Echo (Bleeding Hearts #1)(56)
I glanced up at him, trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind his words. But he stopped himself short and pulled away.
“I think you’re right,” he said. “It would be better if we spent the night apart.”
When the words were reversed on me, I could see how much they stung, even if that wasn’t his intention. It was my idea, but now there was distance between us, and I didn’t like it. I thought he was on the verge of confessing the truth to me, and now he was withdrawing back into himself.
“Ryland…” I reached for him, but he walked away.
“Get some sleep, Brighton,” he said. “I’ll see you at work.”
***
“This is insane,” I sobbed, pacing back and forth across the living room. My shaky hands scoured through page after endless page of photographs from the night before.
Photographs of Ryland and I in our ‘private room’ at the members-only club. Of me sitting on his lap while he fed me chocolate cake. Of our lips locked in a tangle of passion. And the worst, of me half-naked in his arms while he caressed my body. They’d blurred them out for the public, but it didn’t change the fact that someone was watching us while we were in there.
The banging on the front door resumed, and Nicole looked like she was going to have a nervous breakdown from the stress. When she’d heard Ryland demanding to speak to me, she didn’t even register surprise. But she did seem to be worrying herself sick at the rising anger in his voice.
“I don’t think I can hold him off much longer,” she eyed the entryway wearily.
“It’s fine, Nicole,” I said. “I’ll tell him myself.”
I stomped over to the door and edged it open, careful to show I had no intention of inviting him in. But true to Ryland’s nature, he barged in anyway, crushing me against his chest as I tried to fight him off.
“I didn’t do this,” he swore. “Those photos were from a member, and as soon as I find out who…”
“I don’t give a shit!” I pulled away from him. “This is your fault! I’m half naked on every gossip rag from here to New York, and it’s all because of you.”
He flinched at my words and sank onto one of the barstools in the kitchen. Now that I looked at him, I could see how upset he really was. All morning I’d been thinking this only affected me. That Ryland wouldn’t care. But it was there on his face. The guilt weighed heavily on him, and I’d never seen him look so lost.
Deep down, I knew it wasn’t his fault. He hadn’t arranged for it to go this far. The articles stated clear as day the source was another member of the club. And if I was being honest with myself, I could have stopped him last night. But I chose to fool around in a public place, and now I was paying the consequences.
Seeing my weakness, he reached out and held his hand towards me, imploring me to take it. The moment my fingers touched his, he pulled me against him, laying his head against my belly as he circled his arms around my waist.
“I would never intentionally let anyone see you that way,” he declared. “You have to believe that, baby girl.”
“I know,” I whispered. “But what’s done is done. I won’t even be able to show my face at work again. God, what am I going to do?”
“I’m taking care of the situation,” he assured me. “I have my lawyers handling everything. They are going to get those photos back. No matter what it costs. And you don’t have to come back to the office. I will take care of you, whatever you need.”
His words surprised me, and for a moment I tried to see the hidden motivation behind his offer. But I was so sick of playing this game. Of constantly trying to see the truth behind all the walls he erected to keep me out. And I was much too proud of a person to take him up on that offer anyway.
“I can’t do that.” I shook my head miserably. “I need to work, but this is just so humiliating.”
“Nobody’s going to say anything to you,” Nicole spoke from behind me. “I’ll make sure of it, Brighton.”
***
Nicole offered to take me to her yoga class that evening, claiming it would help soothe my frazzled nerves. Between that and the bottle of wine we drank when we stopped for dinner on the way home, it kind of did.
The minute we got back to the apartment, there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Ryland, looking even more exhausted than he was this morning. His usually perfect hair was messy, and even his shirt was wrinkled. He’d been battling with the media all day.
“I know you probably want to spend the night alone,” he said softly. “But I wanted to show you something.”
I took his outstretched hand without a fight. “What is it?”
“It’s in my apartment.”
I followed him down the hall and onto the elevator, sensing his nerves growing with each floor we passed. When we arrived at his door, he led me inside and straight towards one of the spare bedrooms.
“This isn’t me trying to fix things,” he said, “but if it helps, then I’m okay with that.”
“What are you talking about?”
He pushed open the door and ushered me inside, his entire body tensing as I took in the sight before me.
Stacked against one of the walls were rows of shelving that had been custom built. Swatches and entire rolls of different colored fabrics burst from every storage bin and cupboard as far as the eye could see.