Page 171 of By His Vow

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TATUM

The anxiety I was feeling in the car as we drove into the city only gets worse with every set of eyes that follow me toward my desk.

“Good morning, Tatum. Can I get you a coffee?” Josh asks as he rushes over.

“Y-yeah, that would be great,” I mutter, my skin prickling as almost every person on the floor stares at me with a varying array of emotions on their faces.

Most are happier than usual, and others look confused.

“W-what’s going on?” I whisper, feeling like I’ve missed out on something huge.

His smile widens as he stares at me. “Congratulations, Tatum,” he says quickly before spinning around and marching toward our break room to make my coffee.

I quickly scan the office full of intrigued faces before I turn toward my office and rush inside.

Digging around inside my purse, I search for my cell.

The second it’s in my grasp, I turn it on, only to find the red dead battery sign flashing at me.

“Fantastic,” I mutter as I dump my purse on the floor, drop into my chair and reach for my charger.

The seconds seem to turn into minutes as I wait for it to power up, and the second it does, it lights up like a Christmas tree with notifications.

The majority are from Lori, but there are loads of others as well.

I’m staring at them all filling my screen when it begins ringing in my hand.

“Hey, Lor. What’s?—”

“That ring is fucking gorgeous,” she shrieks down the line.

“W-what?”

“And it was so romantic. Like, every girl’s dream proposal.”

My hand trembles and my heart begins to pound. “W-what are you talking about?”

I don’t know why I’m asking; I already know the answer.

“Tate, the photos are everywhere. It’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Where?” I ask, turning my computer on.

She laughs. “Literally everywhere. Wait…you didn’t know?”

My breathing becomes erratic as my web browser finally opens and I click onto a popular gossip site.

“Oh my god,” I whisper as a very clear photograph of Kingston and me on the deck of that cabin appears before me.

Private.

I thought it was private.

I thought it was just me and him. Something that we’d shared between us. A moment where everything changed, where the chemistry that was crackling finally bubbled over and we gave in.

I scroll down, ignoring whatever the journalist has written, and focus on the images.