Page 109 of All Signs Point to Malibu

Murmurs throughout the crowd as judgmental eyes stare at me.

I take a deep breath. “The kiss that went viral was the result of bad decisions and...” I stammer when I see the doors open and Warren enters. I blink, not expecting to see him here. My heart races even more. This public embarrassment was bad enough. Explaining myself to a room full of strangers in an attempt to rebuild my career was one thing. Having the man I’m in love with witness this moment is just torture.

We haven’t seen or spoken to one another in over a week and I’d given up hope that there’s any chance for us.

Yet here he is...

“Hailey, you were saying...” the panel organizer prompts.

Right. I swallow hard and try to remember where my train of thought was going. “I...uh...”

“You were about to make excuses for your actions,” theMedia Magreporter says smugly.

No, I wasn’t. My spine stiffens as I sit straighter, a little of my edge returning as I start to regain my confidence. Being questioned I can handle. Being bullied—fuck that.

But before I can respond, Warren approaches the reporter and takes the microphone. The reporter looks annoyed. “Hey!”

Warren ignores her as he turns toward the stage.

Shit. What is he going to say?

I don’t even care really. Just the sight of him has my heart pounding for completely different reasons. He looks amazing in jeans and a dress shirt, sleeves rolled to reveal those addictive forearms that I’ve been craving since the last time they held me. His hair is trimmed short but still a perfect mess that I long to run my fingers through and he’s clean-shaven today, meaning he’s made an effort...for what though?

Is he here to call me out even further? Reveal my secret to this room full of people? Tell everyone how I’ve cheated my way to success? To do that, he’d need to believe me.

And that’s too much to hope for.

“I have a question...actually it’s more like a comment,” Warren says into the mic.

Eye rolls in the crowd. There’s always that one guy.

I fold my hands in my lap tightly and sit even straighter.

“Hailey Harris saved my life. I mean, she totally destroyed my football career, but she saved my life.”

I send him an exasperated look, but my eyes fill with tears. Does he believe me now? Is that what this is about?

The crowd recognizes him now and a murmur rumbles through.

Warren runs a hand through his hair and continues. “What I want to say is, we all expect celebrities and athletes to be on display. We want full-time access to their lives without allowing any room for a mistake. Well, news flash, we all make mistakes. We are all flawed. Hailey is human...just like the rest of us. She made a mistake, but would you want a coach who was unrelatable? Who hadn’t struggled or learned to overcome obstacles?” He pauses and his gaze locks with mine onstage.

As I listen, I’m touched by his grand gesture. He’s standing in this room full of people defending me?

I appreciate the effort though I’m not sure I deserve it, but more than anything, it fills me with a sense of hope that maybe there might be a chance for us.

“I want advice from someone who has been there, who has bounced back from adversity, someone with experience in rebuilding courage...and I think Hailey being here on stage today proves that she’s brave enough to accept her flaws and mistakes and keep pushing forward.” Warren pauses, his gaze burning into mine.

I can barely breathe.

“For what it’s worth, that’s the coach I’d want.” Warren reluctantly turns his gaze away and hands the microphone back to the reporter. He walks away and stands in the back of the room.

I’m more than a little overwhelmed with emotion as I stare at him and the panel resumes.

“Okay...well, any other questions?” the panel moderator addresses the crowd.

A reporter fromInfluencer Centralstands. “I have one for Hailey.”

I nod and force a smile as I tear my gaze from Warren.

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