Page 79 of You're The One
AUGUST, HONEY
WEEK 5
TWENTY-SEVEN
“No.”
“But—”
“No,” Bodhi repeats, firmer this time. “We need the reunion on camera. Mia staying at your personal residence goes against the terms of the contract. I’ve already explained?—”
“And I’ve already explained that she’s not stayingwithme. She wants to stay with her brother, and I want to sleep in my own damn bed.”
“Which happens to be right next door to her brother’s house…”
Bodhi’s sharp tone is so at odds with his usual laid-back vibe that it throws me. Does he know what happened between me and Mia at the airport? Or is this coming from someone higher up? Or maybe he’s still holding on to some delusion that he has a shot in hell with her?
“Look, I don’t know what you’re assuming, but it’s probably wrong.”
“That you’re falling for Mia Matthews but trying to keep it off-camera?”
Okay, that’s… actually pretty accurate.
When I don’t answer, he keeps going. “Like I told Mia, she can stay with her brother after the initial reunion. She doesn’t have a problem with that. She’s already in her room upstairs. You’re the only one down here arguing.”
“Can you just tell me what room she’s in? I need to give her…” I dig into my pocket and pull out a crumpled coffee shop receipt. “This. It’s… sentimental.”
Which is true. Though probably only to me. If I showed it to her, told her I’ve been carrying around the receipt from our first sort-of date, she’d look at me like I had two heads. And I want to see that face. Any face of hers, really. I know I won't be able to sleep until I do.
Bodhi lifts a brow. “Really.”
That, and the fact that, despite the epic kiss we shared in the most unromantic place on Earth, I still have no idea where we stand.
I need to talk to her before I see Logan tomorrow. I have no idea what I’m going to tell him about my feelings for his little sister. And it only gets more complicated because I don’t know what shewantsme to tell him.
I’m a shit liar. Trying to navigate introducing my other “girlfriends” on top of figuring out what the hell to say to my best friend? I can’t think of anything worse.
This could all be avoided if Mia were the only one meeting my family. She’s the only one I want to, but unfortunately, that’s not an option. And with the way Bodhi’s been screwing with my time with her, she’ll probably be the last on the list.
From the second we boarded the plane, it’s been obvious Bodhi’s trying to keep us apart. He even assigned seats on the jet. And now this? This is exactly why I’ve been trying, and failing, to get him to tell me where she is. Because I’ve got a bad feeling he’s planning to drag our separation out until it’s her scheduled time with me later this week.
And I doubt he’s pulling it off alone. It’s no secret he’s not my favorite person, and I get the bitter sting of rejection he’s probably feeling, but he’s way too go-with-the-flow to dedicate this much energy to fucking with me.
Just don’t do anything salacious. Not gonna lie, they’ll air that. For the ratings, you know?His words from the first day of filming ring in my ears.
This has production written all over it. Emile’s probably laughing his ass off behind a monitor right now.
“I just need five minutes,” I try again.
Bodhi’s unimpressed glare doesn’t budge. “No.”
I groan and drop my head back. “You’re killing me, man.”
He doesn’t bother arguing, so I go for a different angle. “She nearly had a panic attack at the airport. Then she slept the whole flight.”Yeah, I kept an eye on her. Sue me.“I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
“Is that what you’re calling whatever you two were up to in the bathroom?”
When I don’t answer, he continues, “I’ll tell you if she comes to production with any concerns regarding her health… but we both know she’s not going to. She’s too proud to ask for help. So, we have to trust she has it under control.”
