Page 65 of Power Pucking Play

Gio's quiet for a long moment, and I can practically see the gears turning in his head. Finally, he sighs. "Fine. We'll keep it under wraps for now. But Lex? I'm not fucking ashamed of us. And I'm not going to hide forever."

I lean in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I know. And we won't. Just...give me some time, okay?"

He nods, but I can see the lingering doubt in his eyes. Before I can say anything else, he stands, stretching in a way that momentarily short-circuits my brain. "I'm gonna grab a shower. Want to join me?"

The offer is tempting. So, so tempting. But I shake my head. "Raincheck? I should probably check in with work, make sure the world hasn't ended while we've been in our little bubble."

Gio shrugs, but I don't miss the flash of disappointment in his eyes. "Your loss, Brookes. Don't work too hard."

As the bathroom door closes behind him, I flop back onto the bed, groaning. When did my life become so complicated?

I reach for my phone, wincing at the number of notifications.

Emails from my editor, texts from Gabi (oops, forgot about that dinner), and...a message from Sophie.

Curious, I open it. It's a link, followed by a string of panicked emojis. Frowning, I click.

And feel my heart drop to my stomach.

It's an article. More specifically, it's a grainy photo of Gio and me, walking together in Seattle.

We're not doing anything explicitly romantic, but the body language is...well, let's just say it's not how a journalist typically looks at her subject.

The headline screams: "LOVE ON ICE? BLADES STAR AND SPORTS REPORTER CAUGHT CANOODLING"

"Shit," I mutter, scrolling frantically through the article. It's mostly speculation, but there are enough grains of truth to make my palms sweat.

This is fucked. Very, very fucked.

And as if my phone can hear my thoughts, it buzzes again.

Another text from Sophie.

"Sooo...Charlie is on the warpath. Wants to talk to you ASAP. What do you want me to tell him?"

I close my eyes, feeling the beginnings of a panic attack creeping in.

Fuck. He must know.

This can't be happening. All my hard work. All my dreams.

Potentially gone in the flash of a camera.

The sound of the shower continues in the background, a soothing contrast to the chaos erupting in my mind.

I have maybe ten minutes before Gio comes out, ten minutes to decide what the hell I'm going to do.

Do I come clean? Tell Gio everything and face the music together? Or do I try to handle this on my own, protect him from the fallout?

My fingers hover over the phone, torn between calling my boss and coming clean to Gio.

The weight of my career, my reputation, and this newfound relationship all hang in the balance.

As steam seeps out from under the bathroom door, I'm frozen in indecision. The steady rhythm of the shower feels like a countdown, each droplet bringing me closer to a moment of truth I'm not sure I'm ready for.

Chapter 21

Gio

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