Page 31 of Tethered Hearts

Brie

“Here’s the celebrity herself,” Grant called, waving at Brie as she entered the warehouse and swiped her damp hair off her face. The weather had turned, and days of humidity finally culminated in the heavens opening in the early hours of the morning, which squashed all plans for an outdoor climb in the mountains as part of the search and rescue team’s training. Loud music pumped through the indoor rock climbing venue, creating a fun, vibrant atmosphere.

“Looking good, Brie.”

“Can I have your autograph?”

“Remember, we knew you first!”

“What’s going on?” She asked, approaching her crew who looked like they were all in on a secret that she wasn’t privy to. She lowered her harness to the ground, along with her water bottle and pouch of chalk powder.

“You’re famous now,” Evie, one of the squad members said, pulling out her phone and tapping on the screen. “Here.”

Brie could feel the blood rush from her face as she scanned the bold headlines.

Matt Dallimore steps out with new love.

Sprinter’s first foray into the spotlight since his accident.

What a gorgeous couple!

Glamour couple shines at Athletics Gala Night.

Image after image filled the screen. Brie and Matt on the red carpet. Brie and Matt smiling in front of the State Athletics Banner. Brie and Matt cozying up at their table. Brie laughing at something Matt said.

“Oh, my goodness.” She clasped a hand over her mouth as her stomach took a dive. This could not be happening. But right there in front of her were photographs painting a tale of a couple very much enraptured with one another. Photo after photo of Matt, seemingly with eyes only for her. One of her watching on during his speech with glistening eyes and a look of utter admiration on her face. No wonder people thought they were an item. It was easy to capture a brief moment in time and twist it to reveal a different narrative. If the adage about a picture painting a thousand words was to be believed, then they looked very much in love.

“It was on breakfast television this morning, as well.” Glen strode over and dropped a pile of ropes on the ground. “They aired some interviews, and there you were, looking all glamorous and right at home. You scrub up well, Brie.”

“Thanks. I guess.” Unease churned in her stomach as she stepped into her harness. The media had it all wrong. The stories and photographs couldn’t be further from the truth. Now everyone thought she and Matt were an item, and she was powerless to do anything about it. She’d been unwittingly thrust into the spotlight, and dragged Matt along for the ride.

As her colleagues began to prepare for the morning’s climb, they soon forgot about her celebrity status, but Brie couldn’t stop ruminating about what she’d seen and read. Nor would her stomach stop churning over what Matt’s reaction might be to the photos and fictitious reports being plastered all over social media and making national headlines. She knew the media distorted the truth. But she didn’t want him to think she was holding onto a foolish crush, or a silly fantasy triggered by the glitz and glamour of the evening.

Admittedly, it had been a wonderful evening. Other-worldly, compared to the life she was used to. Caught up in pretty lights and glamour and celebrities, it had been an enjoyable escape from reality. Matt’s attentiveness all evening made her feel incredibly special, and it was hard to ignore how tender he’d been. The gentle touches. The way his hand always found hers, like he couldn’t stand a single moment without feeling her skin. As though she were a treasure to behold. It had been perfect, which was why she was finding it so hard to separate truth from fantasy. It had probably meant nothing to him, after all, Brie had only been there to appease his aunt. And now the media had somehow captured those moments and made assumptions that they were together. Perhaps Matt could make an announcement, or whatever it was that famous people did, to dispel the rumours and assure everyone that they weren’t a couple. Did people even do that? Or did they let things slide? She had no idea. She’d never experienced being the centre of attention to such an extent, or having her image plastered all over the news.

Sheets of rainteemed down outside, making it seem much later than it was. The heavy grey atmosphere matched Brie’s thoughts as she wrestled with what to do. Hooking the carabineer to her harness, she dusted her hands with chalk and began scaling the wall, trying to put all thoughts of Matt aside. It was a fruitless exercise. How could she not think about him? The way his lips seared her skin. The way his gentle touch ignited sparks of fire through her veins. The way he kept her close all night, as though she were the most precious thing in the world and he didn’t want to lose her. Surely, she hadn’t imagined the connection between them. Why would he be so attentive if he wasn’t interested in her? She couldn’t keep denying what had worked its way into her heart, despite her best efforts to keep those feelings at bay. Clasping her fingers over a grip, she pushed herself upward.

