Page 82 of How to Get Even

She bit her lip. ‘I’m okay,’ she told him, and she realised that he trusted her to tell him the truth. And that, surprisingly, itwasthe truth.

He nodded again. ‘Okay. Now, tell me. What’s your favourite scene in the book so far?’

And she choked on a laugh while swallowing her milkshake.

* * *

Chase watched Bella head back towards the apartment, looking much better than she had first, last night, and then again, this morning. The breath shuddered in his lungs and he clenched his jaw. What kind of woman has a racy romance on the same table as Sun Tzu? He’d seen about seven different sides of her in the last twenty-four hours and none of them had done anything to make her less appealing to him.

Which was a problem.

A problem that wasn’t because he hadn’t had sex since he’d been with Astrid nearly six months before. He was a man, not a monster and was perfectly capable of going for stretches of time without someone to scratch an itch. The problem was that Bella wouldn’t be an itch. She’d be an addiction.

On the surface she was composed, graceful and sophisticated, but Chase was beginning to suspect that in reality she was none of those things. They were learned behaviours, things she’d done either to protect herself or someone else.Behindthat… beneath those layers was the Bella he wanted to know.

Beneath those layers, Chase was almost 100 per cent sure that she’d be pure liquid gold pouring through his fingers and coating his soul until he couldn’t escape. And Christ, he didn’t think he was ready for that. He didn’t think he’d ever be ready for that.

* * *

UNREAD MESSAGES

Astrid

Bella if you don’t let us know that you’re okay RIGHT NOW I am going to call the police.

Bella, seriously. I’m getting a little worried. We just want to know that you’re okay.

Sienna

Honey, are you okay? Paige feels awful. I know that you probably don’t need to hear that right now, but she does.

Paige

Bella, I just… I don’t know what to say other than how sorry I am. Your friendship means so much to me. I hate that I’ve jeopardised that.

Bella stared at her phone. She had twelve missed calls. Five from Astrid, three from Paige and Sienna, and one from Olly. She fired off a message to Astrid and Sienna letting them know she was okay. They would get in touch with Paige to say that they’d heard from her, she was sure. But before she spoke to Paige she needed to make this call.

The phone rang and her pulse raced. She didn’t know why she was nervous. They’d messaged a few – painfully civil – times, but this was different.

‘Hi.’ Olly’s voice, warm and soft, and sorry, poured down the phone. It was so familiar Bella ached.

‘Hi,’ she replied, her voice breaking on the word.

‘God, B, I’m so sorry.’

Wetness pressed against the back of her eyes, but the tears weren’t sad, they were a kind of release that she hadn’t known she’d needed.

She’dneededto hear that. Needed it in a way that she hadn’t known.

‘I know,’ said, tucking her chin into the scarf warding off the wintery bite of the cool air in Central Park.

‘She didn’t… we didn’t…’ Olly trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

‘I know it wasn’t intentional. I do. And… it’s okay.’

A puff of air punched into the static of the phone’s ear piece.

‘Bella—’

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