ALEXANDER Ben picked up my call on the first ring the next day. I had expected him to have questions about what had happened, as pictures of Bailee dancing with Caleb and me getting between them were all over the tabloids and news. Nathan had been fielding calls from reporters all day. They all
ALEXANDER“Thank you, Ms. Fuller. I appreciate you meeting with me.” I said, taking the seat across from her. “We’ve been seeing you with Bailee Johnson and her daughter Brinley Johnson. Rumors have it that you’re Brinley’s biological father. Is that true?” “It’s Bailee Evans, and no. Caleb Johnson is Brinley’s father. Bailee is fiercely loyal to those she loves, and I have no doubt that she was completely faithful to her ex-husband. She and I weren’t even in contact during her marriage.” “We already know that is false from the DNA test provided to the judge. Caleb Johnson was proved not to be her father.” She smirked as if she had me. “The test provided by Caleb’s team? Knowing both parties, I know who can and cannot be trusted.” I wanted to look over her shoulder into the camera she had set up there as a message to Caleb, but the viewers would just twist it as me being malicious or lying. “That is a big accusation.” She said, licking her lips with excitement as she adjusted in
BAILEE The second the plane touched down, my stomach twisted so tight I thought it was going to fall right out of my body. I wasn’t even sure if that was possible, but it sure as hell felt like it would happen. Not even Brinley’s constant crying and the passengers around us complaining about he
BAILEE Still, as this was the closest airport and most people moved to the city when they were old enough to leave home, I knew there would be at least one person here who recognized me. Yet, when I looked up, no one was even looking in our direction, to my relief. Brinley gripped my shirt,
ALEXANDER EIGHT YEARS AGO (Eighteen years old) “You’ve been acting off. Did Bailee do something? Jacob told me she's been weird lately, but I think that's because she has a crush on him. But if she did something to make you uncomfortable, I could talk to her.” Ben asked, catching me looking outsi
BAILEE - PRESENT DAY Ben pulled his hat down lower as he opened the door to the employee entrance, allowing me and Brinley to go in first. The best part about the town hating me and my parents was that they avoided the resort like a plague. Instead, it was flooded with tourists, and tourists we
BALIEEMy father looked stressed as he sat behind his desk, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead. He should be. It may be their business, but borrowing that kind of money from my husband should have been something they discussed with me first. At the very least, they should have mention
Ben’s schedule was way more intense than mine was. I worked the same hours every day. He traveled around the country, having practices both in the mornings and the afternoons, and he never had consistent hours because of the time zone shifts. It was just another excuse. “Let’s just get this over w
EPILOGUE “Go, go, go!” Sebastian screamed from next to me, standing and leaning over the person in front of him as if Ben could hear him over the crowd and the glass. Then again, with how loud the man was, he just might. I had only known Bash in passing from when I worked for Ben as his assista
HAVEN ONE MONTH LATER My eyes kept moving from the woman before me to the clock on the wall behind her. I wanted to be here, but I had more important places to be. She had run over with her last client, which made us run over and caused me to be late for an important game. Ben had been stressin
BEN Haven was empty for the next few weeks as she flew back and forth, cleaning out the house her ex-husband had left her. It had been Cynthia’s home, too, and Haven had been taking extra care and devotion to ensuring things were handled and gone through properly. I had gone with her a few times,
HAVEN Her hand was cold, and I adjusted her blanket to cover her arm. The lawyers had come in and refused to admit any fault of the hospital, even though Cynthia had her ID on her and even knew one of the paramedics who brought her in for them to have given the hospital her name. They should ha
HAVEN Sitting in the airport in the middle of the night with a toddler who got angry each time the loudspeaker called for another flight and disturbed her sleep was not what I had been prepared for. My mind was a foggy mess. All I could picture was Cynthia falling down the stairs. How long had sh
BEN Being excited about an ex getting involved in my life might not have been the best thing when things were already tense, but fuck did it feel good to know I did indeed have friends in high places and they were watching my back. Was I still expecting them to hold it over me and try to get me t
BEN It was odd pulling up to the house and finding there wasn’t a single paparazzi in sight. After today’s news, I expected them to be ready to break down my gate for a story, but no one was there. Instead, a blacked-out SUV sat across the street, and my stomach twisted when I realized it was pro
HAVEN I needed to get out of the house. Staying inside was driving me crazy, and I couldn’t take it anymore. My last job interview was a week ago, and while I keep applying, no one wants to hire the woman all over the tabloids with a sex tape. Our PR team managed to get it taken down, but it stil
BEN “Rangers player Benjamin Evans is today’s hot topic. Now fans were petitioning for him to be traded for his performance last season. Even I wanted him gone, and I’ve followed his career since he was being scouted.” The reporters around him laughed, and I gritted my jaw. “I know. I remember hi