Page 38 of Fracture

“What changed your mind?”

I shake my head, waving a hand. “It doesn’t matter. I think we both just needed to get it over and done with. Now it’s not hanging over us anymore.”

“You’re right.” He reaches over and strokes a hand over my head. “You feel better?”

“My first fuck in over 10 years, what do you think?” I roll onto my back and stretch my arms over my head. “I feel fucking unstoppable.”

Levi rolls over, his hands over mine above my head, and he grins at me. “Your ass feels incredible.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“Makes me wonder what your mouth would feel like.”

I lean up and nip at his lip. “My mouth has made people see right into Heaven,guapo.”

“Is that right?” Levi chuckles. “You sure talk a big game.”

“Unlike other men, I can actually deliver on that.”

Levi lowers his face to the crook of my neck, kissing me delicately and in a way that makes my stomach twist. This feels too nice. I close my eyes, breathing him in, letting him kiss me like he’s mine and I’m his.

But this was just once.

The sound of Stella’s car pulling into the drive drifts through the open window, and Levi looks down at me with a look of defeat.

“Time’s up, pretty boy.” He climbs off me, and watches me scoop my clothes off the floor.

I expected to feel better, and for a split second, I did. But I expected this feeling to dissipate. I expected to head into my shower and wash off the longing for Levi and the shame of my grandfather’s words.

But instead, I stare at my reflection as steam fills the bathroom, and I know I just made everything so much fucking worse.

CHAPTER 9

STELLA

I stareat Mallory’s business card, the book I was reading forgotten on my stomach. A gentle summer breeze blows through my window to find me where I’m lying on my bed, and I turn the business card over and over in my hand.

I haven’t spoken to anyone about the interview, and Levi hasn’t mentioned anything. I don’t know if he even knows. I don’t know if there’s any point telling him. I’d tried to push it to the back of my mind, but then I’d absently swiped something from my purse to use as a bookmark, and sure enough, it was Mallory’s card.

And now I can’t stop thinking about it.

Finally, I grab my phone from the nightstand, and dial Mallory’s number. After three rings, I hang up. What the fuck am I doing? I don’t talk to reporters. What for? There’s no point.

I nearly drop my phone when it starts to ring, showing the number I just dialed. She’s fucking calling me back. I swipe my finger across the screen and lift the phone to my ear.

“Hello, Stella Langford speaking.”

“Oh, Stella, hi! Mallory here from Channel Four. I think I just missed your call?”

I cringe at myself, glad she can’t see my flushed face. “Yeah, I was just, um… I wanted to ask you a few questions. Is this a good time?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

I take a deep breath, trying to sort out the million questions in my head and trying to figure out which one is most important. “I wanted to know… Do you have any idea what this big reveal Gloria is making is about? Like, what brought this on?”

“Well, I’m sure you heard about Judge Gillman’s trial.”

I swallow hard, clenching my eyes shut. “I saw it on the news.” I wish I hadn’t, but I had.

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