A soft ping sounded on my phone, and I checked the notification to see that The Tattler had released a new post on their Instagram page, one that I had scheduled yesterday morning.
It was a paparazzi shot of Gabriel exiting a café downtown with a breathtaking woman beside him. His lips were curved in a half-smile as if he had been about to break into laughter at something the woman was saying. His shirt had been left unbuttoned at the top, and his jeans fitted and tapered to his hips. The late afternoon sun lit him up from behind and shone through his carelessly tousled brown hair just so.
It was the kind of photo girls saved as their phone wallpaper, and probably also the kind the Internet already had a thousand of, since Gabriel Easton was incapable of taking a bad photo.
I winced as the likes and thirsty comments started to flood in. Featuring Gabriel Easton was practically a cheat code for a tabloid.
It’s the smile, I decided. His trademark.
Yesterday, Gabriel had been furious when he found out that I was from The Tattler, but before his friendly questions had turned into threats, he had turned that smile on me too.
And for the first time, I saw for myself what people meant when they said Gabriel’s smile could stop a heart.
But that was neither here nor there. I put my phone away, hoping the action would erase the memory of Gabriel’s furious gaze on me.
I knew I should have turned Allie down when she asked me to be her bridesmaid, but I couldn’t have said no even if it killed me. My shyness had made me a social pariah my whole life, and here was someone who wanted me to be her bridesmaid at her wedding.
I couldn’t have said no to that—not even when it put a target over my head where my boss was concerned.
The office was noisy and bustling when I got there, even though it was a Saturday. Everyone was on standby, like every other news agency in the country. Ryland Wyatt’s wedding was the wedding of the year, and every agency wanted to be the first to break it.
I was careful not to make eye contact with anyone as I slipped soundlessly to my cubicle. I hastily grabbed the corsage I’d left on my desk last night and prepared to make a run for it.
“Helena.”
Oh no. I closed my eyes for a brief moment before turning to my boss, who was staring me down from the door of her office.
“In my office. Now.”
I swallowed and headed over, painfully aware of my colleagues’ accusing stares on the back of my head. They had made no secret of their unhappiness with me since the news of me being a bridesmaid had leaked. In our industry, not reporting a scoop was unforgivable, which made the secret that I was keeping tantamount to the ultimate betrayal.
I shut the office door carefully behind me as Kelly Rhoades strode around her desk and braced her knuckles on it. Her normally neat, short blond hair was uncombed and she looked weary and pissed like she’d gotten no sleep the night before.
“You’ve had enough time to rethink your answer,” she said curtly. “I expect a different one today.”
My throat went dry. I had naively thought Kelly had accepted my decision the last time she’d asked me this.
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying my best to sound firm, “but I can’t reveal the details.”
Kelly threw her hands up in disgust.
“Ryland made me sign an NDA,” I tried weakly.
‘Fuck the NDA!” Kelly snapped, her eyes wide with anger. “You know what I think, Helena? I think the problem is not the NDA, it’s you. Take the fucking money, and tell me what you know!”
I stared at her desk and tried to focus on my breathing. My icy hands were fisted tightly by my sides.
“Do you even know how much work went into preparations?” Kelly began shuffling through documents on her desk and throwing them in front of me, one by one. “How much time? While you were off playing bridesmaid, the team and I have been writing article after article after article! The press is ready to go, but we are waiting on that one piece of information from you. Just one, fucking, word.” She leaned into my face, so close that I could smell the smoke and coffee on her breath. “Where. Is. The wedding.”
I remained silent, even though my hands were shaking. I clasped them in front of me and tried to still them.
“Okay.” Kelly nodded. “Fine. If you don’t appreciate generosity when it’s shown to you, then I’ll just have to make you a new offer.” She cocked her head, glaring at me in cold anger. “The new offer, Helena, is your job.”
I froze.
“Tell me right now where the goddamn wedding is, or you can pack your goddamn desk and get the fuck out of my company!”
My bills, I thought faintly. My rent. My own project that I’d been working on the past year.
“I can’t.” My words sounded a million miles away. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
Kelly’s face was a white mask of fury.
“You’re blacklisted, you hear me?” she hissed. “Black-fucking-listed. No other agency’s ever gonna touch you—”
“I’ll clear my desk.” My hands were outright shaking now. I felt a panic attack coming on, but by some miracle I held it in. “T-Thank you for…for letting me be a part of your team.”
Kelly shouted something else, but I couldn’t hear it over the ringing of my ears. I left her office and blindly went over to my desk to clear out.
There I saw my work laptop, and my heart sank even further. There was precious research in there that I hadn’t copied out.
I toyed briefly with the idea of taking it with me, but I knew right away that it was impossible.
Stupid. You should have known this would happen.
Black spots started winking in my vision, and I tried to focus on taking in breaths of air that couldn’t come fast enough.
There was nothing else that belonged to me. No knick-knacks, no picture frames or mugs, just my stationery and some files. I swept the pens into my bag, scooped up the files, and made my escape towards the elevator lobby.
