Page 92 of Let Me Love You (Excess All Areas 5)

Chaya glanced up at Amber and could see the remorse, but somehow it didn’t soften what had happened. “They are people. Real people. Human beings who bleed and feel hurt. Ben and his family don’t deserve to become media fodder because they happen to write music.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry. Thank you for letting me know what happened.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The phone she now viewed as a work tool, first, and a means of communication, second. It was filled with apps she needed. Apps that gave her access to everything from age-appropriate formularies and diagnostic flowcharts to the extension directory of the hospital. Needing it so much for work, she’d become an expert at ignoring chats from friends while working, but sure enough, there was a message from one of her CrossFit friends, Grace. It simply asked if she’d seen the headlines.

Rock star steals fiancé from overworked surgeon.

Rock star in love triangle.

Ben King in more hot water.

Sad Fridays’ guitarist in seedy affair.

In some of the articles, she was named. Most of them focused on the perceived fight between Ben and Asher. In one article, she was simplyshe, orfemale doctor. She’d been reduced to a function of her gender and job, which made her furious.

“My name is Chaya,” she muttered as she scrolled. She needed to throw up. Her stomach churned mutinously, and she pressed her palm to her forehead. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”

The rattle of Amber closing the curtain around the two of them reminded her she was still in the hospital.

“Are you okay, Chaya? Can I get you anything?”

“A magic time machine so I can go back two months and fix this. Sorry, forget I said that. Listen. Can we just…please don’t go tell everyone how I responded to finding it out.”

Amber placed her hand over Chaya’s. “I’ve got you. Take a minute in here. I’ll go sort out the cubicle next door and release that one, first, so you can hide in here for a minute.”

“Thanks, Amber.” Nurses, well, some nurses if it had been a nurse who’d sold the story, really were the best.

She needed to call Ben. Then, she needed to call Asher. Asher hated social media. Had dormant accounts he started years before but never used. He hated gutter press and paparazzi even more. Chances were he hadn’t seen it yet.

Quickly, she pulled up Ben’s name and dialled.

“Hey, babe. Was just lying in bed, thinking of you.” His voice was rough.

“There’s a problem, Ben. Have you seen today’s media yet?”

“You know I don’t check that shit. What does it say?”

She relayed the headlines. “It’s awful, Ben. Everyone at work is staring at me and talking about this and it’s embarrassing. I want to defend myself but can’t. How we were a love triangle that destroyed Asher. It’s the last thing he needs.”

“Babe. Breathe. We’ve got this. You and me. We’ll walk it together, no matter what. I’ll call the band’s PR rep and see what they suggest. Can you speak to work, maybe get the rest of the day off while it dies down?”

Chaya shook her head. “We’re two people down already. I doubt they’ll let me. I mean, I can ask. But I’m pretty confident I’d need a limb to be hanging off my body before they’d voluntarily let me leave.”

“How long is left of your shift?”

“All day. It just started.”

“Then throw yourself into your work. Try to block out everything else. It’s just noise, and, speaking as the guy who publicly fell off the stage drunk, it does blow over. I know that’s no comfort right now, but I promise, it gets better. Something else will happen that takes the attention away.”

“I need to call Asher. It’s not fair to him. Whatever we put out, if anything at all, needs to put him in the best possible light.”

“Absolutely. You want me to call him?”

“Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know. But I’m a big part of the problem. Maybe me talking to him in person might heal some wounds.”

“Thank you for offering, but I’ll do it. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“Okay. Keep an eye on messages from me. I love you, sweetheart.”

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