Page 33 of Rivals and Liars

The Spanish woman nods and pulls her legs up onto the mattress, crossing them and wrapping her hands around her ankles.

"I'm sorry. I know I told you that until my contract with them was up, you and I couldn't—"

"It's not because you signed, Leire. I get that. I've known for a long time that the image clause is just an excuse."

Leire stares at her, eyes wide.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"What would have been the point? That would've just been another form of pressure. I'm not going to force you into something you're not ready for. What bothers me is finding out through social media."

"I know. And I'm sorry. I swear I was going to call you and tell you myself, but Isaac got ahead of me—he didn't say what he was going to do—and, well. You know the rest."

"I came here intending to end whatever we have," Kate admits, and Leire feels her heart freeze inside her chest. "I've thought about it a lot these past few days, and I think it's what's best for me, because it keeps getting harder to live on the margins." Kate sighs. "But I don't think I'm ready for that yet. At least not tonight."

Leire swallows, fully aware of what Kate is telling her—because tonight she's not ready, but tomorrow she might be.

She reaches over and takes Kate's hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing.

"You don't want to pressure me to come out of the closet, and I don't want to pressure you to stay. But I need you to know that I'm trying. That I have conversations with myself. That I stand in front of the mirror and picture myself in front of the cameras telling the world I love you."

Kate feels a faint shiver move through her and squeezes her hand harder.

"I just never know how to do it. Thinking about standing up there in front of millions of people to explain something that should only belong to you and me—" The Spanish woman swallows and grabs the hem of her pants with her free hand, twisting it between her fingers.

"It terrifies you," Kate whispers, and Leire nods.

"I shouldn't be afraid. It would just be one sentence: I'm in love with Kate Brogan," she says it like she's speaking to a camera, and they both smile. "But no matter how many times I tell myself I'll say it at the next press conference, I end up frozen."

"Let's extend the truce a little longer," Kate murmurs.

"This isn't about a truce, baby. Actually, I never should've asked you for one. It's about the fact that I have to make a decision—that we can't keep settling for so little, and I'm not willing to keep hurting you. I've decided to take the step. Not just for us, but because living this way is agony for me. I can't keep doing it."

"What about Costel?"

"Costel can go to hell. I never should've signed that damn renewal. I don't know what'll happen if I break the clause, but I can't imagine it goes beyond voiding the contract and maybe a financial penalty. I'll do it, Kate," she says with conviction. "Just give me a little more time. Let me try to find the right moment without it being forced, because if it's forced, I don't think I can do it."

"Okay."

Leire turns toward her and places a hand at the back of her neck, drawing her in until their foreheads touch.

"I love you. And I'm going to fight for what we have."

"I believe you," Kate whispers, overwhelmed by the rush of emotions flooding through her right now.

She doesn't know what she expected when she came here—beyond sex and uncomfortable silence—but this has been a surprise, a very good one, and it feeds her hope and helps her believe it can work, that they have a future.

Leire smiles against her mouth when she hears her, and leans in until, within seconds, she has the redhead underneath her.

"Tonight I'm going to count every single freckle on your nose," she whispers, kissing her eyelids.

"Count whatever you want," Kate breathes, taking her hand, "but take care of something else first."

Leire lets out a soft laugh before turning her full attention to doing exactly that.

Chapter 17

"I don't give a damn, Candela, use it," Ernesto, the journalist's editor, demands. "It's a perfect fucking story. Leire Cobos renews with Costel for five years and fourteen million — a brand that slaps its 'family values' on every tag of their goddamn clothing — and you've got photos of Cobos making out with Brogan. Publish it or I swear I'll—"