Page 80 of Thunderstruck
I hug her again. “Thanks, but you deserve privacy too. I’ve been through this before, so I just need to—”
“You have?” Eyebrows pulling low, Kasey stares at me like I just said something crazy.
Because I did. Grimacing, I nod and curl my legs up to my chest. “Back home, before I came here, I sort of got involved with a married man who was running for governor, and someone found out.” It’s way easier to say than I would have thought, but maybe that’s because Kasey shared her secret with me first. “I didn’t know he was married. And he was my client too, so it was all…”
“Messy?” Kasey guesses. When I nod, she squeezes my hand. “My boyfriend in college stole my script and sold it to a producer, who got it turned into a movie, and I didn’t get any of the credit.”
My jaw drops. “Seriously? Okay, why do men suck?”
Snickering, she hops off the couch, grabbing the food and her books. “Not all men. I ended up with one of the good ones, and I couldn’t be happier with the way the dumb things in life led me to him.” She pulls out a bag of gummy worms and, to my amusement, a copy of the firstBridgertonbook. “Anyway, if you can get through something like that with your ex, you can handle anything thatHot Scoopmight dish out. And for the record?” She takes my hand and smiles. “Cole Evanson is not the type of guy who has bedpost notches. And I’m pretty sure he likes you.”
Iknowhe likes me, which is part of the problem. But I keep that to myself, grateful for a friend who seems perfectly content to get lost in a fantasy world with me for an afternoon and pretend everyone can get a happily ever after. Kasey is right. She got one, even if her new husband is in a different state right now, and if she can be happy in a world of tabloids and gossip, maybe I can be too.
When the timing is right.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Cole
I think I’ve officiallystepped into stalker territory. I pace back and forth down the hallway outside Carissa’s apartment, telling myself that it’s perfectly normal for me, her friend, to be here. Unannounced. Uninvited. Unwanted.
Hopefully not that last one.
The worst part is I had to get Carissa’s apartment number fromBean, who definitely didn’t buy my story about needing to get my car for something but was gracious enough to tell me anyway.
Wyatt, I remind myself. I should call him Wyatt. Our team nicknames are a way the Thunder has bonded as a team since its formation, but for me, I’m going to need to show some genuine connection. Some effort. I made progress last night at the bar, but I still have a lot of workto do.
I should probably be focused on finding my own style as a captain, rather than pacing a hallway and psyching myself up to knock on Carissa’s door, but Carissa hasn’t answered any of my texts all day. After our text flirting last night, as well as a nonstop conversation on the drive home, I’m desperate to talk to her again.
I don’t think I can go very long without talking to her, which is a bad sign. I’m falling for her, and I shouldn’t be, but I need to know she’s okay after that lastHot Scooparticle.
I’m just about to suck it up and knock when Carissa’s door opens and Kasey steps out, eyes going wide when she sees me standing there. “Cole!” She tucks her hands behind her back and turns progressively redder the longer we stand here. “What are you doing here?”
I try to see through the crack in the open door behind her, but all I’ve got is a view of a white wall. “How is she?”
Snickering, Kasey glances behind her. “She’s stronger than you seem to think.”
“Not possible,” I mumble. Carissa has proven time and time again that I should never underestimate her, so I’m convinced she’s the strongest person in the world. In every way. “Are you leaving?”
Still pink-cheeked, Kasey nods. “Liam is playing in Vancouver in an hour, and his manager set up a livestream for me.”
“Are you ever not attached at the hip?” I grumble. I shouldn’t be irritated by their connection, but I’m blaming my grumpiness on the fact that I haven’t heard from Carissa all day and the only thing standing between me and her is a door. And a woman who is every bit as loving and loyal as my friend deserves. Swallowing, I duck my head. “Sorry. You and Liam are great together.”
Kasey snickers. “I sure hope so, ’cause now he’s stuck with me.”
I frown. “What—”
“You can go inside. Carissa’s pretty deep into the book she’s reading, so you might have to get her attention. But she’ll be glad to see you. Bye, Cole!”
As Kasey scurries toward the elevator, I feel like I’m missing something, but I don’t care because the door is open and Carissa is inside. I’m hoping she won’t be angry about me interrupting, but Kasey doesn’t seem worried.
As I step inside, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I’m tempted to ignore the text, but when I see that it’s Freya, I open it because it’s literally in the middle of the night for her.
Freya:
If you see Carissa tonight, tell her that she cannot give any power to that ghastly website. She has not answered my text, so she may not have gotten it, but you will see her, yes?
Okay, now I’m wondering if Freya has bugged ourphones, not our houses. Though I can hear Carissa munching on chips at the other end of the hallway, I stay where I am and type out a reply.
