“Nope. Had to get my girl to give me another chance, and that meant calling in the troops.”
He pulls me to him, and I drape my arms over his neck. “Listen, I’m sorry—”
“I wanted to apologize—”
I smile as he leans down to kiss me. “Go ahead.”
He shakes his head. “I’m an idiot. Once I got some perspective, I realized you were right to question Miranda. I’m so sorry you got tangled up in her bullshit. I can’t believe you got fired. I’ve been fucking wrecked about that.”
My heart twinges, still bruised from the hits I took this week, but it helps to hear these words. “Thank you for saying that. Obviously, Archer isn’t the place for me. Barstow treated me like crap the whole time, but when he fired me he was brutal.”
“I’m so sorry, babe.” Shaking his head, Rider glances away. “That’s what’s weird. Having Miranda offer legal help in the face of all of the paternity crap and yet her dad was busy firing you. And Bree said he had pics of you that weren’t published on any blogs.” He pauses. “I asked Miranda about that.”
“What did she say?”
“She pretended she didn’t know what I was talking about, and when I called bullshit, she tried to make the moves on me.”
I glare. “And? Got anything else to get off your chest? Do I need to punch you in the throat?” I’m teasing, but only a little.
A slow smile spreads on his mouth. “The only thing I need to declare is that I love you, Gabriela Duran, and would never hook up with anyone, even if we were arguing or on the outs.”
My eyes fill, and I try to blink them away, but one manages to slide down my cheek. He cradles my face and wipes it gently with his thumb.
“To be clear, I was talking to her on Tuesday about her father’s offer to help me with an attorney, which, for the record, I did not accept. But that’s the only thing that happened. I swear it on my career. I know this has been the shittiest week ever, but even with all of the pressure I had this week—the hearing, the game, our argument, Poppy catching a cold—I would never do anything shady behind your back.”
“I’ve missed you.” My voice wobbles as it hits me how close I came to running away and tanking something so good in my life. “I was just so hurt by everything. Getting fired and then seeing you and Miranda looking like you had picked up where you left off earlier this semester.”
He cringes, his eyes earnest. “Nothing at all happened between us.”
I sniffle. “I get it. It probably didn’t help that she confronted me the day before.”
“What?”
I recap the horrid conversation before I sigh. “To be clear, it was Zoe who said everything, but Miranda stood there, giving her stamp of approval and trying to come off as being the nice one. But yeah. Basically said you ditched me freshman year because you wanted to be with her.”
When I finally look up, Rider’s jaw is tight, and I can see that little vein pulse in his temple.“Shit didnothappen like that freshman year. I didnotend things to be with her, and I definitely didn’t leave any door open to get back with her this year. Baby, I’ve been clear with her that things are over.”
I nod, offering a relieved smile. Hearing the indignation in his voice, seeing how angry he is about Miranda and her lies, knowing that he believes me—this is what I’ve needed to hear.
“I didn’t realize she and Zoe were friends.” I chew on my bottom lip while I think back to last spring. “Zoe was the girl who got me laid off from my tutoring job. When I called in sick for those few days when I was dealing with my hypoglycemia, she never passed along those messages to my boss.”
He closes his eyes, and when he opens them again, they’re full of regret. “Miranda was with me when I saw you pass out. She was pissed I stayed with you to wait for the ambulance. She and Zoe used to be roommates and have always been tight.”
He doesn’t have to voice what we’re both thinking—that Miranda had Zoe get me fired from that job too.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” He pulls me back into a tight hug. “Bree said several of the photos Miranda’s dad had were from the same series.”
“Yeah, but only one was posted on any blogs. The one where I’m hanging over your shoulder, waving a red Solo cup, but there were several more taken, like they were shot a few seconds apart. That’s what I found suspicious, that Barstow would have access to all of those when only one was available online.”
“The whole thing is fucking suspicious. I’m wrecked you got wrapped up in Miranda’s crazy shit.”
Laying my head on his chest, I sigh. “The party—that’s on me. I should’ve been more careful and paid better attention to my surroundings. Funny thing is, I don’t regret that night. That was a big win for you and the guys, and I’m grateful I got to celebrate it with you.”
He kisses the top of my head. “That night was special for me too.”
My whole chest fills with warmth when I think about what happened between us after that win. How intimate we got. How much that whole experience meant to me.
I clear my throat, needing to say one more thing. But, God, this is embarrassing. Except I need to know the answer. “Can I ask why you never went that far with me freshman year?”
