Page 101 of I Think He Knows

Our plan worked. The world is once again on Carter’s side.

As if she can hear my thoughts, Angie then asks, “Before I let you go, Carter, do tell us, are the rumors true? Can we expect tomorrow’s press conference forIf Onlyto officially announce your casting as the lead?”

Frick, I’d like to know too, Angie.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to tune in tomorrow to find out, Ang.” Carter lifts a shoulder. “Tonight, I’m here to talk about this movie and the incredible cast and crew who came together to make such a phenomenal action flick.” He shoots the camera a cheeky smile as he slings his arm around me. “Oh, and I’m taking my beautiful fiancée on a great night out too, of course.”

“Oooh. So much secrecy,” Angie’s smile becomes a little predatory as she looks away from Carter and over to me. “Lana Mae, I have to know, do you think that Carter’s hush-hush stance on theIf Onlysituation has anything to do with the recent revelation that he assaulted your ex-partner in Las Vegas, and that said partner is officially pressing charges?”

I frown in total confusion as she sticks the microphone in my face, eyes widened dramatically, like she’s playing this all up for the cameras. But I barely notice her. Her words are bending and twisting around me, a pattern of syllables that make no sense, no matter how hard I try to make them.

Steven… is pressing charges because… Carter assaulted him? In Vegas?!

No. There’s no way.

Anxiety begins to brew in my stomach, then claw up my chest like a wild animal. I turn all of my attention on Carter, and immediately, the rest of the world blurs and fades away behind him.

His hand is still around my shoulder, and I confidently wait for him to squeeze. Let me know that the media are spinning another story and this is all a total lie. Because itisa lie, right?

I wait.

And wait.

He looks…offright now. His face is strained, his eyes dark, his mouth pressed in a harsh line. Carter, who’s usually so unshakeable, currently looks entirely shaken.

No words have been spoken, but I have my answer.

He swallows and leans towards the mic, looking like he’s about to say something, but I swiftly cut him off.

“It wasn’t Carter’s fault!” I’m amazed that my voice is even working right now, let alone that it sounds confident and steady. I keep on talking.“He can press charges all he wants, but nothing will come of it because Carter wasn’t the one in the wrong.”

Angie’s eyes are practically bugging out of her head with glee, and I can only imagine what on earth my defensive response looked like on camera. “Do you really think—”

Carter holds up a firm hand, though his voice has a strained quality that I don’t think is noticeable to anyone else but me. “No further questions, thank you.”

With that, he steers me away from Angie and her intrusive questions and down the carpet. Behind us, the other interviewers are yelling our names, calling after us with questions and comments like this isn’t a movie premiere, but some kind of courthouse press conference. Carter keeps walking us forward, eyes fixed ahead and expression entirely void of emotion.

And as I’m at a total loss of what else I could possibly do right now, I follow suit.

35

CARTER

I don’t know what I’m expecting her to do, but I’m definitely not expecting her to laugh.

“Wow, Angie sure is a real Buttinsky. Mona McCreary is clearly in the wrong line of work.” She smiles flimsily. “Shall we find our seats?”

We’re standing in the foyer of the movie theater, and as she moves to go inside, I grab her arm. Spin her back around to look at me.

She doesn’t. Instead, she looks at the floor.

“Lana Mae,” I say firmly. “We need to talk about this. ”

We’ve been through a lot together over the course of our friendship. I was the one who sat in the waiting room while baby Allegra was born, the one who cuddled her in bed to help her sleep after her mom died, the one who watchesGilmore Girlsreruns with her like it’s my damn job.

I’m now also the person who punched her ex-boyfriend, the father of her child, in the face. Then let her find out about it while she was being interviewed on live TV.

The crazy thing is that, while that revelation literally confirmed everything the press was saying about me and all those terrible rumors, shestillpublicly defended me.