“It hasn’t been removed?”
“From some sites, yes. But this is the internet we’re talking about. Once something’s out there, there’s no taking it back.”
That was true. “What’s her other choice?”
“To let it all go and try to rebuild her life.”
He nearly knocked over the chair he’d been using as he shot out of it but caught it just in time. “Maybe I’d better go have a talk with the asshole who posted it. What’s his name again—Ethan Grimes? Who has a name like that, anyway?”
His mother grabbed his arm. “No! Stay out of it. It’s none of your business, which is why I hesitated to tell you.”
“But if she ever goes back to work at that station, or even in the same industry, she’ll never live down that video. She can’t be expected to start over at ground zero.”
“I agree. And she’s always wanted to be a news anchor, has no idea what she’ll be if she doesn’t continue to pursue her life’s dream.”
“Why in the world would she allow him to take a video in the first place?” he asked. “I get that she probably loved him, trusted him, all that. But this type of thing has become more and more common. You don’t take the chance, especially when you have so much to lose.”
“She had no idea he was filming.”
Dallas rubbed his forehead. “That makes it even worse.”
“I know. It’s so unfair.”
He pictured Emery’s big blue eyes and couldn’t help feeling protective of her. “What’s she going to do?”
“That’s what she’s trying to decide. If she moves forward with the suit, she’ll need to remain somewhere close to LA so she’s available to meet with her attorney, take the deposition, go into arbitration or whatever might be necessary. If she decides not to move forward with it, she may pack up and move to Boston—where her mother is—and try to get into another line of work. But I’ve told her she’s more than welcome to stay here through the holidays. She deserves some time to get over what’s happened and to make the best possible decision.”
He shook his head. “What a terrible thing to have to deal with, especially at Christmas.”
She checked the doorway to make sure Liam and Bentley were still too preoccupied to be listening in. “Now you understand why I invited her here. I want to help her, if I can.”
He walked over to give his mother a hug. “You want to help everyone,” he said. He’d always been proud of her. Always been grateful to her, too. He couldn’t imagine how he would’ve turned out—where he’d be—without her.
2
Fully dressed, even though she was now back in her bedroom behind a closed door, Emery Bliss paced the short distance at the foot of the bed. She could hear the commotion below, knew Aiyana, Bentley and Liam had returned instead of going to Santa Barbara. She should’ve pulled on a pair of shorts and a bra before venturing below, but she’d had her mind on the call she’d received from an attorney in LA. She’d never dreamed it wouldn’t be safe to run down for a bowl of cereal—not after Aiyana had specifically told her that she’d have the entire house to herself until five or so.
“Damn it.” She rolled her eyes at the memory of the shock on Dallas Turner’s face when he walked into the kitchen to find her half-naked and helping herself to his mother’s food. She hadn’t gone down there with the intention of causing a problem, but after everything she’d been through recently, she was so sensitive she didn’t feel capable of withstanding any kind of blow. When she’d decided to come here, she’d pictured herself with Aiyana and Aiyana’s two youngest boys, who rarely interacted with her. They were too caught up in their studies, their girlfriends, their sports and their video games to pay her any mind. Aiyana did so much for so many, they took a new guest in stride.
Emery hadn’t anticipated running into the Turner boy she remembered from high school—unless it was closer to the wedding—and she hadn’t looked that far ahead. She’d simply jumped at the chance to escape LA and go somewhere no one would think to look for her, so she could create a buffer between her and the harsh judgment and salacious interest she’d received once Ethan Grimes posted that video online.
Had coming here been a mistake?
She eyed the suitcase she’d stashed at the end of the dresser. She’d emptied her clothes into the closet and a chest of drawers so she wouldn’t have to dig through all of the belongings she’d brought with her every time she needed to change. But she could pack and fly to Boston, get out of California entirely. She would’ve done that to begin with if her parents weren’t facing their own problems. They each blamed the other for the breakdown of their marriage, so whenever she talked to them, she felt as though she was being torn in two—literally ripped apart.
That was more than she could take right now. She also knew her savings would dwindle fast if she wasn’t careful, so she’d been hesitant to spend money on flights she could avoid.
Emery winced at the sound of a knock on the door, then made a face at herself in the mirror. She looked terrible. Her eyes were puffy and her skin blotchy from all the tears she’d cried, her hair was a tangled mop she had yet to comb and what she’d thrown on immediately upon returning to her room covered her but didn’t match.
Those small things were the least of her concerns, however. She had to figure out some way to recover from the devastation of losing her boyfriend, her job and, worst of all, her reputation. She had to forget what’d happened at KQLA and focus on the future so she could decide what to do next. But she was so distraught by what
