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“Whenever he lands on the front page of the tabloids, it’s because of her.” This was from Marcus. “I thought I told you to keep your distance from her.”
“Just what in the hell were the two of you up to last night?” Laura piped in.
“Did you explain everything to her, Colin? Does she understand?” Mrs. Woodhouse asked.
“Nicole, I hope you’re being careful in case this is another one of his tricks,” Audrey said.
“Coley, I found this journal on your bedside table. I thought you’d like to have it.” Lindsey was the last to make her voice heard.
Nicole jumped from the bed. “Get out! Everyone, get out of my room.” She pointed to the door. “I will be downstairs shortly to answer any questions you may have.” She jerked the journal from her sister’s hands. “This was private, Lindsey. Just because we share a room doesn’t mean we share everything.”
Lindsey leaned over, whispering. “You should let him read it since it’s all about him.”
Nicole rolled her eyes, pointing toward the door. “Get out, Lindsey. Now!” Her sister giggled, filing out behind the others.
Her fingers tightened around the journal. She had no intention of ever showing this to Reece. It was so intimate, so vulnerable, and so raw. It would scare him away if he truly knew the intensity of her feelings.
He was leaning against the headboard, putting his hands behind his head. “What did Lindsey give you?”
Her lips twisted. “It’s my journal. I don’t know why she brought it here.” She raked her hands through her hair. “I don’t know why she’s here, or my father, or Audrey.” She frowned at him. “What’s going on?”
He patted the bed. “As you Americans like to say, the shit is about to hit the fan.”
“What do you mean?”
He shook his head. “Let’s get downstairs. You can hear it for yourself.” He tried to take the journal from her hands, but she jerked away, hiding it behind her back. “Is it about me?”
She was biting her lip. “Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I sit up and write. This is an outline for a new story. I don’t know why Lindsey thought it was about you.”
He knew she was lying. “You’ll have to let me read it some time.”
“Why bother? It’s not like we’re friends anymore.”
“According to you, we were never friends.”
She studied her feet. “We were friends, Reece. Once, but . . .” She didn’t want to rehash their argument.
“We could be again, Nicole. We could be so much more than that.” She continued to avoid his gaze. “But I can see you’re not interested in making amends.”
“I didn’t say that . . .” She didn’t say more, watching him rise from the bed.
“Don’t worry, luv, I’m a big boy. I can handle rejection.” He moved to the door. “Come along, we have an office full of people eager to shout at us.”
Nicole followed him down the stairs and around the corner to the back room. The voices were streaming down the hall. She caught snippets of conversation as she came to stand beside him in the doorway.
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“What is this all about?” she asked, looking up at him.
Reece took her hand, lifting it to his mouth, kissing her fingers. “Don’t worry. It’s all going to be explained in short order.”
His mother noticed them first. “I wanted to have this meeting at my office, but in light of the most recent events…”
“What recent events, Mum?”
“Your faces are plastered all over the papers again.” Marcus tossed the newssheet at him.
Reece perused the page. He didn’t see what the hoopla was about. All he and Nicole were doing was standing on the steps with their heads together. “What of it?”
