Page 183 of Between the Lines

My mouth goes slack.

“What?” he asks.

“There are at least a dozen, I bet.”

“I tried a few.” He drapes his arm along the back of the bench. “Charlotte… I tried to get a hold of you when the tabloid news broke. I never wanted you to have to handle all of that alone. The calls, the questions.”

I can’t quite meet his eyes. It’s far safer to watch the moving water instead. “You toldStar Buzzwe weren’t a couple.”

“Yeah, I figured the lie might help the speculations die down. You’ve mentioned being afraid that your family, your friends, your entire world would hate me. That it would make it harder for you.” There’s a note of bitterness in his voice, and he shakes his head, like he can shake off the ugly feelings. “I wanted to protect you. Again.”

My breath whooshes out of me, escapes entirely. “Oh.”

“I never meant it, though. Of course we’re dating.” He lifts his hand as if he wants to touch me, but pulls back only inchesfrom my shoulder. “Fuck, I’m butchering this. Charlotte…” He takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that being with me has dragged you into the public eye again. I’m sorry that your family found out that way and not from us—together. That you had to face everyone alone.” He shakes his head again, and his eyes narrow. “More than anything, I’m sorry I contacted Audrey about the article in the first place. I meant what I said. But I realize that I went about it completely the wrong way. It should be your choice entirely. At your pace.”

“Yes,” I say. Because that’s the truth.

He nods, and his face is lined with tension. “I’ve called Audrey and asked her to put the article on pause.”

That makes my breath catch. “You have?”

“Yes.” His jaw clenches, and then he blows out a breath. “She wasn’t happy about it, but she’ll?—”

“No. Don’t,” I tell him.

The words surprise us both.

“Charlotte?”

“Maybe… I don’t know, yet. If I can talk to her. But I don’t want her silenced. She seemed…” I shrug. “I don’t know. Genuine? And she’s not just reporting on my story. I’ve thought about it, and that’s a good thing. Objectively. You were right about that.”

His eyes are serious. “I still should have asked you beforehand.”

“Yes. You should’ve,” I agree. “Even though I get why you did what you did. But I don’t want to be produced, Aiden. If I do this, either with Audrey or with someone else,eventually,I want it to be on my terms.”

“I understand that now.” He sighs. “Fuck, Charlotte… All I saw was how much it was hurting you, and I wanted to make it right. I’ve seen, week after week, how much what happened continues to affect you.”

“Aiden.” I shake my head. “You didn’t do any of it.”

“Maybe not personally, but I still feel responsible.”

“You don’t make show-level decisions.”

He runs his hand through his hair. “Seeing how it’s been eating at you… made me feel two inches tall, Chaos. All I’ve ever wanted, from the moment I first met you, is to give you everything. And here I am, starting at minus.

“I’ve spoken to my chief officer in charge of production. We’ll make sure therapists are on set at each of our reality shows.”

I shift on the bench. “You are? Really?”

“Yes. You’ve taught me a lot.” His hand rubs a circle on my shoulder, and something shifts in his eyes. “I read the memoir.”

“I added everything to the draft,” I say quickly. “I understand if you want to cut out some things.”

“Charlotte…” He shakes his head. “If you want, we can cancel the memoir entirely.”

I pull back. “What?”

“If being associated with me hurts you, if it hurts your family, if you truly want the spotlight gone…” He swallows hard. “I can make the phone call. I’ll make sure your editor at Polar knows it’s my fault. Just another egomaniacal CEO with whims, you know. You’ll get out scot-free.”

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