My face burned the entire way out of there. I could hear my colleagues murmuring to each other, but by some miracle I held it in until I made it safely into the elevator, waiting in silence as the doors slid shut.
And then I let myself go.
Sagging against the wall of the elevator, I hugged my files to my chest like they were some sort of shield, drawing in desperate breaths of air as I teetered on the edge of a panic attack.
I just got fired. Fired.
I knew Kelly would make good on her threat. Word would get around in the industry that I was completely useless at my job, and no one would take me now. My degree and resume would be worthless, and worse, I was starting to wonder if I was worthless.
Don’t break down, I told myself, tears of shock blurring my eyes. Don’t you dare break down...
***
I arrived at the church a little over an hour later, dropping off from the Uber a short distance away and trekking the rest of the way up. It had taken me a little longer to get here because I made a detour to make sure no one was tailing me.
The church itself was part of a compound atop a grassy hill surrounded by rocky mountains and blue skies. A massive English oak branched across the back courtyard and nearly reached the spire, and I loved it from the moment I first saw it in the brochure Allie showed me.
The cool and crisp summer air helped calm my frayed nerves, and by the time I reached the church my heart rate had somewhat slowed to normal.
There was already a small crowd in the reception area, mostly caterers and florists adding their final touches. For a heart-stopping moment I imagined that Gabriel might be there, but a quick glance told me that he wasn’t around.
Feeling a little more relieved, I made my way to the back through the courtyard and to the prayer room that served as our makeshift dressing and prep area.
Allie was already in her wedding gown, and Karin and Bailey were both in their bridesmaid dresses. Karin was in the middle of doing Allie’s makeup, and Bailey was crouch
ed at the back of the room rummaging through a wide-open suitcase. She had worn her natural kinky hair in a top knot, and it bobbed busily as she dug through the toiletries spilling across the floor.
I took a deep breath and tried my best with a smile as I entered the room.
“Yes!” Karin jogged over and hugged me against her side with her free arm. “You made it! Did your bitch of a boss give you any crap?”
“Not at all.” I hugged her back, feeling guilty for lying. “Sorry, I should have gotten here earlier.”
“Oh, don’t apologize,” Allie muttered, her eyes closed as Karin got back to doing her eyeshadow. “I’m just glad you’re here. You girls are angels for doing this, you hear me? Angels.”
“We know,” Karin said cheerfully.
“Lena, how do I look? Be honest.”
“You look amazing.”
“Really? You’re not just saying that?” Allie cracked her eyes open and squinted at her sister. “Karin’s refusing to give me the mirror.”
“Ye of little faith,” Karin muttered as she tried to reach for a slice of sponge cake on the dresser.
I pulled the plate closer so she could reach.
“Thanks,” she said gratefully. “I tried going cold turkey on sugar and carbs the past week, but that does not agree with my body.”
“She’s already had four cupcakes this morning, and those were meant for the reception,” Bailey added as she came over holding a box of bandaids in one hand. “Let me know if you need one of these, by the way, I’ve got a ton of ‘em. My heels are vicious. Gorgeous, but vicious.”
“I’ll eat whatever I want, and the guests can go hang if they don’t like it.”
“You’re spraying crumbs in my face,” Allie gritted.
“So glad I don’t have sisters,” Bailey stage-whispered to me.
I found myself returning her friendly smile, and not for the first time I wished I could be someone like her. Beautiful and confident, clever and kind. A woman who could hold her own in a conversation with an intimidating guy without mentally shutting down.
“Lena, your dress is over there.” Karin gestured with a makeup brush. “Do you need help putting it on?”
“Thanks, I think I’ll manage.”
“Alrighty girlie, and I can do your makeup too. I’ll come over right after I get Allie’s mascara right… Will you quit moving?”
“I would if you’d stop stabbing my eyeball,” Allie ground back. “And isn’t the gown supposed to go on after the makeup?”
“It is?” Karin frowned. “Well, why didn’t you say so? I nearly got some lipstick on your skirt just now.”
There was a sudden sharp rapping on the front door of the room, and we all turned at the sound.
“Are you girls decent?” Gabriel called from the other side.
My heart stuttered when I heard his voice.
His cool gaze came back to me, the whisper of his threat hot against my ear, the scent of his cologne surrounding me as he’d cornered me in the alcove yesterday. My face started heating up at the memory of his closeness.
Joke’s on him, now that I’ve been fired, I thought morosely.
But Gabriel’s effect on the girls was instantaneous. While my mood had dampened, Allie, Karin and Bailey had broken out into smiles at the sound of his voice. Gabriel Easton was loved by his friends and it showed.
“Not a chance” Allie called. “You are not coming in, I can only handle so much bullshit today.”
“That’s not fair, Al. Valentine was in there earlier.”
“He’s dating one of us, so he gets special treatment.”
“Hey Bailey, wanna go out with me?” Gabriel called back without missing a beat.
“Take a number, asshole!” Bailey laughed, her cheeks coloring at Gabriel’s flirting.
“Whatever. I’m coming in on three, and then I’m gonna give the bride a big wet one. One.”
