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“I was fucked up over seeing you…touching you.” He scrubs a hand through his hair. “I went for a jog to try to burn it off, and when I got back Lisa was there. Instead of brushing off her advances like I usually did, I let her put her hands on me. It was fucking careless. I didn’t consider the security cameras or the consequences. I just wanted to block out everything.”
It’s an explanation I understand, knowing what it’s like to just want to escape the pain.
“It was a difficult time for both of us.” My arms go around him. “You don’t have to explain.”
“I need to.” His hands gently push me back. “It didn’t go any further with Lisa. I never slept with her. I didn’t lie to you about that. But I was wrong to let her touch me that way after seeing you. I was wrong to use her as some poor substitute when I only wanted you. When I was only picturing you. Imagining you. I know it sounds like the same bullshit again with Tamara. I’m not proud of it, Dee. I have no excuse. But I don’t want you to think that I would go to—”
“Mick.” I bracket his face, forcing him to stop. “That’s all in the past. We’ve both changed. For ourselves and for each other. I’m not worried about you going to another woman in a fit of anger or for any reason. Seeing the video shook me at first. It brought up old memories and insecurities. But it didn’t break me. It didn’t break us. Nothing can.”
ChapterThirty-Four
Micah
Whoever coinedpatience is avirtueshould have their ass kicked. Twenty-four hours in and I’m no closer to clearing my name.
“I appreciate this isn’t what you wanted to hear,” Nolan continues apologetically, “but our only course of action is a subpoena. I will file the documents first thing in the morning and have it expedited. Barring no unforeseen issues—which I don’t expect—the video should be in our hands, end of week.”
Not long by normal standards. But the longer the rumor circulates, the less the truth will matter. My marriage—sacred to me—is being tainted by the hour because of a malignant lie. I’d vowed to protect Dee from my fame. I failed.
I want to put my fist through the office wall, rip something apart. Fire Nolan. But what good would that do? He’s a trusted legal advisor that’s been working around the clock for me. Everyone on my team has. Asher putting out media fires, Stiles tracking down information.
None of this resembles the normal life I wanted to give Dee. I scrape my fingers through my hair, hating that horrible feeling of helplessness and lack of control.
“I’m sorry, Mick. It’s the best I can offer.” Nolan pauses and clears his throat as if waiting for the ax to drop.
“Do what you need to do.” I disconnect and wait several beats before facing Dee.
A single lamp glows in the bedroom. She’s changed into pajama bottoms and a peach camisole with spaghetti straps; the outline of her plump breasts is visible beneath the soft stretch of cotton. She’s sitting up in bed against the headboard; her legs bent at the knees, her feet nestled in socks, writing in her notebook. The light shines on her sable curls and freshly scrubbed face. She looks up. Her wary eyes watch me in a way that makes my heart pound.
I take a breath. “Management won’t release the video without a subpoena.”
“I’m so sorry, Mick.”
“I’m the one that’s sorry.” I lower to her side of the bed and brush my fingertips down her cheek. “I wanted this to be over and done with. Quickly. For you. For us.”
“I know.” She sets the book aside and catches my hand to hold in her lap. “What reason did they give?”
“Lisa got to them with threats of suing over privacy issues.”
“That’s crap!” she snaps. “The video is already out there, what claim of privacy could she possibly have?”
“None. But it spooked them just the same. Their lawyers responded that they wouldn’t get in the middle of a personal dispute between two condo owners.”
“Lisa knows the video will clear you and is obviously trying to stall the truth from coming out for as long as possible.”
“I’m going to talk to her.”
“No, Mick. You can’t reason with her.”
“I’m not planning to reason with her. Right now, Lisa thinks you and my marriage are my weak spots. She’s exploiting that. She needs to know having a weak spot doesn’t make me weak. It makes me fucking ruthless.”
“You go to her all guns-a-blazing will play right into her hands. She wants you riled up and angry. But more than that, she’s craving your attention. Trust me, if you give it to her, there will be no end to her vindictive ploys and tactics. You don’t want that.”
“No,” I concede, my blood boiling. “But I can’t just wait it out while Nolan works on getting a subpoena.”
“You have to.” She puts her arms around me, and strokes my back to soothe. “It’s not weak or passive to wait. It’s smart and strategic.”
“The shit that’s out there—”
