Page 53 of Love Story

My stomach sank.“What does that mean?”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, and the faint sound of a car engine in the background.“It means I need you in my office in person, but not yet, okay?I’ll send you the details, and we’ll review everything then.”

I stopped pacing, staring into the dark.“Theo, I need more than that.Is this good news or bad?”

There was another pause, and then, “It’s… complicated.It’s better if we talk in person.”

Complicated.Great.My pulse quickened, and I felt a knot tighten in my chest.“This doesn’t sound good,” I said, my voice quieter now.

“It’s not something to panic over, Ben.We’ll figure it out.”

Not something to panic over.Easy for Theo to say—he wasn’t the one with his entire life hanging in the balance.“And you’ll—”

“I’m joining the freeway, Ben.I’ll send you a confirmation when I’m home.”

He ended the call, and I stared at my phone as though the meeting confirmation would pop up immediately.I shoved it into my pocket and cursed at the sky when it didn’t.This wasn’t good.It wasn’t bad.It was worse than bad.It was the kind of nothing-to-say that made my stomach churn.

What could he want me for?A new accusation?A witness flipping?Was Brad placing me in the frame as he’d threatened?Or worse, was there a new piece of evidence that somehow pointed back at me?The thought made me dizzy, and I leaned against the porch railing for support.My head was full of noise—Boston, the case, the weight of what I might be walking back into.

And then there was Sam, waiting for me.

I glanced back at the warm glow of the cabin, my chest tightening even more.How could I leave this—leave him—for whatever mess I had to facein the city?And worse, how could I not?If I didn’t return, I’d be running, and running wasn’t an option.

I took a deep breath to suppress the panic clawing at my chest and stepped back inside.Sam was sitting on the sofa, my coat folded neatly in his lap, his brow furrowed as if he’d been replaying something in his head.

“You forgot your coat,” he said, his voice soft but careful.“I was going to come out to give it to you, but you went outside so it must be private…”

He trailed off, leaving the unspoken question hanging in the air.He wanted me to fill in the blanks to explain why I’d taken the call outside.All I wanted was a hug, maybe a kiss, and then to steer this conversation in a different direction.

“I wasn’t cold,” I lied, waving it off.“But coffee would be good.”

Sam didn’t move.His gaze locked on me, searching for something I wasn’t ready to give him.“Everything okay?”

“Huh?”I avoided his eyes, heading toward the kitchen, hoping distance might take some weight off the moment.

“With the call?”he asked, more insistent this time.

“Sure,” I said, forcing a smile over my shoulder.

He frowned, and the tension between us tightened, filling the space like an unspoken challenge.I hated how easily he could see through me, how quickly he picked up on the things I tried to bury.Most of all, I hated that I had no way to give him the answers he was searching for, not without risking everything.

The NDAs I had signed weren’t just words on paper; they were shackles.A single misstep, a stray confession to the wrong person, and I could lose more than I already had.The thought of legal battles, financial ruin, and the weight of accusations pressed down on me like a vice.But worse than that—worse than all of it—was the idea of bringing Sam into it.

Could I visit that burden on him?Could I let him get too close when the truth could hurt him as much as it had hurt me?Did it matter that he didn’t know the whole story?

I turned away.I didn’t want to meet his eyes, because then I wouldn’t have to see the concern in them.I wouldn’t have to decide whether I could trust him with the pieces of myself.I wasn’t sure I understood anymore.

“Who was calling you?”Sam’s voice was careful now as if he feared pushing me too hard but couldn’t stop himself.

I hesitated, gripping the edge of the counter tighter than necessary.“It was just an old friend,” I said, keeping my voice even.“Nothing more.”

The silence that followed was heavy.When I turned back to look at him, his expression had shifted—still soft, but now with an edge of uncertainty.He didn’t believe me, not entirely, but he wouldn’t press.Not yet.

His expression was tight.“Okay,” he said at last.He hated I didn’t tell him, and he deserved to know more.

He should know more if he was falling for me as hard as I was falling for him.

“It was my old work, my… well I guess I still work there.”

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