Page 242 of Call the Shots
I blinked. “Bear?”
“We didn’t break up.”
“Uh—”
“We needed to talk. That’s all.” His warm brown eyes watched me in the little slivers of light from the windows. “Idon’t want to be so hurt that I forget about the most important person to me again.”
His words rang from our rooftop conversation, watching the stars together. I stopped breathing and only realized when I had to start up again, taking deep, ragged breaths. Oh my god, Bear was right. I didn't want to be so hurt over this that I pushed him away. Maybe our relationship didn't come from the best starting place, but I didn't want to say goodbye.
I couldn’t fully see him in the darkness but everything in me said this was him, my home, the man I loved. I buried my face in his chest. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he whispered.
“Bear, your family is fucking crazy, I—I can’t be here.”
“Let’s go home.”
I gestured to Xavier’s bedroom. “He has my nudes, my old texts, stuff I said about my parents, King. He said he’s going to post everything if I don’t tell everyone I was lying?—”
“What?”
Bear stiffened and pushed away from the staircase. I tried to ask where he was going but he didn’t answer. He ripped open the closet door. Muttering under his breath, he yanked scarves off their hangers.
Upstairs,Bear took the lead and kicked open Xavier’s door, scaring the crap out of him. I thought Warren and Shawna would’ve woken up, but Bear shoved Xavier down and took twenty seconds to tie up Xavier, tying a plush, cashmere scarf around his mouth to muffle him, cussing us out in his pajamas.
Huh.
This was the guy I was so scared of?
“Either my dad and Shawna are doing something about this or we’re taking him to the police,” Bear said matter-of-factly, hustling Xavier down the hall.
I picked up Xavier’s phone for proof. I could scroll through the evidence as long as they needed. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders, I felt so much better just having someone believe me.
We pushed into Warren and Shawna’s bedroom and I stood at the foot of their bed. “Warren? Shawna?”
Nothing, they continued to snore.
Fuck it.
“WAKE THE FUCK UP!” I screamed. “WAKE UP!”
The couple jolted in their beds, screaming when they spotted us, and Shawna continued screaming when she saw what happened to her son, tied up with expensive scarves. I gestured for her to quiet down.
“Yoursonis threatening to release my nudes, old messages, and stuff against his NDA if I talk at his behavioral meeting!”
Warren rubbed the bridge of his nose. “My god.”
“Xavier,” Shawna admonished, flipping on the lamp beside her. “This is certainly out of hand. June, you should’ve come to me earlier! What were you thinking?”
I blinked. “What?”
“I’m sorry he pried into your private life,” she said sharply, “but there’s no reason for you to cause a scene like this. Obviously, you’ll have to cancel the behavioral hearing?—”
Bear moved to the door. “This isn’t going anywhere. We’re taking him to the police.”
“Withmylawyers involved?” Warren interjected. “Is that meant to be funny? June, this will be a costly, drawn-out legal battle. Think ahead to what this will do to both of you. Your family, our family.”
“My son isn’t going to some behavioral whatever and he certainly isn’t going to the police—” Shawna rifled through hernightstand. “You haven’t helped the situation, June. I’ll write you a check, we’ll put this behind us.”
