Page 127 of Snared

Josh: Do not shut me out.

Josh: Pick up your damn phone. This is ridiculous.

I threw my phone across the room. The screen cracked, but it wasn’t as satisfying as it should be.

“Fucking hell,” I yelled.

“Shit. Sorry, man.” Phillip’s words held honest regret.

I raked my hands through my hair. “I should’ve responded to you before the tour even ended, told you to get rid of the papers, that we were going to stay married and try dating. Add that to the bullshit gossip with my realtor and my asshole sperm donor’s comments, and she’s assuming everything wrong.”

“So convince her otherwise,” he said.

“How? I’m stuck here dealing with the upcoming Vikings tour and other shit for a few more days.” I grabbed my phone and flipped it over. Fucking dead. “And now I have to get a new phone.”

“The phone part is easy. Send Brooke to get you a new one,” Phillip said.

“And how am I calling her? I don’t know her fucking number,” I said, pacing.

“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

“Brooke? Fuck, no.”

Phillip chuckled. “No. Charlie, you idiot.”

“Of course, I’m fucking in love with her. I’m uprooting my life. Moving to New York. Setting up my main office there. I’ve been in LA my entire life and I’m fucking moving for this woman who freaks every time there’s some bullshit in the media about us. I mean, I get it, but goddammit, she should be used to it by now and just ignore it.” Which she usually did. When it was about her, she had no problem ignoring it. I was the wild card, apparently. Fucking hell. I needed to get back to New York.

Phillip smiled. “You are so fucking gone. I can’t even tease you about it. So, here’s what you need to do. Email Brooke about getting you a new phone and we’re going to call her from my phone to get her on it immediately. What time do they close?”

“I have no fucking idea. Probably soon,” I muttered. My chest ached.

“So we’ll get you one in the morning. You can text Charlie from mine,” he said, handing me his phone.

“I don’t fucking know her number either,” I said, holding his phone.

“You haven’t memorized the love of your life’s number? That’s step one in love.” Phillip shrugged. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.”

“I’m currently in crisis mode, asshat, so quit fucking with me. Why am I even friends with you?” I grumbled.

Phillip pressed his hands down on my shoulders to placate me. “Okay, okay. You should have Charlie’s number in your files online, right? We’ll get her number and Brooke’s, and you can let both of them know to message me.”

I pressed my forehead to the wall. “I don’t have Charlie’s number. She had to get a new one because the paps got her old number and started calling her.”

“Okay, let’s start with Brooke and getting you a new phone. And I bet she has Charlie’s new number somewhere,” Phillip said, guiding me toward my office. “Want to text the boys to give them a heads-up?”

“What? No. This is between Charlie and me. I have to convince her that I never wanted to divorce her and that we belong together. And hope she doesn’t skewer me with her drumsticks,” I said, sighing as I turned on my laptop to find Brooke’s number.

Phillip winced. “Yikes. Keep a good distance from her when you’re confessing your love.”

I pointed at him. “This is your fault.”

“How the hell was I supposed to know that you actually wanted to stay married? You gotta keep me updated with this shit,” Phillip said.

I muttered under my breath and found Brooke’s number. “Give me your damn phone.”

“No throwing it, okay?”

“Give it,” I said, grabbing it when he held it out tentatively.

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