Dearest Series Boxed Set (79 page)

L
ate afternoon light
drifts through the blinds. The house is quiet. So quiet. My uncle said he had to run a few errands, but I think he needed some space. I’m guessing he went to his girlfriend’s house to freak out over his niece, the deviant.

My lips twist. I don’t really think he sees me this way, but God, do the websites have to show every damn gif, each one with its own little x-rated tag, like "Maddie McDermott sucking Daren Sloan off" or "getting nailed hard."

The news outlets are no better, flashing the word “scandal” over my headshot like I’m a criminal. So even though the “reputable” news sources won’t show any images, they’re giving this story more credibility because they’re covering it.

My friends have seen this story. My coworkers. My boss.

I feel so numb. How the hell did I arrive in this spot?

My life feels like a wasteland, and I am ground zero for the wreckage. All of those years of slaving away. Trying to do my dad’s memory proud. Trying to make a difference. All for naught.

In this silence I realize that, more than the job I’m sure I just lost, my heart really hurts over losing Daren. Because right now, as I’m grasping for a life vest, he’s the one I want. He’s the one I trust. He’s the one whose arms I wish could wrap around me right now and drown out the world.

But what really kills me? That I turned my back on him over a rumor, over innuendo and speculation. Over shit like that video of Jacob that started the downward spiral of my career.

I’m a hypocrite. Here I am, dying to talk to Daren, to hear his voice, to have a chance to explain, when I wouldn’t listen to his explanation. I wouldn't even take his calls.

One asshole reporter wondered if Daren had taken the gifs, and I laughed out loud. Daren would never do that to me. Never.

I sniffle, and a hand rubs up and down my side. Ugh, Daren always rubbed my side like this. At night, while I was trying to go to sleep, he’d rub my back until I’d drift off.

Daren.

That hand moves to my stomach and pulls me back until I’m up against a big, hard chest.

Oh my God. Daren.

My head whips around until I’m met with those honey-colored eyes.

I gasp, both elated and horrified to see him. What must he think of me right now? But I don’t have time to ask because he pulls me closer and tucks me under his chin.

“Daren.” A sob breaks through me, and my whole body quakes.
Oh, God. Oh, God. He came.

“Shh, baby. It’s okay. Everything will be okay.”

He holds me tightly with one arm while the other hand rubs my back.

I breathe him in, the scent that’s only Daren. Fresh laundry. Crisp aftershave. My fingers dig into his sides, like I’m afraid someone will storm in here and try to take him away from me.

His fingers tangle in my hair, and he kisses my forehead. “I’m here. We’ll figure this out.” I nuzzle closer, at a loss for words. “I’m going to find the asshole who did this to you, and I’m going to rip his balls off his goddamn body.”

Laughter spills from my lips. It sounds manic, like it’s coming from someone else. I’m crying. I might be hysterical. Do hysterical people know when they’re hysterical?

His big palm runs up over my back and massages my neck, and I sniffle and try to get a hold of myself before I lift up so I can look into his eyes.

He reaches up and cradles my face. I lean into his hand, and we just stare at each other. His calloused thumb slowly wipes away a tear.

A deep sigh leaves him. “Maddie, I am so fucking sorry I didn’t tell you everything. If I could go back and redo it all, I would, baby. But you have to know nothing happened with any of those girls. They were breaking into my hotel room, so that must be how one wore the t-shirt you gave me, but nothing happened. I don’t even see other women since you came into my life. And that shit just kept getting weirder. With my past… I didn’t want you to assume the worst.” His eyes close briefly, and when they open, he shakes his head. “I just can’t lose you.”

“You didn’t lose me.” A shuddering breath shakes my body. “I… I should have let you explain.”

“If… if you need to confirm any of this, ask Quentin. I was afraid the girls would make bullshit accusations, so after the first time it happened, I started bringing him with me back to the hotel to clear out the room. If you want to talk to him—”

“No.” I shake my head. “I believe you. I don’t need to ask.”

