Page 92 of The Love Haters

“Okay,” I said.

“I’ve wanted to talk to him for so long. But it wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. A full year of no contact, and now his only topic was you.”

“Me?” I asked.

Hutch nodded. “He told me all about you.”

From the way he said it, that didn’t sound good.

But what would Cole have even said? He barely knew me.

Hutch went on. “He asked me to do your ‘Day in the Life’ project—and he told me why.”

Had Cole told him about Sullivan? Was this why Hutch had been so angry all day? Because Cole was using Hutch’s good-heartedness against him—and now he was helping me against his will? Had Cole said Hutch was the only person who could save my job? Did Hutch think I was in on it, too?

“No, no,” I protested. “You don’t have to—”

“I said yes,” Hutch said, with a shrug. “Of course I said yes.”

“But you really have a good reason for not—”

“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter.”

“Itdoesmatter,” I countered.

“That phone call,” Hutch said then, “shifted my perspective.”

“I don’t need you to do this for me,” I said.

“But Cole does,” Hutch said.

I let out a slow breath.

“And if he needs this, then I’m doing it. That’s all there is to it.”

“But—”

“Let’s get it done, though,” Hutch said. “I have tomorrow off.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Why not, right? The sooner the better.”

Was I ready to do this tomorrow? Did I even want to? “I really don’t think—”

But Hutch cut me off. “It’s not up to you.”

I shook my head. “Everything about this feels wrong.”

Hutch let out a bitter half laugh. “No argument here.”

“You realize what the project is, right?” Was I trying to talk him out of it? “I stay at your house for twenty-four hours and I film everything you do.”

Hutch gave me a look. “Everything?”

“Everything that’s filmable. I’m not, like, following you into the bathroom.”

Hutch shrugged. “It’s not that different from what you’re already doing here.”

---