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A woman clears her throat nearby.
“Excuse me.”
Marci and I separate, but I keep my arm around her waist, pressed to the side of her knit dress. It’s getting cooler with fall on the way, and she feels good against my side.
Annaleigh gives me a tight smile. She’s got flowers braided into her blonde hair and is in a professional pants suit. Her gaze flickers toward Marci, and I tighten my grip around her waist.
What now?
I don’t need trouble with an ex today. Let alone one who editsThe Heatstroke Hit Piece.
“We’re not taking interviews now,” Marci says firmly. “Thank you for your interest, but after the last hit piece you published about Mr. Taylor, it’s fair to say that we have no interest in?—”
“I’m sorry,” Annaleigh says.
Marci and I exchange a glance.
“What?” I ask. “You’re?—”
“Sorry,” she says. “Look, my paper is a gossip column, so we write some interesting pieces, but I’ve felt like that article about you was out of line since we published it.” Annaleigh releases abreath. “I—I’ve been spending a lot of time over the past month thinking about stuff.”
“Stuff?”
Analeigh bites down on her bottom lip.
“What I want out of life. What my father wants from me. That kind of thing. It takes real guts to do what you’re doing, Jesse. You don’t care that almost everybody in this town thinks you aren’t worth two squirts of piss.”
“Hey,” Marci snaps.
Annaleigh waves a hand.
“Bad phrasing, sorry. I’m doing a crap job of apologizing,” she says. “Basically, I’m going to issue a retraction on that article. It will go live later today. I wish you all the luck in the world, Jesse, because I—I’m leaving town.”
“No way,” Marci says.
“Yeah. I told my father I’m not going to live here anymore. I’m moving to Houston. Got a job as a reporter there.”
“Well done.” Marci smiles at her, one of those gorgeous, full smiles. “That’s amazing. Good for you, Annaleigh.”
My ex beams at her.
“And good for you guys. I can tell you’re truly in love. I’m happy for you both.”
Truly in love?
I glance down at Marci. Her cheeks are pink, and her lips part as if she wants to deny what Annaleigh said.
Annaleigh wishes me good luck then leaves us alone.
“Mr. Taylor?” Greer, with neatly parted hair and a houndstooth suit, taps me on the arm. “It’s about time. They’re going to call you up to the stage in a moment.”
“Thanks,” I manage.
“You’ve got this, baby,” Marci whispers and brushes a kiss over my cheek.
It’s too real. Baby. I’m hers. She’s mine. But how much longer is this going to last? The bubble has to pop at some point, and it’s not going to be me that pops it, because I’ve fallen for Marci. I don’t know what love is, but it’s got to be this.
This feeling that I will go to the ends of the earth for her.
