Page 110 of The Encounter
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Or she’ll continue to make up stories like she has been to smear me even more.”
Kayla set a hand on Maddie’s arm. “The girl is jealous of you, Maddie. And it shows with every article she writes. She wants to be with Jace, but she can’t have him. It’s killing her, and it’s turning her into an incredibly shitty journalist… if you can even call her that. She sounds more like a scorned lover.”
“You think so?”
“Girl, I can tell. I’ve religiously read that tabloid, and even I’m cringing at how trashy it’s gotten lately. And it’s not just because she’s trashing my best friend.”
Maddie laughed. “Thanks.”
“Think about what you want. Do you want to be with Jace?”
“Of course I do. I just don’t know if I can mentally handle it if all this continues.”
“So then you need to ask yourself if you can live without him. I think that’ll be your answer.”
Kayla patted Maddie’s arm and scooted off the bed. “If you feel like joining the living tonight, I’m going to snuggle up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and watch a Hallmark. I need to get my fill of cheesy Christmas movies before school starts again. I’d love it if you would join me.”
“You aren’t hanging out with Robert or working?”
“Nah. There’s a private event at the club tonight, and thankfully, I’m not needed. But he is. And, to be honest, my pelvis needs a rest.”
Maddie burst out laughing. “God, Kayla. Too much!”
“Is it though?” She winked before walking out the door.
Maddie sighed and pushed herself up and out of bed. She grabbed a robe hanging from a hook on her closet door and pulled it around herself before heading down the steps.
“Oh yay! You’re joining me?” Kayla exclaimed as soon as Maddie walked into the room.
Maddie nodded and pointed at Kayla’s bag of popcorn. “We’re going to need more popcorn than that. And wine. Lots of wine.”
“On it!” Kayla said, immediately jumping up and going into the kitchen. “I’ll make more popcorn. You figure out which bottle to pop open.”
Maddie looked over the few bottles of wine on their wine rack and settled on a red. She walked into the kitchen and screwed the corkscrew into it and pulled the cork out before emptying the bottle into a glass decanter.
“Whoa!” Kayla said.
“Go big or go home.” Maddie carried the decanter into the living room and set it on the coffee table. Then she returned for wine glasses.
Kayla had just pulled the second bag of popcorn from the microwave and emptied it into a bowl when a knock sounded on the door. They exchanged looks, no one moving to answer the door.
Kayla nudge her. “You should answer it.”
“What if it’s a reporter?”
“Check through the peephole first.”
Maddie gave Kayla a strange look. They had been ignoring all knocks on the door unless they were expecting someone, which told Maddie that Kayla knew who was there. She walked to the door and peered through the peephole.
A large bouquet of flowers was all she could see. She pulled the door open and half expected to find Jace on the other side. Without realizing how badly it hurt for it not to be him, her heart broke and she frowned at the person standing in front of her. It wasn’t anyone she knew.
“Hi. Can I help you?” she asked.
“I have a delivery for a Madelyn Carter,” the man said.
“That’s me.”
He smiled brightly. “If you will just sign at the bottom of this clipboard, I’ll be on my way.”
