Page 58 of Sawyer

I just need a break.Bad things keep happening, and fans are out of control.Media follows me everywhere, even camping outside my home.

I’m already two steps ahead of him.

Come to Whispers for a while.

They’ll find me; they’ll track the jet.

I balk.What the actual fuck is wrong with people?I think about it, knowing I can’t send him my jet, because they will likely track that too.

I’ll send you Tanner’s.

I offer it up quickly, knowing Tanner will help if I need it.

It’ll have to be at night because they’ll follow me.The paps are vultures.They seem to know exactly where I am at all times.The media have blown up the story about the girl in my bed.Apparently she was underage and they’re making up all sorts of lies.

“Fuck,” I murmur, clicking on the story again, looking through image after image.Sutton in different outfits and at different places, the latest ones all with a full media pack swarming him as he tries to walk down the street.

I’ll have Tanner’s jet at the airport for you this week and meet you in Whispers.

Thanks, Sawyer.I knew you would know what to do.

I hold my cell in my hand, looking at my laptop screen and feeling protective.By the looks of things, my brother has completely taken over the internet.He’s on the front page of every gossip site, every Hollywood forum and magazine.I blow out a breath.It’ll be good to see him.

Scrolling through my contacts, I press Tanner's name, wanting to get this all sorted.

“Sawyer, where are you?”he asks, and I roll my eyes.

“New York,” I tell him, even though he already knows.

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?I have meetings with other clients.I had that shit show of a case to deal with.”

“Yeah, how’s that going for you?”Tanner’s tone is sarcastic, already aware it was a fucking disaster.

“In our defense, when we took him on, all evidence indicated he was innocent.”

“Innocent until proven guilty.”

“Well, hopefully we got out of it soon enough.Although the media are having a field day with it.”I look back at the newspapers on my desk, seeing the legal pages full of stories about us removing ourselves from the case and basically indicating that the client we were representing is guilty without doubt.

“You need to put down roots.Here in Whispers.Get out of all that criminal side of things.You’re so much better at business law anyway,” Tanner pushes, and I rub my eyes, feeling a headache coming on.

“You know I’m not a country boy, Tanner.”My words have almost no meaning anymore.I don’t believe them, and neither does he.But I’m scared to admit it out loud.My life for years has been this office, this business.Leaving it all for a small country town and a woman I barely know sounds crazy.But my feelings are hard to deny, and every minute I think of her, I fall a little more.The pull toward her takes me away from all I’ve ever known, from the security of what I’ve built.

“I don’t know about that.I’ve noticed quite a change…”

“What do you mean?”I ask him.

“I mean,you’vechanged.For the better.You’re no longer as rushed, you seem to enjoy life a little more, and while I know Whispers is special, I have a feeling it’s because of Annabelle.”

I inhale a deep breath.I’m not prepared to tell Tanner anything about my feelings before I tell Annabelle directly, so I stay the course.

“She’s great.Whispers too.But I’m also needed in the city.You know that.”The words taste bitter.

“Yeah, I know.Anyway, we have a situation.”

I nearly groan.This seems to be the week that keeps on giving.