Chapter 35
TJ
Iquickly handled our bill with Betsy and then got Lucy back into my truck.
The mood was a complete one-eighty from the last time we were in here.
I keep an eye on Lucy as I drive us to my house.
I called Anton, and he’s having one of Rose’s sisters go into Daisy’s and get some of Lucy’s things.
He’s going to bring them to my place, and we’ll figure out what to do from there.
Lucy has a vise-grip on my hand where it’s holding hers on the center console. Anxiety and tension radiate from her. I’m tense because she’s tense, and I don’t know how to fix it.
I turn into my neighborhood, and my shoulders relax a fraction. It’ll be good to be home. I wind through the neighborhood until I get to my street, and one look at my house makes any ounce of comfort I felt evaporate. There are all sorts of cars and media in my driveway.
Lucy slinks further down in her seat. She looks frantically at me as I casually drive past my house, never more grateful for the truck’s tinted windows. “TJ, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
“Don’t apologize. This isn’t on you. The paparazzi have too much time on their hands.”
She takes her hand from mine and uses it to cover her face. “I can’t believe this. I brought all this media to your doorstep. Nobody has ever bothered you here before me, and now what are you going to do? Your home address will be splashed all over the internet.”
“You’re not the one leaking my home address.”
“I know that,” she grits out. “But you wouldn’t be in this mess if you weren’t tangled up with me.”
“Tangled up with you is how I like to be.” I grin at her, hoping my joke will lighten her mood, but all I get is a strained smile before her lips drop.
I switch gears, placing a call to Poe through my truck’s Bluetooth feature.
He answers on the second ring. “What’s up, Teej?”
“I’m with Lu. We need some privacy. Can we come to your place?”
“Can’t you guys find someone else’s hot tub to make out in?” Poe’s usual deadpan voice is a balm to my frayed nerves.
“No can do, my man. Yours holds all my favorite memories now. We’ll be frequent visitors.”
“I just threw up in my mouth.”
I chuckle. “Look, someone found out Lucy is in town. They’re staked out at her place and mine. Can we swing over and figure out next steps?”
“That sucks.” Poe’s tone changes from dry to alert. “Yeah, of course, man. You didn’t even have to ask.”
“Thanks, Poe. Be there in ten.” I disconnect the call, and Lucy lets out a deep breath.
“You have good friends,” she says.
“The best. They always have my back. Yours, too, now.” I cut her with a look, praying she believes me when I say, “You don’t have to face any of this alone.”