I’m not sure if it’s my own runaway scandal that’s helping me see things differently or the fact that he’s here now, but I know he didn’t cheat on me.

He brings me closer and kisses my lips. Just once. Slowly. So tenderly.

Another tear escapes.

“Sweet thing, everything is going to be okay. Please stop crying.”

I nod, believing in him, in us, to figure this out.

“And nothing is going on with Camille. I honestly hadn’t thought twice about her offering to do work for the homeless shelter, and—”

“It’s fine. I shouldn’t have gotten so jealous. It’s just that things were weird between us, and I let my emotions get the best of me.”

“Baby, I would do things differently if I could.”

“It’s okay. We’re okay.”

He tucks me back to him, and we snuggle in silence. He doesn’t ask me any questions, doesn’t accuse me of any wrongdoing. Doesn’t tell me I screwed up. Doesn’t ask me about that video of Jacob. He just holds me.

All at once, the words rush from my lips. “That girl in the video. It’s not me. It’s the girl Jacob was cheating on me with.” He lets out an audible sigh. “I would never do that to you. I would never jump from your bed into another man’s arms. I just wouldn’t.”

Those arms squeeze me tighter, and he kisses the top of my head. “I know, babe.” He’s quiet for a few minutes. Then he asks, “Do you have any idea who would want to do this to you?”

I shake my head. “You mean who would want to destroy my career?” I blow out a breath, still not quite able to wrap my head around everything.

“Would your ex do this? Maybe make this video to make it look like you? To somehow get back at you?”

Sitting up, I turn to face Daren. Because he needs to hear the ugly details. “Jacob didn’t do it.”

“But you said he wanted to get back together with you. Maybe this was some kind of revenge sex thing.”

“Jacob didn’t do this. I mean, he didn’t make the video.” God, this is kind of humiliating. Daren looks a little surprised by my insistence. “I took it. With my phone.”

Daren’s eyes widen, and I continue. “That’s the day I caught him cheating. I took a video so I could remind myself that I never wanted to trust him again. So when he called, apologizing or trying to rationalize this or confuse me, I could remember.” My shoulders slump. “It was a stupid thing to do, but I was so crushed, so pissed off. But I never showed anyone the video. In fact, I’ve never spoken to anyone about it before you. And what’s weirder is I deleted it a while ago. It shouldn’t exist.”

Daren’s eyes soften. “C’mere.” He pulls me to him. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“I’m okay. I made peace with it. That’s why I was able to delete it, but who the hell got their hands on my phone? I’ve never given anyone the password, and I don’t remember letting anyone use it.”

“Hmm. That’s a good question.”

“I need to call Jacob and apologize.”

Daren’s hand on my back stills. “Are you sure you want to admit responsibility?”

“I have no problem owning up to what I did. Do I think he’ll take any legal action against me for taking the video? No, I don’t. But regardless, it’s the right thing to apologize, isn’t it?”

Daren kisses the top of my head. “Yeah. It is.”

“He has to know I took it. He’s not an idiot. But I don’t want him thinking I did it to get revenge. That I’d try to hurt him like that. No matter what he did to me, I’d never sink to that level.”

Daren nods, and I’m relieved that he understands why I need to do this.

“So if it wasn’t your ex, who else had access to your phone and laptop? Didn’t you let Nicole use your laptop that one time?”

“What time?”

“At my party? Before I mauled you on the pool table.” He chuckles.

“God, I forgot about that. Yeah, Nicole definitely had access, and I got so wrapped up in you and me hooking up that I never changed my password after she used it that night.”

He's quiet. “You were wrapped up in us?”

“Uh, yeah. I couldn’t think straight all week,” I admit.

“Good. I was afraid I was the only one whose brain got scrambled by our night together.”

Burrowing my head into his chest, I laugh. “God, no, I was a mess. I wanted you. I’ve always wanted you, but the reality that we had slept together totally threw me.”

