Page 34 of Rushing Into Love

“Seriously, Ryder.” My brother met my gaze with stern grey eyes.

I nodded. I knew it was for the best. I had to look out for me and Charlie.

Even if that meant letting go of Bree.

9

Bree

“So that was Ryder McCauliffe, huh?” my sister said, crossing the room and sitting down on the bed next to me.

“Yep,” I nodded, barely glancing up from my laptop where I’d been glued to the internet for the last three hours. Apparently, my torrid affair had gone viral; the love triangle was the lead story on every gossipy web site I found.Super, I thought.Now I’m getting a lot of publicity.

“He’s pretty cute,” she said, scooting closer to me, glancing over my shoulder at the screen. “Catchy title:Touchdown! Love doctor scores, trading in actor Jones for former NFL player McCauliffe.”

“Yeah, great,” I said, scowling at the shots of Ryder and me kissing in the park.Not even a very good picture.My hair was a wreck.

“Cheer up, Bree. It’ll all blow over.” My sister patted my arm.

“Easy for you to say,” I frowned. “Everything in your life is perfect; meanwhile, mine is in shambles. I can wave buh-bye to ‘Thirty Under 30’.” My stomach clenched just mentioning the recognition I’d been vying for over the last year and a half. “I might as well withdraw my application.”

“No way!” Brooks said, shaking her head. “You’ve been working too hard for that. This isn’t going to matter in a few months,” she assured me. “How are you going to counter this? What are you planning?”

I bit my lip, trying hard not to cry in front of Brooklyn.

“Nothing,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “Ryder and I talked after he spoke with his lawyer and agent and they agreed that the best approach is no comment.”

My sister’s brow furrowed. “Really? That seems so…passive.” She folded her legs up under her, deep in thought.

“That’s what he wants me to do.” I nibbled my lip, thumping my foot against the bed, so agitated I thought I might go crazy. But I was afraid to go outside and get ambushed by the paparazzi, which was a ridiculous thought in Peachtree Grove. LA, definitely, but Peachtree Grove? That was one of the main reasons I’d come here in the first place and still, here I was, trapped in my sister’s house, hiding out like a fugitive. The whole situation was ludicrous.

Jumping off the bed, I started pacing. “You know what? You’re right. I’m not going to just sit here and take it. I should man up, make a statement, set the record straight.” My fists clenched as I paced the room.

“What are you going to say?” Brooks frowned. “Since Ryder asked you not to comment.”

I shook my head. “I’m not sure, but I’ll think of something. I need to protect him and Charlie. All of this happened because of me—I need to make it right.” I put my hands on my hips, resolved.

“No, Bree. This isn’t your fault.”

“It is, though,” I argued. “I’m the reason the tabloids are here at all. I’m the story, the cheater. This is my fault.” I put my head in my hands, swiping at the tears welling up again.

“You didn’t cheat,” Brooks pointed out. “Pax cheated. Then you broke up. And Ryder kissed you, not the other way around. You’re blameless and so is Ryder. The tabloids are always trying to create a story where there is none. I might actually agree with Ryder now—you probably should just let it rest. Something new will come up and you’ll be old news.” She stood up, hugging me. “It’ll be okay, you’ll see.”

“I don’t think so,” I said, shaking my head. “But thanks for the encouragement.”

“Do you want anything to eat?”

“No. I need to write my next post. Thanks, though.” I shot her a wan smile as she left the room, leaving me alone with my laptop.

* * *

Several hours later,I posted my mea culpa blog post.

Secretly Single: Real- Life Tales from the Dating Trenches

Dear Readers,

Some of you may have seen the recent articles and photos featuring Yours Truly, specifically of me being involved in a torrid love triangle. I want you to know there is absolutely no validity to this “story.” The media has falsely alleged that I cheated on my former boyfriend, actor Pax Jones. Again, not true. There is no veracity to these accusations. None whatsoever.

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