Page 102 of Definitely Not Him

Clouds in the Sky

Chloe

Eight hours later

Tyler pulled an eye mask from around my head, revealing a tranquil world of tall pine trees, a large crystal lake, and a small wooden cabin in the distance.

“There are no other guests here,” Tyler said, reading my mind. “Every staff member signed the strictest NDA on the planet, and we have the entire park to ourselves. Does that work for you?”

I nodded. “How long do we get to stay?”

“Five days.” He cupped my face in his hands. “That’s as long as I could get on short notice.”

“Thank you, Tyler.”

“You’re very welcome, Chloe.” He kissed me, whispering, “Give me a chance to figure this out for the long term. You’re all I care about, and I’ll always do what’s best for you…No matter what.”

“Can you say nice stuff like to me all weekend?” I smiled. “Like nonstop?”

“Of course.”

An Unwanted House Guest

Chloe

Seattle, Washington

25 weeks pregnant

Tyler’s plane flew over Washington hours after checkout, right as fog slithered across the coast.

“Are you going into work today?” I asked.

“Briefly.”

“And you’re going back to London for the Queen’s party?”

“I’ll be back within the same day.” He kissed my forehead.

“What are you planning to do about Hazel?” I asked.

“I can’t work with someone who hurts the woman I care about.” He trailed his finger down my neck. “I told her she needs to resign. Effective immediately.”

“And my job?”

“Yours to keep, but I personally think you’re better off working on your art than working around people who will use your most mundane moments for gossip.”

“What if I just ignore them and hyper-focus on my work?”

“I wish it was that easy.” He gave me a sympathetic look. “It’s about trust at this point, and you can’t deal with the people who don’t have your best interests at heart.” He paused. “Sandra doesn’t, by the way.”

“I noticed…You don’t think it’ll ever be worth explaining my side of things?”

“Not at all.” He tilted my chin up and kissed my lips. “It’s not about the truth, Chloe. It’s about what sells…”

“What about personal, one-on-one interviews?” I asked. “Do those work?”

“No.” He kissed me again. “People only hear what they want to hear.”

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