Page 69 of Fumbled Love

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I told you before that I take women to these events for business reasons,” he tried to explain, but nothing he could say would make me okay with this. “Della is someone familiar who knows how these functions work. My publicist suggested we show up together. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to give you a reason to be pissed off or doubt me. I didn’t think it was a big deal. Without sounding like an insensitive asshole, you’ve made it clear that you want no part of that life. I was honoring your wishes.”

“Is it against the law to go by yourself? Is there a clause in your contract that says you can’t attend functions by yourself?”

He looked down at the floor and then to my eyes. “It looks better for my image if I bring a friend.”

“Let’s talk about your friend.” I threw my hands up, no longer willing to stay calm. “I asked you point-blank a few times if you’d ever been in a serious relationship and you told me no.”

“About that.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I told you. It was a long time ago. I had no idea she still had feelings for me.”

“Really. You didn’t know she had feelings for you, huh? I’m starting to think Della and I have more in common than I thought.”

His mouth dropped open. “You can’t possibly think that?”

“Honestly. I don’t know what to think anymore. I don’t know the difference between a truth and a lie. I’m questioning everything.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Do you think I slept with her?”

I squared my shoulders. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

His jaw tightened and his nostrils flared. “I wouldn’t do that to you. There is nothing going on between Della and me.”

“Those pictures and that article say otherwise.” A deep part of me knew he was telling the truth, but my anger had taken over. I felt foolish for believing we could make it work when all along I knew we were destined to fail.

“Let me get this straight. You saw a few pictures and read a few headlines and assumed the worst?”

“What did you expect me to think?” He knew damn well how bad this would look.

“I expected you to have a little faith in me. If you suspected something or if you had doubts, you should have confronted me and given me a chance to explain myself, instead of ignoring my calls and not responding to my texts.”

My back went straight. He was the one who messed up. All I needed was a little time to cool down and get my thoughts in order before we had this conversation. But he was partially right, I should have given him the benefit of the doubt, although, if he were so concerned about my feelings, we wouldn’t be in this position to begin with.

“So you’re saying everything that was printed was a lie? The pictures of you and Della over the years are fake?”

“Yes, most of what she said is total bullshit.” He took a step forward as if he were testing me. Wondering if I would push him away and allow him to comfort me. “You have to believe me.” His eyes were pleading, but he didn’t reach for me or take a step closer. He didn’t say another word. He just waited me out, and I was at my breaking point. This was exactly what I feared would happen. I should have listened to my gut all along. It’s never steered me wrong before.

“I can’t do this.” I wiped the tears out of my eyes. “I convinced myself I needed time to ease my way into your world. I wanted it to work, but after today I don’t think I have it in me. I’m questioning everything right now.”

“What are you saying?” he asked, finally closing the distance between us.

I moved back, bumping into the counter. I wouldn’t be able to handle it if he touched me. “Maverick. It’s not just about what Della is implying; I’m being vilified on the internet. I have thick skin, but it can only hold so much.”

“It kills me to see the media attack you.” He pulled on the ends of his hair. “My PR team is doing damage control. I’ve already drafted up a statement disputing Della’s claims. That’s where I’ve been, in meetings, trying to figure out how to get the media off your back.” He sighed heavily. “Kinley, I thought she was a friend. I had no idea she would pull that shit.”

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the doubt that was taking up space. “Some friend.”

“Former friend and I already requested another team physical therapist.”

My shoulders sagged in relief, at least she was out of his life. Unfortunately, that still wasn’t enough to fix our problem.

“It’s not just Della.” I sighed, wishing his words were enough to take my pain away. “Your fans won’t stop until they get what they want. And guess what? They don’t want me with you. They think I’m a whore and a liar.”

“I will handle my fans. I will set the media straight.”

The media was a part of his life, and if I stayed with him, I would have to be okay with photographers flashing pictures of me everywhere I went. I would have to be okay with them calling me names and threatening my safety. I would have to be okay with them speculating and making up stories. I would have to be okay with them digging into my personal life. And none of that was okay with me.

“Maverick, this isn’t going to work,” I croaked out. My voice was hoarse, and my entire body felt like it was shutting down. I wished I didn’t love him so much because maybe then, it wouldn’t hurt so fucking bad.

“Don’t do this, Kinley. Let me fix this.” The pain was written all over his face, but it wasn’t enough to stop that wall from raising up around my broken heart.

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