Page 108 of Tangled in Vows

Archer takes a sip of his coffee. “You said no one has access to your phone or computer, right?”

I break off a piece of the fresh rolls he made and shake my head. “I didn’t give anyone my passwords and usually don’t leave my devices unattended either.”

“But?”

“With how busy we are at shows or other appearances, and often crammed into a tight space, someone could have seen it without me noticing, I suppose?”

His mug hits the table with a loudclunk, causing some of the liquid to spill over. “So what you’re saying is that, in theory, it could be anyone?”

I grimace and give him what I hope is an apologetic smile before I shove the warm, buttery bite into my mouth and mumble, “Sorry,” around it.

“This is driving me fucking insane.” He stretches his tall frame over the back of the chair and groans. “It’s maddening to be in the dark. It reminds me too much of Phoenix and Evie, and I don’t ever want to get that close to losing someone again.”

“Sorry, I’m no help.”

“It’s not your fault, so stop apologizing. I mean it. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.” He pauses for a beat and looks at Holden. “I don’t want anything to happen to either of you.”

They hold gazes for a prolonged moment, almost as if they’re having a silent conversation I’m not privy to.

I grab another bun to distract myself, but also because this man can bake.

“Olivia.” Archer’s voice has an inquisitive lilt to it. “Any ex-boyfriends who you might have shared your info with before? I mean, whoever is behind this must know you, right? There’s no way this isn’t personal.”

This brings us back to the conversation I had with Holden last night. What the fuck did I ever do to anyone?

The pulse in my throat beats like a frantic drum.

I hate this.

I close my eyes and remember Archer’s still waiting for an answer.

Grabbing another roll, I busy myself with cutting it open, not wanting to see anyone’s expression while I talk. “Well, there are no boyfriends we need to worry about. And the . . . uh . . . the coupleacquaintancesI had over the years were never alone with my things. Not that I remember, at least.”

The butter and jam in front of me have my complete attention since they’re suddenly the most fascinating things. I ignore the sound coming from Holden, and what I assume is his knife clattering onto his plate, as well as the total silence that falls over the room afterward.

As usual, Stormy has a built-in awkward radar. She gets up from the rug by the patio door, pads over to me and pushes her head onto my lap. She stares up at me with her big, trusting eyes, and I stare right back.

Unable to help myself, I kiss the spot above her eyes. “You already had your food, girlfriend.”

Archer clears his throat. “Speaking of friends. Any of them ever had access?”

This morning’s talk has quickly turned into a let’s-prove-Olivia-is-a-total-social-weirdo showcase. “I . . . I’ve had drinks a few times with Nisha before, and I’ve joined the team on some occasions when they go out, but I’ve never had a real girlfriend until Evie.”

More silence.

Way to go, Olivia. Your awkwardness is exactly why you don’t have any friends.

Holden’s hand lands on my thigh under the table, squeezing it gently. The silent show of support edges its way into my body, and for some reason, the backs of my eyes are suddenly on fire at the small gesture.

Not to mention, if it wasn’t for Holden, I would never have met Evie. So if he hadn’t brought her to my concert, I might still be girlfriendless. What a sad thought. Even though we don’t see each other enough, I love having her in my life, more than I ever thought I would.

Before meeting her, I only knew the girls from my old town. Most friendships there were full of taking advantage of each other, petty insults, back-stabbing, jealousy, and constant competition. I didn’t want or need any of that in my life.

I didn’t realize how lonely I’d been until Evie started filling some empty spaces in my life. She hasn’t changed what’s going on in my life per se, but now I don’t need to do it all by myself anymore. Now I have someone I can talk to about books, shows, movies, or whatever else we feel like. Even a text message from her with a GIF brightens my day. That reminds me, I really need to talk to her about what happened.

Without overthinking it, I place my hand on Holden’s. I don’t squeeze back or say anything, but I do hope my touch conveys how happy I am to have him in my life again and the people he adores.

“Well…” Archer’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. “Good thing you got all of us now because we got your back. But speaking of, could you do me a favor?”

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