Page 47

Chapter 47

Aftermath

Dell

I saiah and I left Robyn’s place after our text conversation last night. We were waiting for her to come home, but with her parents unexpectedly coming in with her, we left and went to my place. Without a second thought, I canceled all my appointments for the next day because there was no way in hell I was leaving either of their sides during this.

We decided we weren’t going to talk about the blowup or look at any more social media for the night. We weren’t going to answer any calls or texts unless they were from their team or her. What we needed was one more night, just a few more hours of ignorance.

Isaiah and I held each other all night in near silence, Chester and BooBoo laying atop our heads, trying to soothe our racing minds with their heated purrs. With Robyn sleeping on the phone next to us, we held each other hoping and praying that this wasn’t the end, this wasn’t goodbye. But how could I think it wasn’t? A lot more was bound to be discovered, and with that, our chances of making it work seemed less likely.

I thought we had more time.

I didn’t sleep a wink, and I don’t think they did either. Somewhere in the night, the call disconnected.

When the sun breaks through, I leave Isaiah curled on his side with my pillow cradled into his chest and my sons snuggled behind his knees. I head downstairs to make a meal I’m sure will be tasteless.

But when I step on the main floor and enter my kitchen in nothing but a pair of Robyn’s rugby shorts I stole from her, I’m struck by something. It’s a crystal vase gleaming from its spot in my glass cupboard. It’s a different vase than the one Robyn had the night I gave her the calla lilies, but my mind transports me to that fateful evening regardless.

“They look so elegant and strong, ” I had told her when she asked me why I bought them—why they reminded me of her. “They demand you take notice.”

With my hand stuck on the refrigerator handle and my gaze locked on the vase, fresh determination takes a comfortable seat within me. “We’re going to make it out of this,” I tell myself. “And we’re going to be stronger for it.”

As I whip up a high-protein scramble, my mood shifts into something lighter with every passing idea, with every plan. I’m firing off text messages and emails as I’m setting the table with Cholula and utensils. I’m placing my bets and calling in favors because this is not happening to me again.

Right as I’m about to bound up the stairs to wake up Isaiah, he’s making his way down in his boxer briefs.

“How much coffee did you make?” he grumbles as he rubs his eyes.

“A whole pot,” I grin and kiss his temple. “Sit. It’s time to make our plans.”

He groans, flopping into his seat at the table. “Can’t we just move away and live off the fat of the land?”

“Calm yourself, John Steinbeck. We’ll call that Plan Z.”

He studies me with heavy lids and a tilted head. “Why are you so chipper?”

“Eat,” I say. “And I’ll tell you what I’m thinking.” Bringing two mugs and a coffee carafe to the table, I sit across from him. “First of all, we’re going to come out of this. It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to hurt, but we’re going to do this.”

Isaiah looks skeptical when he glances into his fresh mug and back at me. “What did you put in here?”

“About sixty grand.”

“What?”

“That’s the retainer fee for my PR lady, Stephanie.”

“Dell,” he coughs. “Is that really necessary?”

“Yes! She works for my family. She’s been dealing with my antics for years, making sure our family and company stay in good standing regardless of my OnlyFans content, et cetera. She’s a total pro.”

“Dell, I don’t have that kind of money,” Isaiah says quietly.

“That’s fine because I’m paying.”

“You are not. This is—”

“ Our problem,” I finish for him. “You two might be in the limelight right now, but I’m equal parts tied up in this.”

“Yeah but,” Isaiah starts, trying to find the words, “you don’t have to be. I’d understand if you stepped away.”

My eyes go wide. “If I left?” I shout. “Get a fucking CAT scan, dude, ‘cause I’m worried you’re losing brain mass.”

“That’s not really how CAT scans—”

“Whatever, you know what I mean,” I say with a flick of my hand and then slam my index finger into the table. “I’m not giving up on us. I fucking love you two and we are going to make it through to the other side. Got it?” Now fully awake, he stares, but nods. “Good. Now eat your breakfast. We’re going to Robyn’s place after we eat.”

“We are?”

“Yes. Stephanie is going to call me in the next hour, and I want our girl on the phone for this.”

“What about her parents?”

“Well, I’m hoping she told them enough about us to help grease the wheels, but we don’t have a lot of time to drag this out. The sooner we get ahead of this, the better. Plus, I’d rather we control the narrative than her parents, don’t you?”

“Baby, this is…” he trails off while pu shing his scramble around the plate. “Should we maybe take some time to think about this first before getting PR involved?”

What is he getting on about? “What’s to think about? We need to protect her, right? We need to protect both of you. The sooner we can form a plan, the better.”

“I just think… maybe there’s another way we can go about this that doesn’t involve a whole team.”

“Isaiah,” I say gravely, “You need to recognize that Robyn isn’t some woman. She’s well on her way to celebrity status. Hell, I don’t even have the same following she does, but it was still necessary for me to hire a team to make me and my family look good. If you’re going to be in this with us, you need to know this is how the game is played.”

His eyes travel to his plate and he nods slowly.

“Is this about money?” I ask. “Because—”

“No. It’s fine.” When his ocean blues find mine again, there’s an unreadable emotion tucked deep in there I can’t decipher that causes my gut to tighten. “We’ll figure this out,” he says before taking a bite of his breakfast.

I get that he’s uncomfortable. This mess we’re in can’t be swept under the rug, and we’re in uncharted waters, but I know once we talk to Steph he’ll see the light on the other side calling us to a brighter future. One, hopefully, where we don’t have to live in secret. He’s not going to relax until that happens, so I’ll make sure he’s given every ounce of support I can muster. Both of them.