Page 109 of Without You

“I’m going to leave you two alone. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused, too. It’s a part of the job that I hate, having everything I do scrutinized and in public for everyone to see. If I hadn’t kissed your cheek that day, none of this would have happened.”

“You can’t know that,” Katie tells him, with a small shrug of her shoulders. “It happened. It’s over with. In a month, everyone will have moved on and so should we.”

“Let’s hope,” he replies, standing up. “Just want you to know, the job offer I made to you? I didn’t only make it because I was crushing on you.”

“Only?” I grumble.

Chase smiles. “I’m not about to deny that, dude. Your girl’s hot.” I hold back a growl but can’t deny that he’s absolutely right. “But she’s your girl and I respect that. Just wanted y’all to know I’m not some sick bastard who was trying to hire her so I could sleep with her. I might have only had a half of a massage with you, but you’re talented.”

“Thanks, Chase, that means a lot to hear that.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll see y’all in a month or two, yeah? You’re still gonna do that build for my foundation?”

“Planning on it.” I stand, too, and shake his hand, which he tugs on, bringing me in for a bro hug.

“Good luck. I’m only a phone call away if something isn’t taken care of like we think, you got it? I mean that. None of this should have happened, especially that video and what the press was trying to say about you.”

We say our good byes and show Chase out the door. I want to ask him if he watched the video, because I’m curious, but a bigger part of me doesn’t want to know.

Once we’re alone again, I turn her in my arms. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

Just as we hear his vehicle pull out of my driveway, Katie’s phone rings. She turned it back on this morning and replied to her parents, Cami, and the few others who were genuinely concerned and not nosy about what happened, to let them know she was okay and we were taking care of it.

“Benton Police Department,” Katie says nervously, looking at the screen.

“Answer it,” I encourage. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“It’s just…”

“It’s going to be okay,” I promise, standing close.

She nods. “Hello?” A brief pause before, “Yes, this is Katie Landers.”

I watch her as she listens to whatever they’re saying on the other line, wishing it was on speaker.

“Yes, we were made aware of the photos and video yesterday.”

More listening and her eyes meet mine. “Uh, yeah. I know Hannah Mitchell. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding a few months ago and my boyfriend is… well, they dated a long time ago,” she adds, gripping my forearm and cringing.

“Right. Yes, we’ve heard that.”

I’m dying to ask her what they’re saying here.

“I can be there. I’m with him right now, I’m sure he’ll join me,” she says and I nod to agree to whatever she needs.

“Thank you, yes, see you soon.”

She hangs up and blows out a breath. “Hannah’s in a bit of trouble.”

The corner of my mouth ticks up. “You don’t say?”

“She sang like a canary the second the police showed up at her house. Chase wasn’t lying when he said he had his team working on it. Apparently, they’re representing us as well, and informed the police that we wanted to pursue pressing charges.”

“Good.”

“Yeah. Hannah’s the one who leaked everything. She claimed nothing was a lie, but did admit she sent the pictures and video.”

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