Page 128 of Snared

I opened up a new text.

Unknown: Hey Brooke. It’s Josh. I managed to kill my phone. Any chance you can get me a new one and drop it off at my condo ASAP or have one sent over?

Unknown: This is my friend Phillip’s phone. Can you send over Charlie’s new number, too?

Brooke: Sure. I’ll call the store now.

Brooke: I don’t have her new number. Want any of the guys?

Josh: No, I’ll wait for the new phone. Thanks.

Brooke: No problem.

Fuck.

I’d sent Charlie all those panicked texts, and if by some miracle she responded, how was it going to look if I was radio silent until I got my new phone? How the fuck had I let this happen?

Phillip peered over my shoulder at his phone.

“It’ll be fine. You’ll have your new phone in no time. Now, how long is it will it take you to wrap shit up here so you can grovel at your wife’s feet?”

It’d taken twelve hours. As soon as I made an appearance at the Vikings’ first show that night, I swung by my office, grabbed what I needed, made a final quick stop by my condo to pack my bag, and booked the first flight I could.

The guys had a plane but there was no way in hell I was borrowing it because then I’d have to explain why. The fact that none of them had reached out to me meant that Charlie hadn’t told anyone what had happened. Hopefully, I could get to her fast enough that we could clear up this ridiculous misunderstanding and no one else had to know.

Not that I was going to use words like ridiculous when I talked to her. I did value my life. And I knew this was completely my fault. I should’ve canceled the papers ages ago.

At least Brooke had been able to get me a new phone as soon as we’d connected and before I’d left, so I wasn’t completely going into this blind. But it also meant that I knew for certain she hadn’t reached out to me since I had no new texts from her when the new phone had been synced up.

The flight took fucking forever. I was crawling out of my skin when it finally landed around nine in the morning. I was beyond exhausted and probably looked like shit, but getting to Charlie was my priority, so I sank into the back seat of the first cab I could get and gave the driver her address.

As the driver pulled up to the curb, I grabbed my bags and stared up at the door to her building.

My eyes narrowed, and I couldn’t get out of the cab fast enough.

What the fuck was Troy doing at her door?

Chapter 25

CHARLIE

Isplashedmorewateron my face, but nothing was going to get rid of how red and puffy it was from crying all night.

Fucking Josh.

I’d turned off my phone and spent the night in bed watching mindless TV. And definitely not old movies. I hadn’t even called Cassie or Evie or Jules, figuring I’d deal with this fallout with Josh later. I didn’t want to talk to anyone.

I’d had rules. Never fall for or date or marry anyone in the business, and now I’d done all three.

I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and slipped on clean pj’s. No need to put on real clothes today. Comfy pants and theI’d tap thatgraphic tee—one of Jax’s many gag gifts—would suffice.

I finally turned on my phone and saw all the texts from Josh. I didn’t bother reading them—another item for later.

The intercom next to my front door buzzed. Who the hell was here?

It buzzed again.

I hit the button. “Yes?”

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