Page 150 of Faking the Shot
Her lips lifted, then fell.
“What is it?”
“Aren’t you worried about what your family and friends would say?” Her lips twisted. “I saw what your mom wrote.”
“How? I told her to delete it straightaway.”
“It’s still floating around some parts of Facebook. Rosie was so kind to let me know.”
God bless her. “The magic of the internet, huh? It never goes away.”
Her lips pressed together again, and he realized something else that might never go away.
She peeked at him. “There are more images of me.”
“The police still haven’t found who it is?”
“They think, we all think, it’s Baden Daniels.”
“Your ex?”
“How did you know that?” she asked quickly.
“Benson mentioned something, but didn’t say what it was.”
She shifted forward, rubbed her forehead, and her hair swung to caress her cheek. She glanced at him. “You really want to know?”
“Only if you think I really need to know.”
She sighed, and turned to face him more fully. “Baden was this older actor on the first show I ever did.” As she explained, he found himself get more agitated. He clenched his hands and gritted his teeth so he didn’t say something he’d regret.
“So I guess it’s safe to say that he certainly affected my ability to trust a man,” she admitted.
Baden Daniels had a lot to answer for. “I’m so sorry that happened.”
“I guess it’s why I’ve always been quick to pull the pin on a relationship rather than end up feeling used like that again.”
“Is that what you did with us on Valentine’s Day?”
She nodded. “I’m so sorry. I got scared, and worried that you didn’t really like or want me, so I pushed you away before you could do that to me.”
“Ains.” He reached across. It felt like a gift when she let him hold her hand. “I know that day was hard, but can we just leave that as a messy way that the fake relationship ended, so we can start fresh in a real relationship?”
“You really want a real relationship with me?”
“I want nothing more.”
“Oh, Zac.”
Before he knew it, she had launched herself at him, and was hugging him tight, whispering against his neck, “I’m sorry.Sosorry. Please forgive me.”
“Hey, none of that. We’re starting over and it’s all fresh. New. Just like we are in God, right?”
“Oh, I can’t believe how good you are to me.”
“That’s because I love you.”
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