Lord, this is so ridiculous. You know my history with falling for anyone who shows me the slightest bit of attention. I’d like to think I’m a changed woman. That You’ve changed me. And yet, that niggle of doubt slips in and makes me question what’s true in my heart. Help me to discern what’s real, and not just my imagination running wild. If there is a future for us, perhaps Matt will be the one to lead the way.

Yes. She would leave everything up to Matt. She wouldn’t contact him. If there was to be anything between them, she would wait for him to make the first move.

With her mind made up, Brie signaled to the person below that she was ready to descend. A few bounces down the wall and she landed with both feet on the mat. Hands gripped her waist from behind to steady her as she moved to unhook the carabiner from her harness.

“You looked gorgeous last night.”

Her skin prickled.Brett.She spun out of his grasp and gave a tight smile. When had he stepped in to belay for her? Had she been too focused on Matt and the fact that she was now linked to him via the media circus that she hadn’t realised who’d stepped in to support her climb?

“I’ve missed doing this with you.” Brett closed the gap between them, his blue eyes sparking with an almost predatory look. “It reminds me of old times.”

Old times that would never, ever happen again. She would make sure of it. Brie took another step away, not liking that Brett couldn’t understand the concept of personal space. Had she really been so blinded by his charm and good looks that she hadn’t seen his real intentions lurking beneath the surface?

“You should invite Matt along. Although it might be tricky to belay if he can’t stand up long enough. And I doubt he’d be able to do any climbing.” With hands tucked in his pockets, Brett toed a shoe across the mat and eyed Brie from beneath raised eyebrows, as though taunting her, daring her to say something.

Anger bubbled through Brie’s veins as she slowly straightened. “You did not just say that.”

Brett shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

With nostrils flared, and her chest heaving, Brie pinched her brow and silently counted to ten. He really was an idiot. How dare he be so malicious and smug about Matt’s disability! There were plenty of things she wanted to say to him, though none of which would be beneficial for anyone. Finally, she took a steadying breath and muttered, “Grow up.”

Snatching her water bottle off the ground, she stormed off, bidding goodbye to the people on the squad that actually respected her. Brett Diete was an utter moron, and she was glad God stepped in all those months ago and saved her from making a huge mistake. She’d learned her lesson, but why he couldn’t leave her alone, she didn’t know. He was always appearing out of nowhere. Always standing too close. Always making stupid remarks. Perhaps she should ask Glen to move her into an administration role so she wouldn’t have to see Brett again. But that wasn’t fair when he was the one being a constant pain. She couldn’t prove he’d done anything wrong. He just irked her. Surely, she was mature enough to rise above his childish taunts. Given that the rescues were infrequent, perhaps she needed to toughen up in order to put up with his insolence. He was only doing it to get a rise from her, and unfortunately, he was succeeding.

Brie was soaked by the time she ran across the parking lot and slid into her car. With a chill settling over her skin, she turned up the heat and flicked the wipers to full speed to clear the windscreen. Placing her phone down, her stomach sank as she glanced at the blank screen. No missed calls or messages from the one person she’d been hoping to hear from. That was that, then. There was her answer. All those tender touches, gentle caresses and shared glances had all been her active imagination hoping she’d meant more to Matt than his plus-one.

As she pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward home, Brie eased her foot off the accelerator to navigate through the atrocious driving conditions. Rain teemed down, and she hunched forward over the steering wheel, barely able to see a foot in front of the car.

The beach was grotty, as though someone had dumped a great big bucket of brown water everywhere. Frothy peaks danced on the choppy waves and heavy clouds obscured the horizon. The pristine sands and azure waters of Sea Haven Beach were unrecognisable in the downpour. Suddenly, a dark shadow darted in front of the car. Brie slammed on the brakes and swung the steering wheel to the right, realising all too late that she should have lightly pumped the brakes, instead of slamming her foot down. Gripping the steering wheel, she tried to regain control as the car hydroplaned on the slick road. Wind and rain whipped around as the road barrier loomed closer and closer. Unable to do a thing, she braced herself as the sickening crunch of metal filled her ears and the car flipped over the concrete structure.

And then, nothing.

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