“Don’t you freaking dare!” Allie shoved to her feet in alarm and grabbed fistfuls of her dress. “Gabriel, I swear, if you mess my makeup two hours before the wedding I’ll kill you!”
“Two…”
Bailey and I gathered Allie’s dress train in our arms as Karin yanked her to her feet.
“Two and a half…”
“Lena, hold him back,” Karin whispered, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she took Allie’s skirts from me.
“M-me?” My eyes went wide at the thought of stopping Gabriel Easton, who was easily twice my size.
“Yep. You.” She blew me a kiss, then the three girls slipped through the back door of the prayer room to make their escape through the courtyard.
“One.” The door handle turned.
“Karin, wait!”
The door opened, and Gabriel’s laughing eyes cooled when he saw me. He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise as he glanced around the empty room.
“Hey, where’d everyone go?” He looked around me at the open back door. “Mmm. That way, I think.”
He made towards the back door, and I quickly stepped in front of him.
Gabriel looked amused despite his clear dislike for me. “Are you trying to stop me?”
I nodded stiffly.
“I see.” He cocked his head at me and casually slipped his hands into his pockets.
Then he just stood there and…watched me.
The silence dragged on as Gabriel’s cool brown eyes stared me down. I felt my cheeks heat up under his scrutiny. I was still dressed in my office blouse and skirt from this morning, and my hair was a straggling mess and slipping from my bun. My shoes and calves were spotted with mud from the earlier hike up the hill.
Gabriel on the other hand looked beautiful, like he had just stepped out from one of those magazines he seemed to be in every day. His usually tousled hair was arranged in a neat style today, with just a hint of carelessness in the lock that dangled over his forehead. He hadn’t put on his jacket yet, but he had on his black slacks and a crisp white shirt that he’d left unbuttoned at the top. The sleek black strip of his tie hung on either side of his neck, and the hair at his nape curled at his collar, still damp from a recent shower.
After another moment of watching me, he finally exhaled like he’d given up playing the game. “Fine. Whatever.”
When I relaxed, he suddenly feint left and then sidestepped me easily in a showy half-turn on his heel.
“Better luck next time, angel,” he grinned at me, strolling backward toward the door the girls had escaped from.
I ducked past him and pulled the door shut, placing myself right in front of it.
What was I doing? I thought dimly. I should be running for my life, not going up against him.
Gabriel laughed, the pleasant sound low and smooth like velvet in my ears. “Are you serious? I could literally pick you up and set you aside.”
I didn’t doubt that for a second, but all I could manage was, “I won’t make it easy for you.”
“Oh, it will be easy, trust me.”
Gabriel advanced on me, drawing closer and closer until I was backed up against the door and had nowhere left to go. His broad shoulders filled the entire width of my vision until all I could see was him.
I tried to put my hands out to stop him, but he simply took my wrists and pulled them away from my body, holding them in a deceptively loose grip. I couldn’t escape him if I tried, and we both knew that.
His cool brown eyes searched mine, daring me to protest. My cheeks burned at his nearness.
This close, I could feel the heat from his body, the scent of his cologne and the shampoo from the locks of hair that tumbled across his forehead. I could see the black rings that rimmed his dark irises, the light brown flecks in them, and the faint smile on his lips that half of America was in love with.
He closed in on me, pressing my wrists against the wall on either side of my head.
“Try and stop this, for a start,” he murmured.
His low voice sent heat flooding through my body, all the way down t
o between my legs. I grew lightheaded at the pleasure, and my body began to arch towards him of its own volition.
But suddenly a faraway memory that I’d buried deep started clawing at the edges of my mind. The pleasant illusion faltered and started to give way to something ugly.
It felt like…
Fear.
I dropped my gaze to his shirt buttons as my throat closed up. “Please let go.”
“And what if I don’t?”
My breathing started to turn shallow and fast. No calming exercise could help me now.
“Let go,” I said again. It came out this time as a hoarse whisper.
Gabriel went still, and I knew that he was puzzled at the sudden change in my response to him.
He carefully released my wrists and took a half-step back, watching wordlessly as I rubbed the skin where he had touched me. It felt burned.
“You okay?” Gabriel said gruffly. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything,” I whispered without thinking.
I felt him go still at my words, his gaze burning at the top of my head.
To my horror, the tears that I’d been holding back since morning started pricking at my eyes. My nose began to sting.
Please don’t say anything, I begged him silently, keeping my gaze on my shoes.
But knowing how much Gabriel despised me, he wouldn’t give up the chance to mock me. He would gloat about it, just like I did to the people in my articles. He would tell Allie and Karin that I was unstable and a hair-trigger away from breaking down, and then I would lose the only friends I’d ever had—
There was another beat of painful silence, and then Gabriel exhaled.
“Okay, you got me. I fold.”
I swallowed my shock, keeping my blurry eyes on the ground as his footsteps retreated. His feet paused once more at the door, as if he was looking back at me and wanted to say something.
But he must have been feeling merciful. He left instead, shutting the door quietly behind him and giving me my privacy.
When I looked up, it was to an empty room. I exhaled in relief and swiped away the hot tears on my face.
Charming (New York Heirs #3) Page 4
