Page 110 of Oh, Puck!
"Maybe. Or she's fishing for a story. Reporters fish."
"Declan, that guy just told us wemake a good pairand then said everyone's saying it. That's not fishing. That's… that's a boat full of fish. That's a whole fish market."
I do a full spin beneath the sun, needing to move from the nervous energy zapping through me.
"Do you understand what happens if this comes out wrong? If it comes out as arumor, as gossip, asSusie Wrath's exclusive? I won't beJosie Whitfield who saved the franchise anymore. I'll just be the girl who slept with the captain."
"Josie—"
"That's the headline. That's the whole story, Declan. Everything else gets deleted."
"Josie, that's not going to happen."
"Apparently it alreadyishappening! Declan,this is exactly why I want to tell itfirst."
Declan steps in closer, helping me to stop, breathe, and lower my fucking voice as a flock of tourists head towards the pier.
"That's why I said what I said on the balcony," I continue. "Telling people isn't just about my mother, Declan."
He shifts closer, angling his big body between me and the foot traffic, creating this little pocket of privacy in the middle of the busiest boardwalk in town.
"Tell me," he says. "Tell me what it's about then. Help me understand."
I look up at him, appreciating the attempt to help me.
"That night in San Francisco. When you told me about your dad. About carrying that secret since you were twelve because saying it out loud would break your family." My throat tightens. "I laid there afterward thinking about how much I hated him for making you live like that. And then it hit me… I've been doing the exact same thing my whole life. Hiding the job. Hiding the move. Hidingme. I've spent twenty-six years editing myself down into the girl my mother could tolerate."
For a moment he doesn't say anything, he just listens.
The wind pulls at my ponytail and I just want to run onto the beach and stick my head in the water just to wash that photographers words from my mind.
You two make a great pair. Great chemistry.
The worst part is, he's right.
We are great. Really great.
That's why I don't want to fuck this up.
"I watched what secrets did to your family, Declan. And I realized I'mtired. I don't want to be sixty years old and still lying about where I work."
His hand comes up, right there in the open where anyone could see us. Anyone could snap another photo as he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"You know I want it too," he says. "Right?"
My heart forgets its job entirely.
"You do?"
"Josie. I've spent a week trying to talk myself out of it, and I can't. I'm sick of pretending I don't know what you look like first thing in the morning. I'm sick of sitting across the table from you in meetings like you're just—" his mouth quirks, "—this woman. I want to walk into Breakers with my hand on your ass and let Mack draw whatever conclusions he wants."
"Okay. That's now the most romantic thing you've ever said to me."
"But I don't want to blow up what you're working on here either," he continues. "I don't want to do it before Portland. Not before you get everything you've worked for. That'syourmoment."
"So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying I'll give you want you want." He tips my chin up, forces my eyes to his. "But we do itafterthe game. After you sell out that arena and shove it in everyone's face who ever doubted you. Take the moment that you deserve, then we tell them.Together. Loudly, if you want. I'll even let Beck make a whole TikTok about it if that's what you want."
