Page 39 of Striking the Match (Redwood Bay Fire #3)

I try and reach for Teddy, but he’s so focused on the pap. Dez has a manic look in his eyes now he’s gotten himself a reaction. “So you don’t deny that your brother, Nathaniel Foster, is in over fifty grand’s worth of debt?”

“That’s a lie! You leave my family alone!”

“Teddy, car, now!” Bryan snaps. I wrap my arm around Teddy’s shoulder, but he’s planted himself like a tree.

Dez still has his phone recording in our faces. “So you are relying on your new famous boyfriend to pick up the check, hmm? How do you feel about being used for your money, Mr. Garda?”

“No comment,” I say through gritted teeth.

Bryan gets between us and the camera. “One word,” he tells Dez icily. “Slander.”

But Dez just laughs as we finally shake Teddy lose and start maneuvering him toward the truck again.

“Yeah, good luck. I get that all the time. Those lawsuits stick about as well as water off a duck’s back.

Besides, defamation’s only a crime if what I’m saying isn’t true.

Sounds like you don’t know your family as well as you think, Mr. Foster!

And what about the accusations of domestic abuse against your colleague, Mr. Bell?

Care to comment on that or shall I just go to the firehouse directly? ”

I’ve finally gotten Teddy into the back seat, locking the door behind us.

This is my car and usually I’d never let anyone else drive it.

But in this case, Bryan hurtles himself into the driver’s side without hesitation.

Once he’s adjusted the seat forward so he can reach the pedals, he fires the ignition and gets us the hell out of there.

Teddy’s shaking like a leaf. I feel sick.

“Are you okay?” I ask, afraid to hear the answer. He’s pale and clammy, staring at the upholstery in front of him.

“What just happened?” he whispers.

Bryan sighs and glances at us in the rearview mirror. “You just survived your first press ambush. Congratulations.” He sounds tired but not angry with Teddy, which I’m very grateful for.

“I should have just gotten in the truck, like you said,” Teddy utters. It’s like he’s slowly resurfacing and coming back to himself. I squeeze his hand, wishing I could do more to help him.

“Yes, you should have,” Bryan says, but not unkindly. “Next time, you’ll know. That guy is a piece of work, and there are hundreds more like him in LA alone. I’m sad to say that sometimes you just have to experience this shit to know how to deal with it moving forward.”

Teddy blinks and suddenly looks at me. “Did I embarrass you? Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I was just trying to protect my family. I couldn’t let him say those things!”

“I know, baby,” I assure him, pulling him in for a hug. “But he’s going to publish those things whether you try and stop him or not. It’s not up to you try and protect everyone at the expense of your own wellbeing.”

Bryan clears his throat and when I meet his gaze in the mirror, he arches an eyebrow at me, no doubt thinking about pots calling kettles black. I roll my eyes back at him. Yeah, yeah. I should take my own advice.

“We’re here to help you,” I remind Teddy.

He shakes his head and draws away from me. “I should have known better. Do you think he’ll really go to the station? We should head over there in case the second watch?—”

“No, Teddy,” I say firmly. “We can call and give them a heads up. We can also call the police and report Dez Starr for harassment and disturbing the peace. But it’s not your job to save everyone all the time.”

He nibbles his lower lip, looking like he’s mulling my words over. “I want to protect you, though.”

I cradle his face and gently kiss his lips. “I know, baby. I feel the same way. How about we go home and run a really hot bath. Then we can make whatever you want for dinner or order in. Hell, I bet my mom would come over in a flash to fix you whatever soul food you could possibly think of.”

That gets a small laugh from him and that eases my nerves somewhat. He nods, which I take to mean we’re okay to keep heading to my place. He was planning on staying over anyway. We can decide what he feels like doing food wise from that point.

We drive for a few more minutes in silence, all of us most likely going over the unpleasant incident in our minds.

I can feel Bryan’s outrage coming off him in waves, but he refrains from saying anything.

I imagine that’s for Teddy’s sake, and I love him for that.

Just as we turn into my driveway, Teddy inhales shakily.

“Do you think there’s any truth to what he was saying about my brother being a gambling addict?”

My heart aches for him.

“I don’t know,” I tell him honestly. “The other stuff he was spouting was twisted bullshit, so I’d hope not. Do you have any reason to suspect your brother has a problem?”

Teddy’s hesitation worries me immediately.

“Nate likes scratchcards. He buys them without thinking whenever they’re available, like a reflex.

He also talks about horse racing sometimes.

It’s never once crossed my mind it might be a real issue, but if it is, I’m the last person who’d know.

Nate can’t stand me. If he gets in trouble because of me… ”

“Hey, hey,” I say, getting him to look at me.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, all right?

” I realize we’re back in my garage and Bryan is subtly slipping out of the driver’s seat.

Knowing him, he’ll just head home to give us the space we need.

“Could you talk to your mom, maybe? Tell her what happened and carefully raise the concern.”

Teddy exhales and nods, some color coming back into his cheeks. “That’s a good idea.”

“Right?” I say confidently before opening my door. “Once step at a time, okay?”

I kind of mean that literally as I hold his hand and guide him into the house and settle him on the sofa in the living area. Guilt gnaws around the edges of my thoughts, knowing that he wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for me.

But this is my life. We agreed to try making this relationship work with all the complications that come with it. He’s a grown man who came into this with both eyes open.

Just like he can’t protect his family or friends from everything, I can’t expect to do that for him, either.

What I can do is be there for him now, as his boyfriend, as the guy who’s falling for him hard and fast. I can look after him until he realizes that words might hurt but that’s all they are.

Words. He’ll be okay after this, just like he will the next time something shitty happens to us.

Life is never smooth sailing, and no relationship is without its ups and downs. If anything, having to go through trials like this so early on is going to prove how strong we are.

I leave him to make us some tea, the way I learned to do it in London by boiling the water on the stove and serving with plenty of milk and a couple of lumps of sugar to help settle his nerves.

But when I return to the sofa, I pause a second, my heart expanding about twice its usual size in my chest.

Kiki has curled herself up in Teddy’s lap. She’s purring loudly as he gently strokes her back.

It strikes me in that moment that this is probably what love feels like. Not like the love I have for my family or friends. A different, special, aching bond that’s growing inside me. Forget everything else going on right now. I feel like I’m looking at my entire world on that sofa.

Teddy looks up at me and smiles, clearly proud of getting chosen by my scary little lion for such prestigious treatment.

I try not to let my thoughts run away with me, I really do. It’s still such early days in this relationship. But it’s like we’re a family already, the three of us. Together, we’ll take on the world, no matter what it throws at us. We’ve already survived so much.

That’s how I know that Dez Starr can write or say whatever he wants. The internet can do its worst. Mother Nature can throw another tantrum.

We’re going to be okay.