Page 36 of Rushing Into Love

A photo of me and Pax at some red-carpet event a few months ago flashed on the screen. Beside it, the photo of Ryder kissing me in the park.Perfect.

“Bree, is it true that you were dating actor Pax Jones?” she asked, all business.

“Yes, that’s true, but— ”

She cut me off. “And is that you in the photo on the right? With former NFL player Ryder McCauliffe?”

“No comment,” I answered flatly. I was glad I was sitting in Bree’s living room, not under the bright, hot lights of theLA Todaystudio.

“Really? No comment? America wants to know, Bree,” Layla wheedled. “Is the top relationship podcaster cheating on her superstar boyfriend?”

NowthatI could answer. “Absolutely not,” I said in a firm voice. “I am not, nor have I ever, cheated on Pax. We are broken up.”

“So that is you in the photo then, with Ryder McCauliffe?” Layla pressed, her kohl-rimmed eyes wide as she stared straight into the camera.

“No comment,” I said, remaining steadfast. “I addressed my relationship status in my latest blog post. You and your viewers can find it atBreeHartloves.com,along with many other interesting posts about love and relationships. I encourage all of you to check it out, there are links to my podcasts as well.”

“Yes, I read your post last night,” Layla said, bobbing her head, her black hair swish-swishing with each movement. “So tell us, Bree—if you’re single, how can you give such expert relationship advice?Ifyou’re single.” She drew that last line out, ending with a questioning lilt. Layla wasn’t buying it.

“I have a degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Counseling. I’ve spent years studying the dynamics of relationships, personality theory. All of that, plus the hours I’ve spent counseling my clients, allows me to empathize and understand relationships, even if I’m not currently in one myself,” I explained, very matter-of-factly. “One doesn’t need to experience something to understand it, nor to help someone out.”

“I see,” she said, nodding her head and tapping her fingers on the desk. “But don’t you agree that there’s a grain of truth in every statement?”

“I suppose,” I said slowly, not sure where she was going with this.

“The statement that comes to mind right now, considering the Jones and McCauliffe situation, is ‘Counselor help thyself.’” She paused, waiting for me to jump in. I hesitated and she forged ahead.

“So how can anyone take your advice when you were clearly involved in a less-than-ideal situation at the least and a cheating scandal at the worst?” She glared straight at the camera, her eyes now steely. She was practically staring into my soul through the TV.

I took a long second, then answered in a clear voice, “Again, Layla, I iterate: Pax and I are no longer together. I have never cheated on him, or any of my former boyfriends, for that matter. I am not in a relationship with Ryder McCauliffe and am currently single. My expertise comes from years of psychological training and I have full faith in myself and my abilities, to help others and myself.” I exhaled, realizing I’d been holding my breath.

“I see,” Layla said, eyes so narrow she resembled a kohl-rimmed raccoon. “Well, Bree, that’s good to know. So there you have it, LA—Bree Hart, relationship expert, is single.”

I interrupted Layla. “Please check out my blog and podcasts. I’m trending in the Relationship category—Top 25 Podcasts,” I plugged.

“Good to know,” Layla clucked. “Thanks for joining us onLA Today!”

With that, the line went dead and my interview was over. I let out a shaky breath, sitting down hard on Brooklyn’s sofa. I’d managed the best I could. I hoped that if Ryder saw it, he’d be happy. I’d cut ties with him publicly, so now he and Charlie should be safe.

I was alone again, but that was probably for the best. I hadn’t had the best luck with men (case in point: Pax Jones), and I was betting even someone as gorgeous as Ryder McCauliffe would be no different.

10

Ryder

Around lunchtime on Monday, I was sitting at my desk eating a sandwich when I got a text from Bree.

Bree: I know you said not to talk to the press, but wanted you to know I had an interview w/ LA Today this AM.

She did what?Anger bubbled up inside me.

Clenching my fists, I took a deep breath in an attempt to remain calm.We’d talked about this. Why the hell did she turn around and go to the press?

Bree: Don’t be mad. It went well.

She’d sent a link and I clicked on it. I watched and re-watched the video, trying to make sense of it all. Bree had denied our relationship. She’d told the entire world she was single. Somehow, she’d managed to salvage her reputation while still protecting Charlie and me.I should hire her for my PR, I thought, shaking my head. I was definitely impressed. The woman was smart and pretty. She hadn’t followed the advice of my team, but she’d managed the incident with finesse and for that I was certainly grateful.I don’t need to hide from the paparazzi anymore, a little voice inside my head reminded me.I can go back to living my normal life.

The only problem was, it would have to be without Bree. And after watching that video, I wasn’t sure that was something I could live with.

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