Page 109 of The Temporary Fiancée
Olivia lets out a breath, her hands folded. “That’s true.”
“You’ve showed me a few of your text conversations with him. He wasdefinitelythe one harassing you. It’s obvious, and if you leak a few of those to the public, everyone else will see it too.”
Olivia glances at me, and I give her an encouraging nod.
“I don’t know,” she says uncertainly. “I don’t want to get down in the mud with him, you know? I’m worried I’m just going to make it worse.”
“It seems like it could only get better,” Riley says, giving her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Come on. This feels like the right thing to do. You’ve gotta stand up for yourself.”
Olivia stares at the floor, wringing her hands together and biting her lip. I know that look. She’s still unsure.
“This asshole shouldn’t get to just walk all over you,” I add. “Riley’s right. And I’ll help you. I’ll have your back. I promise.”
Finally, Olivia looks up. As she locks eyes with me, I realize it’s the first time she’s met my gaze since our argument at the party. There’s a little bit of fear there, but determination, too.
“Okay,” she says. “What do we need to do?”
Chapter 24
Olivia
Reed’s planstarts with an interview. I’ve suspected that something like this was coming for a while, and dreading it the whole time. I didn’t think it would happen so soon, though.
When he gets off the phone and leaves his home office, he tells me that he’s scheduled the interview for later in the same day.
“We need to move fast on this,” he explains. “Quickly, before people lose interest in the story. PR wants us on top of this, and we need to take control of it.”
I nod in silent agreement, but I’m beyond nervous. There’s an unpleasant feeling in my stomach as the two of us get in the elevator. Riley stays behind in the penthouse. She’s on the phone with Cole, explaining to him what happened.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I mutter as the elevator doors open. I’ve changed into a dress for the interview, and I nervously tug at the fabric. Outside of the glass front doors of The Luxe, I can see one of Reed’s cars idling at the curb—the coupe. He must be driving me himself.
“You can do this.” He reaches out and gives my shoulder a squeeze. After the past few days, it’s hard to admit howcomforting that is. “And I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”
“But I’m so upset. They’re all going to be able to see that.”
“Of course you’re upset,” he says. “Your ex-boss lied about you to the entire world. You want to set the record straight.”
He seems agitated, tense. His jaw is tight with what seems like anger, but at least he’s not angry at me—and his anger on my behalf is actually reassuring.
“Who is this interview with?” I ask.
“Maisy O’Conner,” Reed replies. He pulls a slight grimace, then sighs. “She’s a seasoned reporter who wrote an article on me a few years ago.Thearticle, actually.”
Despite the situation, a reluctant smile tugs at my lips. “Wait. You don’t mean ‘We Need To Talk About Reed Eastwood,’ do you?”
He groans, rubbing his forehead. “The one and only. Don’t tell me you’ve read it.”
“I hate to break it to you, but I think everyone’s read it.”
“I can’t stand that article,” he mutters. For a moment, it’s funny to me, but the laughter dies in my throat when I remember what’s happening to me. If we don’t get this situation under control, this could be my version of that nightmare. Only everything Keller said about me is a lie.
And now I’m back to feeling sick to my stomach.
Reed opens the passenger door of the car for me, then goes to take the wheel. As he starts the car, he explains, “My father had Maisy on deck for an interview. It was supposed to be in a few weeks, but… PR had it moved up.”
I nod, fidgeting restlessly, as he puts the car into drive and takes off down the street. For a few minutes of the drive, he’s silent, but as we roll to a stop at a red light, I can feel his eyes on me.
“Riley said there were texts from your old boss. Evidence. What kinds of things would he say?”
