Page 145 of No Holds Barred

Logan drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “When I watched the episodes last season with your family, I understood you a lot better than I ever did before.”

“You pitied me,” Angelica shot back.

“At first, perhaps. But when I dug deeper, I realized that you were forced from a very early age to be a silo. And that’s just not fair.” Logan took her hand again, squeezing her fingers tightly. “It’s not right.”

“It is what it is,” she whispered.

“But it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. Does it?”

Angelica wanted to say “no,” but the word wouldn’t form on her lips. She couldn’t make her vocal cords react to say anything.

“Think about the contract, Ange. And think about everything that comes with it that can’t be put into words on paper for you to sign. All right?”

“Yes.” She looked at him directly. “Thank you, Logan.”

“Of course.” He tightened his fingers around her hand again before letting go. “I look forward to hearing from you.”

He walked out. Angelica stayed in the chair, not moving.

None of this had been expected. She kept replaying the conversation in the last hour, the fact that Hope had clearly had this conversation with Logan a while ago, the fact that she hadn’t mentioned anything to Angelica about it.

“Damn it, Hope.”

Angelica stood up sharply. She snagged her purse and jacket before opening her phone and letting Lyric know that she needed to be driven somewhere.

When they arrived at Hope’s, Angelica got out of the car and nodded to Lyric. “I’ll text when I’m ready to head back.”

“Sure, boss. Just, um… how long should I wait up?”

Angelica looked directly into Lyric’s blue eyes and shook her head. “On second thought, I’ll just order an Uber this time. I have no idea how long this is going to take.”

“Gotcha.” Lyric waved at her as she shut the door.

Readying herself, Angelica walked directly up to the front door and pressed her finger into the bell. The camera came on instantly, but Angelica said nothing as she waited. Hopewas expecting her tonight. She wasn’t expecting what Angelica wanted to talk to her about, but they had planned to get together.

Hope swung the door open, a grin on her lips and a light in her eyes that Angelica wanted to fall into and be consumed by. But she had come with a point to make, and damn it, she was going to make it.

“Do you know what you did?” Angelica’s voice cracked through the air between them, sparking.

Hope’s smile faltered. “I can’t decide if I want the angry principal to come at me or if I want to be a brat and tease her even more.” She stepped back and let Angelica inside.

Angelica put her purse and jacket next to the door and then spun around, hands on her hips, as she tried her damnedest to glare at Hope. “You made demands about your contract?”

“Oh. That.” Hope’s cheeks reddened, a sly smile still gracing her lips as she walked toward the kitchen. “Yes, I did.”

“You can’t just throw away a job like that because you want to make some ridiculous demands?—”

“They’re not ridiculous.” Hope stopped walking toward the kitchen and came back to Angelica. She ran her hands down Angelica’s arms from her shoulders to her fingers, lacing them together. “They’re not ridiculous demands. They’re things that are completely reasonable.”

“Refusing to sign a renewal contract without me also being a part of the show is ridiculous,” Angelica mumbled, because that was the issue, wasn’t it? Hope wasn’t just thinking about herself when she needed to be. That selfish streak Angelica had gotten so used to was nowhere in sight. The pay increase was just an added happy bonus. But refusing to take a job if Angelica wasn’t involved? That was the heart of the issue that she was trying to get across.

“No, I don’t think it is.” Hope stepped in closer. “And I meant it when I told Logan that, and I’d say it again. I refuse to doHotel Bombshellseason four without you.”

“But what if I didn’t want to do it?” Angelica looked up into Hope’s eyes.

“Then neither one of us would do it. I didn’t tell Logan that to force you into it. I told him that to give us options.” Hope smiled at her, pleading her to understand.

Angelica just stared back, her breath catching in her throat.