Now he was back in LA, finishing up a few things before the movie finally wrapped. I had missed him more than I thought possible. Going four or five days between seeing him hadn’t been so bad, but going for weeks was a killer. It was my first real insight into what life would be like with him. Me in Boston, and him God knows where. We talked every single day, sometimes multiple times. I had tried to remain positive, but the truth was, I honestly wasn’t sure how I felt about it all. I hadn’t made the trip out to LA yet, only because I wasn’t as sure as Luke was that we could keep our relationship on the down low in California.
The key was keeping busy and staying off the Internet and searching for his name, which was hard to do. In my searches, I’d stumbled upon old relationships and had gotten sucked into reading some comments. Lord, women were mean when they wanted to be.
I turned from the large windows in my office and sat down at my desk. A large bouquet of red roses was perched on my desk, and I couldn’t help but smile each time I saw it. Pulling the card out, I read it once more.
I miss you more than anything, love. Please think about flying out this weekend.
I love you,
Luke
I sighed and dropped back in my seat. I picked up a file and forced myself to open it. I was helping another lawyer with a case he was working, and I really needed to look up a few laws I was rusty on.
A light knock on my office door pulled me out of my thoughts. “Come in.”
Wendy came rushing in. “Did you see this about Luke?”
Other than Luke’s family, she was the only person who knew I was dating him. Every time I went back home to Boggy Creek and tried to work up the nerve to at least tell Willa, I would back out. I had no idea what I was afraid of. This was Willa. I knew she would never tell a soul, yet something kept me from confessing. Maybe it was because I was afraid she’d tell me I was insane for dating an actor. That long-distance relationships ultimately failed.
“See what?” I asked. Wendy looked worried. Really worried. I jumped up. “What’s wrong?”
She handed me her phone and I scanned the headline.
Luke Walters seen leaving Hotel Bel-Air hand in hand with Kathleen Daughtry.
There was a picture of Luke walking out of the hotel, holding hands with Kathleen. He almost looked like he was pulling her out to a waiting car.
“Fuck,” I whispered. “She lives in Boggy Creek Valley.”
“Wait, what!?” Wendy gasped as she sat down in one of the chairs opposite my desk.
I nodded. “Yeah, she built a house there. Aiden’s—my best friend Willa’s husband—construction company built it. Or is building it. I don’t think it’s done yet. He can’t stand her, from what Willa tells me. She apparently came on to Aiden when they first met, and he quickly shut her down.”
Wendy raised a brow. “She doesn’t have a very good reputation. Sleeps with a lot of actors and is a royal bitch, or so I’ve read.”
I stared at the picture as I attempted to clear my ramped thoughts. I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions, because I wasn’t that insecure.
Or was I?
I suddenly had the urge to jump on a plane and go scratch that bitch’s eyes out. Or maybe I wanted to curl up into a ball, pull the covers over my head and cry.
Shit, what in the hell is wrong with me?
Handing Wendy’s phone back, I smiled. Okay, it was forced, but I felt like it was believable enough.
“Are you going to ask him about it?” Wendy asked.
I shrugged and tried like hell to project an attitude that said I wasn’t the least bit worried. “I’m sure it will come up in our next conversation.”
Her eyes went big and round. “It sure as hell better, Brighton! I mean, I know a lot of times the media prints bullshit, but they are leaving a hotel together.”
I cleared my throat as I attempted to make my next words seem like I believed them a hundred percent when I didn’t. “It could have been a simple business meeting, Wendy.”
“At a hotel?”
Okay, that one did bug me a bit. But I also knew meetings were held in hotels all the time, and I knew in my heart Luke wouldn’t hurt me.
I gave Wendy a look. “Did you happen to pull up those older lawsuits I asked about earlier this morning? Or have you been too busy stalking my boyfriend on social media?”
“It was on People’s website, and they’re reliable.”
I jerked my head up and met her gaze. “Uh-huh…that doesn’t answer my question.”