Page 90 of Wine & Whiskey
“Not of you. Just of what you’ll do. I was trying to protect you.”
The irony makes him laugh. “I’ll do anything to protect you, and you’re doing the same for me. I guess that’s why we belong together.”
A nervous tell, she draws patterns on his stomach with her fingertip. “Last night made me realize how much it must have hurt you when I pushed you away, when I ran for no real reason.”
“I promise not to give you any reason to run. You just have to tell me the truth, no matter how bad it is, so I can take care of it.” It’s his turn to uphold the promise of no secrets. “Spencer planted bugs throughout the house. Most of them were in our bedroom and my office. That’s how he knew our plans and set us up. If he recorded my conversations with Carter and Max, he could use them against me.”
She pauses, her hand gripping his waist. “I couldn’t figure out what he wanted. I never thought about him blackmailing you too.”
“We have to find out who Spencer really is and what he wants. The only thing we know so far is everything from the school for his internship with me was falsified.”
“What do we do now?”
He kisses her forehead again. “Go to sleep. I’m exhausted and can’t think anymore.” She snuggles in closer, eliminating the last of his tension, allowing him to succumb to the darkness washing over him. “I love you, sweetness.”
Her hand entwines with his. “I know, fiancé.”
* * *
The battlebetween her closed eyes and full bladder comes to end. She can’t hold it anymore. Smiling to herself, she knows no matter how carefully she slides out of bed, Nick will wake up and reach for her. Her feet sink into the thick caramel carpet, and she turns around ready to defend herself against his disapproval. Yet, his eyes remain shut, his breathing even. She resists stroking his pale cheek, not wanting to interrupt the rest he seems to need.
The relentless chirping of her phone greets her as she enters the master bedroom. She grabs it from her bag and scrolls through the torrent of messages from Gail.
Why didn’tyou let me know you were involved with an altercation with the police?
It’s all over the place your boyfriend shot at the local sheriff.
They’re talking about cancelling your wish request on Tuesday.
This is really bad publicity right before the movie comes out!
What have you done to yourself being with this guy???
We need to talk asap!!!
Call me!!!!!!!!!
The wish request hurts the most. The little girl’s parents thought they had a role model for their daughter, and now she’s just another fading star with a shaky reputation. All the things her mother never wanted her to be, she’s turning into.
The phone buzzes again.
Where are you????????
With the man she loves, who’ll probably end up destroying himself because of her. She takes a deep breath before tapping the numbers.
“What the hell is going on? You should have called me yesterday, as soon as it happened.”
She flinches at her manager’s shriek, still not used to the frustrated tone bellowing through the phone. Only since dating Nick has she become a disappointment. “Hello, Gail. How are you?”
“Oh, honey, you have no idea. That new boyfriend of yours is going to be your downfall. God, I wish your mother was here.”
Her cheeks burn at the implication. “Don’t you dare say that! You have no idea how much I miss her, and it has nothing to do with my career.”
“Shae! Calm down. What’s gotten into you?”
“You calm down. No one was shot. Nobody was arrested or went to jail. It was just a misunderstanding.”
Gail’s tone softens, more hesitant than Shae’s ever heard her. “Well, I’m just glad you’re okay.”
