Page 138 of Between the Lines

Yet she chose to write the memoir and stay with me.

Then I remember the NDAs.

Fuck.She hadn’t known who I was before signing. That was the blank look of shock on her face when she walked into my office. Sure, it was also recognition from Utah, but it couldn’t have been only from that.

I run a hand over my face. The sun is warm, but I feel none of it. Only the cold grip of dread. I put my phone back in my pocket before I accidentally see more than she wants me to.

My chances with Charlotte might have been blown before I ever met her.

CHAPTER 49

CHARLOTTE

After yesterday’s disaster, I consider staying home. Maybe I could just email Eric to say that I won’t be able to interview Mr. Hartman during his lunch break because of an acute and sudden illness.

I could lie in bed with the door locked, pretending that there’s no world outside of these walls. Just stare up at the cloud lamp and dream I could float away much the same.

I consider booking a flight out of Los Angeles and never coming back.

And I ponder asking Vera to be let out of the contract. I’ve even written the email, apologizing for my unprofessionalism and promising to relay everything I have to the next ghostwriter she would hire.

Anything to avoid talking to Aiden again.

My thumb hovers over theSendbutton in my email app.

The loud car horn outside breaks me out of my reverie. It’s a familiar sound on these narrow, curving streets.

Doing any of the things I’m planning would be “running.”

I am very good at running.

But there’s a reason I agreed to this job in the first place… And I’m not a quitter. I’ve followed through on every singleone of my memoir assignments in the past. No matter how early I had to get up to meet with the subjects, be it to train in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, dog sledding in the polar darkness, or trudging through security to reach the prison’s visiting room.

Quitting because of what happened at Titan would be pathetic, and I’m so tired of being pathetic. Even if fear makes my stomach churn all through the morning.

So I get ready, put on some makeup, and slide into the beautiful Audi Q3 that I’ll only be able to drive for a few more weeks.

When I arrive at Titan Media’s headquarters in Culver City, the corporation’s logo on the building is the only thing I see.

Funny, how in the past few weeks, I’d somehow forgotten just what company Aiden is running. Had managed to bury that knowledge deep down where it didn’t bother me anymore. I’d gotten cocky. Naive.Again.Imagined myself safe. Fooled myself into thinking that since no one recognized meyet, no one ever would…

Now, the glowingTitan Medialetters are staring me in the face.

Hewill see me differently after this.

Which is exactly how it should be. We should never have gotten entangled in the first place, never crossing those lines. Maybe a reminder of just what company he runs is a good thing. It’ll help me keep those boundaries.

I walk through the executive floor with my keycard hung around my neck and my head held high. I’m prepared for Aiden being reserved. A bit cold, even.

He’ll resent me for hiding a secret. He won’t have kept his promise to me, of course. I’m sure he’s now seen clips of the show online. Maybe even watched a whole episode.

Everyone does.

It’s good. We’ll return to the rules, and whateverthiswas between us, whateverithas become, it’ll stop. As it had to anyway.

I roll my neck, a fighter ready to head into the ring.

Eric’s sees me first, at his desk outside of Aiden’s office. I have a fifteen-minute meeting scheduled with Aiden in a few, sandwiched between two of his phone meetings. I sent Aiden more chapters to review a few days ago, and he’s supposed to have feedback for me today.

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