Page 128 of Nothing to Fear

Joining her guest, she sat down. Roxie poured into the glasses she held.

“That was romantic.”

Roxie stopped pouring. “Before me. He told international television before he told me. Before we ever talked about being together, publicly, for real.”

Okay, so, wow.

“Were you mad?”

“Oh, I lost the plot. And I lost him.”

She sighed. “But you figured it out, got each other back.”

“All relationships go through turmoil.”

“You heard something about Darroch and me?”

“Yes.”

That was it? No elaboration.

“We didn’t have a squabble or disagree on whose turn it was to do a random chore. What he did…? It’s unforgivable.”

“Nothing is unforgiveable, forgiveness is a choice. The big kicker is malice. See I got so lost in rage that I didn’t see Z’s admission for what it was. He didn’t do it to hurt me, he did it because he couldn’t keep it in. He did it because he believed it. He did it because he needed me in his life. There was no malice, he was just… that in love with me.”

“Is that why you’re here?” she asked, prickling a little. “To tell me to forgive? What does it matter anyway? I’m not going to the press and I already quit my job. The Breckenridges won’t ever hear from me again.”

“Is that what you want?” Roxie put the wine bottle on the coffee table and curled her legs up beside her as she leaned against the couch arm. “To never hear from them again?”

“I appreciate you coming and…” Setting the glass on the table, she slid to the front of the couch. “I’m not in the mood to talk about it.”

“Okay, so we’ll talk about something else.” Smiling, Roxie sipped her wine and propped an elbow on the back of the couch, clearly not planning to go anywhere. “Want to hear how Zairn and I reconnected after the tour?

“I don’t—”

“It’s a sex story…” Not tempting. “Want to hear how Jane and I went on a secret mission in CollCom? Disguises and everything, real comedy caper.”

That was… “No, thank you. I’d prefer to be alone.”

“I could tell you how Lilya and her husband met.” Roxie still smiled. “He was naked at the time. At work.” Okay, that was… naked? “Want to hear how Zairn set up my secret birthday party?”

She exhaled. “Roxie, I appreciate what you—”

“Maybe you don’t want to hear the good stuff. I could tell you how I got arrested, the first and the second time.”

“You were arrested twice?”

Roxie’s fingers moved in a midair wave. “Both were in LA, I should be safe on this coast.”

“What were you arrested for?”

“Inciting a riot, I think,” Roxie said. “The first time. The next time was breaking and entering… or maybe stalking. I don’t know, Zairn took care of the details.”

“He bailed you out?”

“Yep, and I wasn’t even sleeping with him the first time. We weren’t so much bailed as released, I suppose. His people made the charges go away, for all of us. Which is something in LA because Ackley, the DA, hates him.”

“Hates Zairn? Why does he hate him?”

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