Calloused fingers draw my hair away from my face. “I’ve always wanted you too, sweet thing.”

I smile like an idiot, glad he can’t see me grinning. “Even when I was a geeky high school sports reporter?”

“Fuck, especially then.” His fingers tighten in my hair. “You’ve always kind of kicked my world off its axis. Even in high school.”

“We only talked for like fifteen minutes.”

“That’s all it took, babe.” He kisses my forehead again, and I smile and close my eyes.

I feel such a huge relief knowing he’s here. I have no clue how to deal with my crumbling career, but knowing Daren is in my corner makes me feel like I can weather whatever storm is ahead of me.

I feel his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. The sound of his heart is so calming that I drift in and out of sleep as I listen.

* * *

W
hen I wake
a few hours later, I’m still wrapped around Daren. Or maybe he’s wrapped around me. Whatever this is, it feels right. My world is falling apart, but having him here makes me stronger and makes me think I can face whatever lies ahead.

My lips are parched, and I start to pull away so I can get something to drink, but his arms tighten. “Where do you think you’re going?” His groggy voice sends chills down my arms. His hard body angles toward me, and the bed squeaks underneath us.

I laugh, I can’t help it, the ridiculousness of it all finally settling in. “We can’t hide out here forever.”

“We could try.” His eyes crack open, and he grins. “I’ve rather enjoyed staring at your 30 Seconds to Mars poster.”

“Ugh.” I laugh and it feels good. “Stop. I haven’t stayed in this room for years. My uncle just left up all of my embarrassing junk.” I glance around, hoping nothing too horrifying is out. Like pictures of me in braces. I’m pretty sure I could go a lifetime without showing Daren those shots. “Speaking of my uncle, how did you know to come here?”

“I called Sheri. She wasn't sure where you had gone, but I asked if she knew where your uncle lived. I hoped he might know where you went in the event you weren't here.”

“And how exactly did you get past him?”

A bigger smile tilts Daren’s lips. “I knocked on the door. He was on his way out, but when he saw me, he slapped me on the back and pointed toward your room.”

My jaw falls open. “That’s it?”

“Yup.” A beat of silence passes and Daren shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe he saw my press conference.”

I still, unprepared for that answer. “You had a press conference?”

“
I
did not have a press conference. That bitch Jeanine pulled me into one.”

I sit up. “And what did you say?”

His eyebrows lift marginally. “I’m sure if you pop on the TV, it’s on somewhere.”

He’s so casual about the whole ordeal. I’d laugh if my whole life weren’t hanging in the balance.

“What do I do?” I whisper. My fingers toy with a thread hanging from my blouse. I must look like a crumpled mess, still wearing my work clothes.

“Well, for starters,
we
need a bigger bed. My ass is about to roll off the side here.”

I laugh and smack him on the thigh. “I’m being serious.”

“Me too. I have a nice ass, and I really don’t want it landing on something hard.”

“Oh my God. Shut up.”

He yanks me down to him, and I topple over in a mild fit of giggles. Once I’m all wrapped up in those arms again, he kisses my forehead. “Okay, I think you need to get your stuff. We’ll stay at a hotel because I need a gym and, like I said, a bigger bed. Your uncle probably doesn’t want to hear the coils on this one all night long because I fully plan on loving up on you at some point later this evening, ’cause, you know, makeup sex.”

I blush and smile into his shirt, my heart fluttering at the prospect of reconnecting with him.

He squeezes my butt cheek, and I grin wider. “But before the sweaty sex, I need to call our attorney and get tomorrow situated.”

I lean up. “What are you getting situated?”

“Your uncle said you needed to line up an attorney for tomorrow. I’ve already called one.”

“I thought you said you didn’t talk when you arrived. That he just pointed you in the direction of my bedroom.”

It’s dark in here, but it almost looks like Daren’s cheeks are flushing. “Well, he might have said a little more than that.”

“Like?”

“Like, ‘Don’t fucking have sex in my niece’s bed.’”