Chapter 14
Luke pulled the door to his apartment—an unremarkable door, at that—shut behind him and pressed his forehead briefly against the cool wood.
Everything inside him felt too tight, too loud right now.
“Hey,” a voice called from the kitchen. “You look like you lost a fight with a snowplow.”
Luke pushed away from the door and composed himself. He hadn’t realized his roommate was home.
He dropped his coat onto the back of a chair. “That good, huh?”
Harry appeared from the kitchen, mug in hand, sweatpants and an old university hoodie hanging loosely on his frame.
He worked in marketing at the paper, and the two had decided to room together to save money.
He and Harry really had nothing in common, yet they got along.
Harry was brash, played some different sport every night, and was perfectly content to be known as a womanizer.
But at times the man could be surprisingly insightful.
Harry raised an eyebrow as he studied Luke. “You okay?”
“No,” Luke said, thankful for the chance to be honest.
Harry blinked. “Well, that was refreshing.”
Luke exhaled and walked toward the kitchen, dragging a hand through his hair. “I think I screwed up.”
“Oh, this sounds promising.” Harry followed him and leaned back against the counter. “Work or woman?”
Luke hesitated a second too long.
Harry’s expression sharpened. “Both?”
Luke opened the fridge, stared inside without seeing a thing. “You remember that influencer I told you about? The door one?”
“The gorgeous saint with soulful eyes who chose to live in the rough neighborhood?” Harry nodded. “Yeah. Hard to forget a woman who looks like that.”
“She’s not fake,” Luke muttered. “Not even a little bit.”
Harry took a slow sip of coffee. “Uh-oh.”
“She fed her neighbor kids tonight. Let them eat like they hadn’t seen warm food in days. Didn’t film it. Didn’t post it. Didn’t even mention it.” Luke closed the fridge harder than necessary. “She just did it.”
“So what’s the problem?” Harry shrugged. “Sounds like nice girl meets emotionally constipated journalist.”
Luke glanced away, ignoring the jab—and resisting the urge to scowl. “Linda wants me to expose her. Tear apart her platform. Prove she’s fake.”
Harry’s eyebrows shot up. “And you don’t believe that’s true.”
“No.” His throat ached as he said the word. “Before today, I thought it might be true. After tonight? I don’t even know what this feeling is, but it’s not professional.”
Harry studied him a moment. “Then don’t hurt her.”
“It’s not that simple.” Luke paced the small kitchen. “If I don’t deliver this article, I could lose my job. This piece is supposed to put me on the map.”
Harry set his mug down. “Since when did you care about being on the map?”
Luke stilled, jaw tightening. “Since this story promised to be one of the few things that might impress my father.”
He hated to say the words aloud, but they were true. Though it defied his logic, Luke knew that after he’d learned about his birth mother rejecting him, proving himself had suddenly felt like the most important thing he could do.
Harry softened slightly. “And what about this girl? What happens if she gets hurt in the process?”
Silence filled the kitchen until Luke finally said, “That’s the problem.”
“So what are you going to do?”
He let out a slow breath. “I don’t know. But I can’t be the one who destroys her. She’s trying to live her faith instead of selling it. That shouldn’t make someone a target.”
Harry crossed his arms. “Then tell her the truth.”
Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “I probably should. The problem is . . . despite all of that, I sense that she’s hiding something. It could be the evidence we need that proves she isn’t as saintly as she seems.”
Harry nodded once, his voice gentler now. “Then don’t walk through the wrong door.”
Luke looked up sharply.
“Yeah,” Harry added with a small grin. “I watch her clips too. Don’t judge.”
Luke almost laughed—then sobered again. “I’m not sure how to protect her without burning down my own life.”
Harry shrugged. “Sometimes that’s how you find out what’s actually worth saving.”
Luke didn’t answer.
But the question lingered long after the kitchen light went dim.