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“You’re safe with me, Nick. If you need a hug or a cuddle or someone to vent to, I’m here.”
“Thanks.” I sighed and hugged him tighter. “I’m not mad at you anymore.”
“I’m glad.”
“I’m pissed as hell at him.”
“I don’t blame you. Do you want to talk about what happened today?”
“How much do you know?”
“Nothing. I don’t keep tabs on your day-to-day life or listen in on your conversations or phone calls. I just make sure you’re safe from afar and keep an eye out for anything that might help us find this asshole.”
“My boss told us she’s closing the café and today was my last shift.”
“I’m sorry, Nicky.”
“I’ll be fine. I have my other job, and this one. And all my bills are paid for the next few months. It was just a shock. I went in expecting a normal day and instead my whole world got flipped upside down. Then this stuff with you and Evan and the letters…and I freaked Gray out.”
“Gray? How did you freak him out?”
“I FaceTimed him while I was trying to figure out if you were a random dude or a serial killer and I couldn’t tell him it was you because I can’t tell him about Evan and this arrangement and now he’s freaked out.” I smushed my face into his chest. “I’m a terrible friend.”
“I’m sure you’re not.”
“I am. I’ve been lying to him, to everyone, for months. And Gray isn’t just my bestie. He and Aiden are my platonic soulmates. Do you know how soul-crushing it is to lie to the people who’ve chosen to love you? And the thing about Gray is he has massive abandonment issues, and he’s hypersensitive to rejection because of his walking dildo of a sperm donor. I’m hurting him every time I lie or brush him off. And the worst part is he’s too nice to call me on it, so instead he internalizes his pain and it comes out in other, usually unhealthy ways.Andhe’s got some shit going on with his stepbrother and I can’t be there for him because I have to keep my stupid mouth shut about everything happening in my life.”
“I’m just tossing this out there, but your and Evan’s relationship isn’t secret.”
“What do you mean?”
“Evan’s family has a lot of connections, and they’re regularly talked about in certain circles. There’s press about you out there.”
“Really?” I untangled myself from him.
“You have to search for it, and I’m sure it’s not in any sources your friends read, but it’s public knowledge that you’re with him.”
I just stared at him. “I know you’re dropping hints, but my brain is too messy to pick up what you’re putting down.”
“Telling your friends you’re dating Evan doesn’t go against the NDA. Mentioning anything about the contract and your arrangement does.”
“So I can tell Gray and my friends I have a boyfriend and that’s why I’ve been so busy? I don’t have to keep lying to everyone?”
“You can. The key is to not mention anything about a contract, monetary compensation, or that the relationship is fake. Anything else is fair game.”
“Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod. Thank you!” I launched myself into his lap.
He caught me with a belly laugh and let me hug him like a crazed monkey.
“You have no idea how much lying to everyone has been stressing me out. How guilty I feel every time I lie to Gray or the twins or anyone else from the club about why I’m taking a night off or why I can’t hang out with them.”
“Now you don’t have to do that.”
I wiggled off his lap and settled next to him with my head on his shoulder. “Do you powerlift?”
“You can tell?”
“Powerlifters are usually more comfy than bodybuilders. You’re really comfy.”
