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Ella finishes what she’s typing and looks up at me. “No, Dakota, sorry. Nothing yet. Do you want me to call their office again?” She’s hesitant in her answer, and I don’t blame her. I’ve been a down-right bitch to everyone today.
“No, it’s okay, thank you. I’m sure they’ll send it soon.” I try to soften my voice and hide my irritation, even if it takes everything in me.
“Um, Dakota?” Ella asks timidly as I move to walk back to my office, saving her from having to be exposed to my misery any further.
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay? You seem a little—off.”
I open my mouth to respond when Mike walks from his office and down the hall, not paying us any attention. Whatever is on his phone screen has him occupied, but it’s a good reminder that I can’t talk about anything that’s bothering me here, out in the open, even if I wanted to. Which, I certainly don’t.
But still, I wish I had someone I could confide in. Normally I would tell Addie, but she’s far up my ass about how much of a jerk Chance is and that I’m only going to get myself hurt—which is true—but it’s stopped me from really opening up to her about how I’m feeling.
That leaves me with no one.
No one but Ella, who’s looking up at me with genuine concern in her eyes.
“Um, yeah. It’s been a long day.” I look toward my office, but don’t take a step.
I’m torn. I really don’t want to talk about it, but at the same time, I want that release. I want to unburden myself. Ella’s looking at me as if she could be that person.
“I…uh…” I look back at my office again. “Can I talk to you in my office?”
I don’t bother to look to check that she’s behind me. Instead, I’m scanning the hallways and offices to see who might have overheard us or seen us. Even though we aren’t doing anything suspicious. Ella helps me with cases all the time. Her walking into my office isn’t anything out of the ordinary.
So why do I feel so guilty?
Shutting the door behind us, I stalk to my seat, rubbing my sweaty palms along my thighs as I sit down.
“You’re scaring me, Dakota. What’s going on?” Ella’s voice is thick with worry as she sits across from me, eyes wide.
“I’m going to tell you something, but you need to promise not to tell anyone. Ever.”
“Is this about a case?”
“No, nothing like that.” My eyes drift to the closed door behind her. I know no one can hear me and the frosted glass of the window makes it so no one can see anything but our figures. “Promise me, Ella.”
“I promise.”
Even though I don’t know her that well, I trust her. She’s always been excellent at her job, and everyone only has great things to say about her. I’ve never heard her gossip, or say things she shouldn’t, which is very important when working in a law office. Most importantly, she’s married to one of the hottest country stars in the world right now; that has to come with a level of trust.
“Chance and I aren’t really dating.” I blurt out.
Sweat drips down my back as I continue rubbing my hands along my legs. I force myself not to start fidgeting or rocking.
“What? But the dates? The flowers?”
“All fake. We’re fake dating. For the rodeo.”
“The rodeo,” she repeats, looking at me as if I have two heads.
“Yeah. Some of the sponsors threatened to pull out because of his playboy status. He saved me from Laughlin. It was an exchange. An agreement. But then it wasn’t fake, and we slept together, and now I don’t know what we are.” I cross my arms on my desk and lower my head, taking deep breaths.
I know what I just unloaded onto Ella doesn’t make sense. Well, it wouldn’t to her anyway, but it is out there. I said it. Now the burden can just leave, right?
Why didn’t the burden just leave?
“Okay. So you’re fake dating, but you’re not?” she says slowly.
