Page 126 of Reputation (Tempt)

“What are you talking about?” Knox asked. “Did something happen with the movie? Is the studio in trouble?”

“No.”Thank god.I sat up and faced them. “I’m worried about Emerson—she’s pushing herself too hard. And Pierce’s concerned that Trinity could win this time.”

“What?” Graham jerked his head back. “How? She never calls. She never visits. Rarely sends birthday or Christmas gifts. I could go on and on about what a shitty mother she is.”

What was I supposed to say? He was right, but, “I just…I can’t let this hearing happen.” When I saw the questioning glances they shared, I rushed to add, “I don’t want to put Brooklyn through that.”

That was true—for so many reasons.

“Pay Trinity off. We all know that’s what she wants anyway,” Jasper said with disgust.

I shook my head. “No. She wants Mom’s Marie Antoinette necklace.”

They gave a collective gasp. Knox shook his head, stricken. Jasper was up and out of his chair. Graham banged his fist on the table. “No fucking way.”

“That’s exactly what I told her.”

“So what are we going to do?” Jasper asked, and I appreciated the show of solidarity.

“Look,” I sighed, afraid they’d see right through my bullshit, as always. “Pierce is handling it. I appreciate your concern, but I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

After a pause, Knox placed his hand on my shoulder. “You know we’re always here for you. And we’d do anything to help you.”

I nodded. They dropped the matter, and I figured that was the end of it.

It wasn’t until after Knox and Jasper left that Graham broached the topic again. “What aren’t you telling us?”

I opened my mouth to say something, but I found myself admitting the truth. Graham was like a vault when it came to secrets. He would never tell. And while talking to Knox was tempting, I didn’t want to put him in the awkward position of lying to Kendall.

Even so, I hadn’t intended to tell Graham anything. But now that I’d started, I couldn’t seem to stop. It felt so freeing to finally confide in someone. To unload about the engagement and my agreement with Emerson. About how I’d fallen for her. About my fears for the hearing.

“I don’t get it,” he finally said.

“Get what?” I asked.

“You say that you and Emerson love each other, but you’re literally paying her—rather handsomely, I might add—to be your fake fiancée.”

“I know, but things changed. For both of us.”

“Okay.” He scoffed. “I hope you’re right. But you’ve always hated that relationships were transactional to Trinity. How is this any different?”

Itwasdifferent. Or at least I wanted to believe it was.

* * *

Emerson’s competition was tomorrow,and I’d been contemplating what to say to her for days. I hadn’t mentioned her panic attack and neither had she, but she’d seemed off lately, distant. I didn’t know if that was part of her mental prep for the competition, but judging from the worried glances Papa J and Astrid had cast Emerson all day, I didn’t think so.

The last thing I wanted to do was upset her before her race, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I stayed silent and she got hurt. So, I waited until Brooklyn was hanging out with Papa J and Astrid in the suite I’d reserved for her family to broach the subject with Emerson.

I’d given them the suite as a peace offering. And Declan had begrudgingly accepted the accommodations despite the fact that it was the closest—and by far the nicest—hotel to the venue.

“How are you feeling about tomorrow?” I asked as she stretched on the floor. Damn, she was sexy. It was difficult to focus on what needed to be said instead of what I wanted to do to her.

She exhaled slowly, deepening the stretch even more. “Good.”

“And practice went well?” I asked, just trying to get a feel for whatever was going on in her head.

“Yeah.”

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