Page 48 of Reality With You (Arden Beach #1)

Lennon stared at him in disbelief. “What do you think they’ll say when the show comes out, Dylan?”

“Nothing, if I can convince them to bury the footage.” Dylan stopped and faced her. “I’m going to call my lawyers. Maybe the studio will work with us to help us find who did it, and then we can take the evidence to the police.”

“Anyone who was there could sell the story in the meantime.”

“The show makes everyone sign NDAs, remember? No one can legally talk about it until it airs.”

Lennon’s nostrils flared, clearly wanting to argue further.

But the fire in her dwindled. Her eyes became glassy.

She pressed them shut, going quiet for a few moments.

“I was so scared,” she finally said, her voice small in a way he’d rarely heard.

His chest splintered. “I can’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened if I hadn’t found you. ”

“Hey—c’mere.” Dylan strode around the island to her as she buried her face in her hands. He drew her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her. “It’s OK. I’m OK.”

Something deep inside him relaxed at the feeling of her pressed against him. He hadn’t held her like this in years. He wished it wasn’t because she was hurting. Because of him.

“None of this is OK.” The long sleeves of her cardigan hiding her hands muffled her voice. “I hate this.”

Dylan’s lungs deflated with a sigh, guilt scraping through them.

“Me too.” She’d been right—being with him was a risk.

Especially now. He gently rested his chin on her head as he rubbed her back, memorizing the way she felt.

In case he didn’t get another chance. “I’m sorry you got wrapped up in this. I shouldn’t have dragged you into it.”

“I decided to do the show. I got on this ride willingly.”

“But you don’t have to stay on it.”

Lennon’s hands slid away from her face. She rested her fists on his chest as she looked up at him. “What are you saying?”

“Most of the chaos you’ve been caught up in since you came back has been tied to me,” he pointed out. “I have a target on my back, and you’re getting caught in the crossfire.”

“Would you have gone on the show without me?” she parried. “To that party?”

The muscles in his jaw tensed. He searched her eyes. “I know why it’s a risk for you to be with me, but what did you mean when you said it was risky for both of us?”

Lennon’s eyelashes flickered slightly. She lowered her gaze to her fists curled into her sleeves.

They gently rose and fell with his breath.

“This is one of the most important times in your career. You’re still healing from an injury.

You’re fighting to get back on the team while Nolan tries to take it out from under you.

This party could’ve ruined everything just because you wanted to be there for me.

” Her voice lowered. “I’ve been a distraction. ”

“You’ve been the best thing in my life,” Dylan said. Her focus shifted back to him. “I’ll deal with what happened at the party, but I have no idea what the fallout will be. I don’t want this hurting you any more than it already has.”

Lennon frowned, going quiet for a few seconds. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. He realized she hadn’t even washed her face. Gold still shimmered on her eyelids, black smudged around her long lashes. She must have been up all night. She softly exhaled. “I need some time to think. About everything.”

Dylan swallowed with a small nod.

“But I think you should go to the police now,” Lennon said. “Whoever did this to you needs to pay.”

“I won’t wait long. I just want to talk to my lawyers first. Cover all my bases. And Chad. See if he saw or heard anything from anyone else.”

Lennon released another long, frustrated sigh through her nose. “They’re filming more today. I’ll call Avery later. I found her wasted last night. If the same thing happened to her, she’ll probably want to file a report, too.”

Dylan hoped to God that wasn’t the case. He hoped he was one of the few and not many living out this nightmare. Others may not have been as lucky as to have someone save them from it.

“Thank you. For everything,” Dylan said. “For believing me. For helping me.”

“For letting you sleep in my bed,” Lennon added, catching him off guard. He shot her a questioning look. “I could’ve made you sleep on the sofa.”

“ You slept on the sofa?” Dylan’s eyebrows rose in horror.

“No, we shared,” she answered as if he were an idiot.

“I wanted to be close in case anything happened.” Fear flickered in her eyes, and they drifted out of focus like she was receding into a memory.

It gave him a glimpse into what she’d experienced last night—how terrified she’d been. The hell she’d gone through.

What she must have gone through every time he came home late when they were married.

It cleaved open his gut.

Lennon blinked. “I told Erin you’d call her when you woke up,” she said, her tone shifting. “She’s been waiting to hear from you.”

“Did you also tell—”

“Your dad doesn’t know yet,” she said. His shoulders relaxed. Relieved. “We figured you may want to tell him yourself. Or … not.”

Dylan couldn’t even think about that right now. “I’ll go give her a call. Mind if I use the shower after?”

“Please do,” Lennon said as her forehead wrinkled. “It was bad enough sleeping next to you last night.”

He wished he could remember it. His mouth slanted into a half-smile. “Doesn’t seem to be bothering you now.”

“I’ve been holding my breath this whole time.”

Dylan tightened his grip on her, pulling her closer. She dramatically feigned disgust as she pushed back. A laugh rumbled out of him before he released her. For a minor second, he forgot everything. Why he was there. Why he hadn’t showered.

From the smile on Lennon’s face and the flush of her cheeks, she did, too. Her cardigan slipped down her shoulder again. They stared at each other, only an arm’s length apart, as their smiles faded and reality settled back in.

“I washed your clothes. I’ll put them on the bed,” Lennon told him. “Clean towels and an extra toothbrush are in the linen closet.”

Dylan glanced down at the Arden Beach University tee. She’d undressed him. Put him in a clean shirt. But no one had been around to take care of her. And now, he was supposed to leave for ten days.

The idea of being away from her felt like leaving a piece of himself behind.

“I don’t have to go to the boot camp.”

Lennon picked up her mug, wrapping her hands around it. “Do you feel OK enough to go?”

“Yeah, but if you need me, I can stay—”

“No, go. If it’ll help you get back on the team, then it’s important. I’ll be fine. Promise.” She smiled. “Now, go shower so I can breathe and enjoy my coffee.”

Dylan lifted his arm and smelled himself to make sure she was joking. Thankfully, she was. She smirked over the rim of her mug as he glared at her. “Thanks for the shirt, by the way.”

Lennon took a sip, then ran her tongue between her lips as she lowered the mug. “It was yours. I forgot to give it back.”