This morning, I’m unemployed and vilified.
And I have no idea how to get back to who I was before.
Or if I even can.
Chapter Sixteen
Carter
Olivia curls up on her couch, knees pulled to her chest, staring at nothing. She hasn’t spoken since we got to her apartment twenty minutes ago. She sat down and retreated into herself.
It’s killing me.
“Do you want coffee?” I ask, moving toward her kitchen.
“No.”
“Food?”
“Not hungry.”
I sit on the coffee table in front of her, close enough that our knees touch. “Talk to me.”
“What’s there to say?” Her voice is hollow. “My career is over. My reputation is destroyed. And it’s all because I fell in love with you.”
The words slice through me. “Olivia—”
“I’m not blaming you.” She finally looks at me, and the emptiness in her eyes guts me. “I made the choice. I knew the risks. But that doesn’t make this hurt any less.”
“We’re going to fix it.”
“How?” She laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “The internet has already decided I’m a gold-digging manipulator. Mark’s put me on leave. And even if we prove I didn’t leak anything, people will always wonder. They’ll always question whether I slept my way into that job.”
“Then fuck what people think.”
“Easy for you to say.” Her voice hardens. “You’re Carter Storm. You’ll always have your career, your reputation, your legacy. But me? I’m replaceable. And now I’m also toxic.”
I reach for her hand, but she pulls away. The rejection stings more than I want to admit.
“You’re not replaceable,” I say firmly. “And you’re sure as hell not toxic.”
“Tell that to the team.” She stands, wrapping her arms around herself. “Tell that to Mark, who couldn’t wait to get me out of that office. Tell it to every person who’s tweeted about what a terrible person I am.”
“Those people don’t know you.”
“But they think they do. And in this industry, perception is everything.” She stands and moves to the window, staring out at the city. “You were right to worry about what comes after football, Carter. Because once your reputation is gone, you have nothing left.”
The defeat in her voice breaks something in me. I cross to her, standing close enough to feel her warmth but not touching. Not when she’s made it clear she doesn’t want that right now.
“I’m going to fix this,” I say quietly.
“You can’t.”
“Watch me.” I wait until she turns to face me. “Tomorrow morning, I’m calling a press conference. I’m going to tell them the truth, that we’re together, that you did nothing wrong, and anyone who has a problem with it can deal with me.”
“Carter, no—”
“Yes.” My voice is firm. “I let you walk into that office. I let Mark put you on leave without fighting back. But I’m not letting you take the fall for this by yourself.”
