Page 49 of Twisted Truth

I’m about to ask if I can leave when Asher speaks quietly, his back still turned.

“I told you I have some . . . strong issues with safety. And for good reason.” He turns back around. His jaw is tense, and his eyes are heavy.

“When I was young, something happened. It’s not something I talk about often, and I’m not going to talk about it now. But just know that I . . . was part of, and also witnessed, something horrendous. Being a person of public fascination is a very sharp and very real double-edged sword. So, when I saw you swarmed like that, and all I could do was watch from over five-hundred feet above, it made me incredibly anxious. We won’t be doing anything like that again. So, if there are any other solo photo ops in your team’s strategy, get rid of them now. They aren’t happening.”

All the annoyance I felt at his summons deflates. He told me yesterday that he has issues, but knowing they cut much deeper than I suspected is sobering. He’s not controlling just to be controlling. This really is traumatic in its own way for him.

I close the space between us. I reach out for his hand, taking it in mine.

“I’m okay,” I reassure him. “Everything is going to be okay. And if that’s a line for you, we won’t cross it again.”

He lets out a relieved breath.

“You weren’t at breakfast this morning,” he says after a minute.

“I was getting ready.”

“That’s all it was?” he says skeptically, his face full of disbelief.

My phone vibrates.

“That reminds me.” He looks down at the phone in my hand. “Your new phone just got here. Matthew is setting it up as we speak. He’ll come collect your phone and have one of the interns transfer your contacts since we can’t sync it to your old account. But you need to be selective with who you transfer to the new phone. You can keep your old one, but it will serve as a secondary phone only. And we’ll need to screen any calls and texts that come in.”

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea. My phone has not stopped ringing or getting texts. All night and morning. It’s like anyone I’ve ever known in my life wants to suddenly get a hold of me.” I look down at the phone. “But this is Emily.”

I answer before the final ring. “Hey, Emily.”

“Where are you? Matthew said the photo stop went well, but that was fifteen minutes ago. Remember we’re having a team meeting before the actual meeting with Mr. Langford?”

“I know, sorry. Asher needed something, I’m up in his office right now.”

“Oh. Well, get here when you can, then. But we really do need to go over a few things as soon as possible.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“I need to go,” I say to Asher, hanging up the call. “Are you good?”

“For now. We still need to talk about last night. I know that’s the real reason you weren’t at breakfast.”

I’m silent for a moment. “What is there to say?”

“I don’t want to fight like that.” His eyes are softer than normal, but his jaw is still tense as he looks down at me. “I fight all day, every day. I fight for deals, I fight for an edge, I fight for this company, for my family, for my employees. All I do is fight. So, the last thing I want to do when I get home is fight some more.”

“I’m sorry that that is your reality, Asher. I really am. And I want to be there for you, however I can. But I’m not just going to go with what you want because you don’t want to fight. That’s not the way relationships work.”

“I know that. But I also need you to understand there are certain things I can’t and won’t bend on.”

I speak quietly since we’re at the office and not his penthouse, even though my temper is rising again. “And there are things I also won’t bend on. So, per our argument last night, if you’re expecting me to be okay with a call girl visiting you in your penthouse while I’m upstairs, you can think again. And if you think I’m going to fuck some call boy while you’re downstairs, you can think again. That’s so weird and awkward to me. You’re not the only one who gets to have a strong belief and get your way with it.”

“That’s not how the arrangement would work.”

“I don’t have time to discuss the specifics of ‘how it would work’ with you right now. I’m missing a meeting to argue about this asinine idea of yours. So, I’ll leave it at this: fuck whoever you want to fuck, and I’ll do the same. But it can’t happen at the penthouse. I know this is an insane official-but-not-official relationship, but that line is too messy for me. And don’t you dare get caught! We’re in this situation because you got caught sticking your dick where it didn’t belong.” His eyes flash with anger at that. “And the last thing I want to be is the poor cheated on girlfriend in the media.”

I turn and barrel out of his office.

“Ella,” he growls from behind. “Get back here.”

“I have a meeting to get to!” I snap without turning back to look at him.