Page 28 of Home Coming

Another bigger gasp followed.

“Everything okay?” he asked, glancing in her direction.

Her eyes cut from the phone to him. “Um…yeah?” The rising inflection in her voice added a question mark to her statement.

“That sounded more like a question than an answer.”

“Uh, it’s just the tabloids have picked up the story.”

“What story?” he asked.

“The song video. From last night.”

“Okay. So what’s the problem? All you did was sing. People liked it. And that’s great. I hope you get tons of sales, or views, or downloads or whatever the hell Xander is hoping for. Is that worthy of a story?” he asked. “Do the tabloids care about music now?”

“Not so much about music. About me. And my ex-boyfriend. And…you.”

“Me?” He frowned before realization hit him and he nodded knowingly.

He remembered the hashtag gray sweatpants. And Xander’s nickname for him.

“Ah… They’re mocking me for wearing sweatpants, aren’t they? Is that a fashionfaux pas? Don’t worry. I can handle the criticism.” He chuckled.

After being in full kit for too many hours a day over the past six months, he couldn’t give a flying fuck what some reporter wannabes had to say about his relaxing in comfortable clothes in his parents’ home while on leave. In the middle of the night, no less.

She opened her mouth to say something that was interrupted by her cell phone aggressively vibrating in her hand.

“It’s Xander,” she supplied before he even asked.

Somehow that revelation wasn’t a surprise. “Go on and answer it while you have signal. I have a feeling he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Hitting the screen, Bailey didn’t answer with hello, but rather, “Don’t worry. We’re on schedule to arrive at the studio early. I promise.”

Xander snorted. “I wasn’t worried. You might run onBailey time—meaning half an hour late for everything—but I had a feeling Captain Sweatpants is a stickler for punctuality.”

Quinn’s brows shot high as the man’s nickname for him got progressively worse with every conversation.

“I’m calling because we have to discuss how to respond to the rumors that your hired muscle over there is your new boyfriend.”

“Um, what now?” Focus no longer on the road, Quinn’s gaze whipped to Bailey and the cell phone screen.

“The gossip rags picked up on you and Bailey being together in the middle of the night in less than formal attire. They assumed you’re together.”

“So correct them,” he suggested simply.

“Not that easy. Axel’s fans are vilifying Bailey thinking she was already messing around with you while she was dating him. But Bailey’s fans love you and love the idea of you two together. They’re shipping you already.”

“Shipping us?” He frowned.

What the hell did that mean? Shipping them where?

Bailey’s gaze cut sideways to him. “They’re… pushing us to be in a relationship. With each other.” She cringed.

“They already gave you a couple name.Bailquinn,” Xander informed them.

“What?” Quinn asked on a laugh.

“Bailey plus Quinn,” Bailey explained before turning her complete focus back to Xander on the phone. “How did they even find out Quinn’s name?”

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