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Another voice chimed in. “He’s cute for a shackle.”
Order was gone.
“Why haven’t we met him before?”
“He’s famous, right?”
“Does he know any basketball players?”
“Movie stars?”
“Is he good in bed?”
“Hey, Violet, my gaydar is going nuts over your new husband.”
A fist squeezed my lungs, and I fought to breathe. I couldn’t lie to these kids. “Pack your stuff.” My words came out sharper than I intended. “This is all personal.” I tried to soften my tone. “You can talk to any of the other volunteers if you have questions. I’ll be right back.”
I headed outside as fast as I could without looking like I was running.
“Violet.” Hunter’s voice hit my back.
I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t—
He grabbed my arm and spun me.
I tried to gulp in the air, but it didn’t work. Was this a panic attack? I was going to pass out. What the fuck was I doing?
“Hey.” Hunter cupped my cheeks and forced my gaze to his. “Focus on me. Nothing else.”
“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” My reply was shrill. “The focus is on you. Nothing else.”
He didn’t flinch. “Focus on my face. My voice. Climb out of your head, and live out here for a few.”
I did what he said, pouring my attention toward his touch. His calm presence. “I can’t do this.” I managed to keep my voice steady. “I can’t lie to those kids—to everyone. Nothing personal toward you.”
“I get it.” Hunter studied me. “Do you want me to call a lawyer? We’ll tell everyone the truth right now.”
If we did that, he’d have to deal with the fallout. Letting Ramsey down. His parents.
“What about... everything?” I floundered for a better word. If I backed out, I let him down, and I reneged on a promise. That was at least as bad as what we were doing now. “Why isn’t there a third way to do this?”
“Maybe there is.”
“How?”
“If there’s one thing dating Ramsey taught me, it was how to keep a relationship private. We don’t have to do this in front of the cameras. If you want a third option, an in-between point, that’s it. We do this, but privately.”
I couldn’t see it. “You live a public life.”
“Ramseylives a public life. Most of our day-to-day isn’t together. You and I will be the same.”
But that wasn’t the problem. “I don’t give a fuck what the public thinks. What about the people we care about? Your parents will want to meet me. Lyn’s throwing us a surprise party—surprise by the way, you didn’t hear that from me.”
“Do you want out?” Hunter’s question was sincere, free of any accusation.
Thatpeople we care aboutincluded him. If ended things now, I definitely let him down now. If I didn’t, I let other people down later. “I don’t know.”
“Then work with me to sort out the cleanest way possible to do this.”
