Page 36 of Until the End

“She wants to meet,” Chelsea continues. “I took the liberty of getting a few dates from her. If you don’t want to, though, I can cancel.”

“Don’t cancel. I have no plans, so set it up for whenever works.”

“I’ll send you the details once I have them.”

Tanya gives me a serious look. “Talk to Daren. I don’t like the things Wesley was saying.”

“I will. Promise.”

I hang up the call, and Carson’s arms wrap around my shoulders. He presses a kiss to the top of my head, making me melt into him. He must’ve washed his hands while I was on the phone.

“I don’t like what the Weasel has been up to, Goose. Sounds to me like he’s holding a grudge.”

“Me, too. There’s not much I can do about it, though. He hasn’t physically come after me.”

“That you know of.”

I turn to look over my shoulder. “What are you saying?”

Carson moves around to sit next to me. “Wesley knows where you live, right? He’s had access to your house. What if he’s the one who’s stalking you?”

“Why would he do that? He was going to marry me.”

“Goose, he had the whole fantasy laid out before him.” Carson ticks things off his fingers. “The gorgeous wife, a decent future in acting, plenty of money to spend on whateverhe wanted, not to mention all the ass he was getting on the side. Then it was all gone in the snap of a finger.”

His words are harsh, but he’s not wrong. Everything Wesley wanted went up in smoke the day I ran away. I’d be pissed if I were him.

Carson grabs my chin, lifting it so I have to make eye contact. “None of this is your fault. Do you hear me? He was an unstable asshole, and you did the right thing, running away. But we also have to be prepared for the backlash. Wesley isn’t going to take this lying down. Who knows what he’ll do next?”

The thought leaves a pit of dread in my stomach. How far will Wesley take this to get his revenge?

Chapter 22

Ginny

Iwince at the sound of power tools echoing through my phone speaker. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m really glad you did.” As Carson talks, the noise reduces. “We started on the addition today, so it’s noisier than usual.”

“Oh. How are Teddy’s renovations coming along?”

“Great. We’ve got a long way to go, but it’s starting to come together. What’s up?”

“I feel stupid,” I groan, pacing around my office. The empty built-in bookshelves that line one side of the room make me long for the library I have in LA. Living in two different places can’t last. This isn’t sustainable. But I can’t think about that right now.

“You’re the furthest thing from stupid, Goose. Talk to me.”

I plop down onto the squishy love seat across from my shelves. “I’m nervous.”

“About your interview with Mariana?”

“Yes. What if she doesn’t like me?”’

“Then she’s an idiot, and you shouldn’t work with someone who doesn’t see how amazing you are.”

My chest warms. I hadn’t thought about me being the one to make the decision. After everything with Cecelia, I forgot that I’m the one in charge of my future.Ishould be interviewingherto see if we’re a good fit, not the other way around. I need someone who will listen when I talk and offer advice instead of constantly giving me directives. On the other hand, I also need someone who will go to bat for me without backing down.

I think Mariana might just be that person.

---