Page 71 of Love on the Byline

Confused, she shook her head. “I… I don’t remember seeinghim.”

“Knowing Ols, that was by design. He was painfully shy.Still is, in some ways.”

Hearing such compassion in his voice was disconcerting, shealmost missed what came next.

“When he told me you’d dropped that class you had together...Well, the look he gave me is similar to the one you’re wearing now,” he said,chuckling. “Going to the Dean was not my finest moment, and it took you showingup again to figure it out, but he’s into you. He’s always been into you, and Ifeel like an asshole for coming between what you two had.”

“I...”

Grinning, he leaned back. “That’s a look I’ve neverseen on your face.”

Stunned, that’s what she was. “We weren’t...together. We’renot.”

“I know, but there was potential. Still is, I’d wager.”

“He’s a good guy.”

“The best,” he agreed. “Man, you’re so hard to read, evenmore than he is. I would have completely missed it, this thing with you andOls, but I’m onto it—”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Blake said, snapping out of it. Shehuffed a bitter laugh. “Please tell me you didn’t agree to sit down todaybecause you think playing matchmaker will somehow sway me.”

“I don’t think anything, other than I’ve never seen my bestfriend look at anyone the way he looks at you,” Bran said as if it were themost casual statement in the world. “I didn’t recognize it in college, but Isee it now.”

“I think you’re due for an eye exam,” she protested, butdamn if her heart rate didn’t spike.

“How did it feel, seeing him again?” he asked. “Good,right?”

“Of course.”

“And you’re open to the idea of more with him?”

“I’m so confused right now. Aren’t I supposed to beinterviewing you?”

“We’ll get to that,” Bran crossed his legs and studied her.“You asked me who Val is, you really don’t know?”

“Should I?”

“Your paper, the Gazette, is sitting on a story about mehaving an affair with an actor, Valerie Saunders. She’s a friend. A married friend,”he added. His gaze was as sharp as knives. One wrong move and he’d cut her toshreds.

“This is the first I’m hearing of it.” They may not befriends, but it was important to her that he believe her. “Why haven’t they runthe story?”

“You tell me.”

“I have no idea. I was today years old when I learnedanything about it, and you’re my source.”

Bran nodded but he seemed to remain skeptical. “So, you knownothing about the phone hack? The photos?”

“Your phone was hacked? By whom?”

Shrugging, Bran picked up the mug of coffee he’d made beforethey began but didn’t take a sip. His gaze drifted to the bank of windows, andshe fought the urge to write every detail of the conversation into hernotebook. His gaze flicked to hers.

“You might want to scribble some of this down,” he teased.

Relief flooded her. She grabbed what she needed. “Okay, goon.”

Over the next half an hour, Bran laid everything out forher. From the hack to allegations of an affair with Valerie Saunders.

“We’re good friends, that’s all.”

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