Still holding Jesse’s phone, I walked as fast as my wobbly legs would carry me, in search of Radleigh. I needed to know if he already knew about the photos, and if he did, how we were going to stomp out the rumours. I found him in my office reading a newspaper.
“Surprise,” he said, closing the newspaper and placing it on my desk. “I’m booked in for a … you okay?”
Without a word, I thrust Jesse’s phone at him and watched as he looked at the pictures.
“Where did these come from?” he asked.
“Taylor sent this to Jesse. Someone posted them on a website and now they’re all over the place.”
“Huh. I should think about getting a restraining order for her.”
His calmness only served to make my temper flare, and I snapped, “You should see what people are saying about me, Radleigh! There are comments from strangers who think I’m a prostitute you hired for the night!”
“Precisely,” he said. “Strangers. Who cares what they say?”
“I do! My family might see this. I don't want anyone thinking those things about me! Half the people who work here have still got it in for me after the last incident, and we didn't even do anything this time!”
Radleigh stopped staring at the photos and surveyed my face. The intensity with which he was looking at me made my heart race again.
He really was beautiful.
“Is it so bad if people think we’re dating?” he asked.
“Yes, I’ll get fired! And we're not dating!”
“Do you wanna?” He grinned.
“What?” I spluttered. “You … I … No, I don't wanna! Do you??
??
“No,” he answered, after a slight hesitation. “I like things as they are.”
I hadn't expected to feel his words so strongly, and more than that, I hadn't expected them to hurt.
“Fine,” I said, somehow functioning even though my heart was sinking into my stomach. “So what are we going to do?”
“The same as always,” Radleigh said, seemingly unaware of the pain he’d inflicted. “We wait it out. And if anyone says anything, tell me. I'll set them straight.”
Slowly, I nodded. “Okay.”
How could that have hurt?
Amongst weeks of bickering, something had happened. At least for me, anyway. After we'd slept together, everything changed. We still fought and annoyed each other, but it was different. I'd felt something between us. Despite my denial, I'd felt something. My mistake was thinking that he felt it too.
“I thought I might find you two together.”
Richard's voice made me jump and I looked up at him in surprise. Even though Radleigh had been about to tell me I was supposed to treat him for … something, the last thing I needed was to be found with him by Richard.
“Leah, I want to see you in my office. Now.”
I didn’t even look back at Radleigh, I just followed Richard, the ache in my chest getting worse with every step. There wasn’t enough time to process my feelings. I wanted to freeze the world for a while so my brain could catch up. All I could think about was that I’d just been rejected by the man I’d been slowly falling for. I barely even noticed when I'd reached Richard's office, I'd been so lost in my own little world.
“Sit down,” Richard said, taking his place behind the desk.
I sat and waited for him to begin.
“Is there anything you want to tell me, Leah?”