I also omit the fact that I didn’t know he was famous, that would be the end of me.

They are all grinning, and Caleb chuckles.

‘Friends who hold hands and kiss?’ he teases. He winks at me, he knows there’s more to the story.

When no one’s looking but Caleb, I let out a flushed smile.

‘Are you going to the game tomorrow?’ asks Taylor.

‘I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of work to do for Monday, so no,’ I say. ‘Any more questions?’

No one else feels like speaking out, but I know they’re still curious about the whole thing. I attend three other meetings and have no time for lunch whatsoever. People keep looking, grinning, winking and asking a question here and there wanting to know more.

I handle the meetings as professionally as I always do, focused even though there’s a little tiny red light blinking inside my brain telling me I’m in trouble. I ignore it for most of the day.

Chapter Twenty

I kept my phone turned off the entire day. It was the right decision, because right now, as I’m headed back home, I turn it on and find an atrocious number of Google alerts, text messages, and calls. The only one I decide to give my attention to is from Luc.

Today at 11:15 am

Immune to tickles: I’m sorry your name’s out. I know you don’t want to, but we need to talk.

Immune to tickles: It’s important, especially for you.

Do I have a choice? Maybe he has some kind of magical plan to undo it all. I just want my normal life back. I just want to go back in time; rewind the tape to when I had control over my life. First he messes up my routine—okay, I let him. Then, the media takes control of the rest.

I’ve been fighting so hard to avoid changes and getting out of my comfort zone, and for what? I didn’t even need to look for it. It found its way to me, through Luc.

Today at 6:33 pm

Me: I’ll be home in an hour.

Immune to tickles: I’ll meet you there.

Note to self: consider changing his name on the contact list. Maybe deleting it?

I get home a little bit over an hour later. He’s sitting on the steps next to my door, the same ones where he saved me from a possible disastrous fall just a few days ago.

‘Hey,’ he says, immediately standing up.

It looks like he doesn’t know where to put his hands, but only for a brief moment. He puts them in his pockets when he realises I’m not greeting him physically.

---