CHAPTER 6 JOLENE

I'm shaking by the time I arrive at the office.

I need to confront Rivera, but I need to do it in a way that doesn't cost me my job. I need to do it with patience, grace, and dignity.

I draw in a few deep breaths that do nothing to calm the raging fury inside me, and I head into the building.

He's in Marcus's office again, just sitting there smugly like he owns the goddamn place, and I walk in and slam the door behind me.

I guess I left my patience, grace, and dignity in the car, but my temper sure as hell came to work with me today.

"I had my chance?" I demand.

He laughs, and he looks like a measly little rat sitting there with that self-righteous smirk.

God, I could punch that look right off his face.

"Well, yeah. I warned you, and you didn't seem to care. So…" He shrugs as if to say this is my own fault.

"So…what?" I demand.

"So I gave the photos to a friend and let her do with them what she wanted."

"You gave them? Or you sold them?"

"Potato, po-tah-to," he says, as if it doesn't matter whether he made money off this deal.

But it does.

"You're a real piece of work," I hiss.

"And you better be careful, darlin'. Because Marcus put me in charge, and I think I might just reassign you while I'm here in this position."

"He didn't put you in charge, you idiot," I fume. "That's not within your jurisdiction, so come off your high horse. You better believe Marcus will find out who published that article, and then your ass will be on the line. Was it worth it?"

"To see you out of your correspondent position?" he asks. "Hell yeah, it's worth it."

"God, I hate you."

"You said that about Nash, too, but now you're obviously spending the night at his place." He shrugs. "Maybe I'm next." He raises his brows suggestively.

"You should really be more careful about the things you say to me. Human resources is only a floor away, and that's twice now you've sexually harassed me."

He holds both hands up innocently. "I didn't touch you."

"You should probably look up the definition of harassment. I let you threaten me before and I stayed quiet because I didn't want those photos to get out. But now they're out, and you best believe I won't be quiet this time." I storm out of the office, leaving those words in my wake.

I move toward my cubicle, and I find Sanders waiting there to talk to me.

"Nash, huh?"

I blow out a breath.

This is going to be a long day.

It doesn't get any easier as every single member of the sports department stops by to chat. You'd think it would make me feel a little less lonely, but instead it only makes me feel alienated from everyone on the staff. They all believe what they saw, and they're all trained enough to know when a photo has been manipulated. It doesn't help matters that Lincoln just moved to town so we can't even play it off like this is some photo from the past. We're in the doorway of the house he just bought here in Vegas.

I'm vague in my answers and avoid as many questions as I can. I haven't had a chance to talk to Lincoln yet to see how we're going to face this—whether we're denying it or if we're going to face it head on together, but when my phone starts to ring and I see it's my mother calling, I realize I can't run from this forever.

I don't pick up at work. I can't.

Instead, I let the call go to voicemail, and once I see she's left it, I listen to her disappointed voice tell me she needs to speak with me urgently.

Jeez. It's not even lunchtime yet.

I'm not getting anything done since every nosy reporter in the building wants the insider info—and none of them are getting it, by the way—so I decide to call it a day and work from home.

I dial Marcus on my way.

"Jolene," he answers curtly.

I blow out a breath. "You saw?"

"I did." I can't quite make out the tone of his words, but he definitely doesn't sound happy about it.

"I'm sorry to bother you with this while you're dealing with your own issues in Florida, Marcus. I just don't know where else to turn," I admit.

"Have you spoken with Lincoln yet and figured out how you two want to face this?" he asks.

"Nope. And by the way, it was Rivera."

"How do you know?" he asks.

"I have a text he sent me this morning telling me I had my chance. He's a pretty stupid blackmailer, if I'm being honest. I have other texts from him threatening to expose us if I don't resign my position."

Marcus sighs. "But he had no fingerprints on that article."

"No, he was smart enough to sell them."

"He sold them?" he echoes.

"Yep. I was dumb enough to stay quiet thinking he'd keep them to himself. Well, he didn't. So now what?"

"Work from home the rest of the week to avoid office chatter. Get with Nash and figure out how you want to handle it. Once you're on the same page, let me know your plan. I will deal with Rivera," he says.

Great. So I need to get a call into someone who's too busy for me, and Marcus will handle Rivera. I just hope the way he handles him means Rivera will be out of a job the next time I show up at the office.

Otherwise…I'm not sure I can stay at this job anyway, and Rivera will end up getting exactly what he wants.

I call my mother next—not because I want to, but because I know I need to get this over with.

"Is it true, Jolene?" she demands when she picks up the call.

Tears spring to my eyes as I hear the anger in her voice.

Is his family reacting the same way?

What have we done?

"I—um…I'm not really ready to answer questions about this," I say.

"It's in the news. I'm your mother, and I deserve to know before the rest of the world."

She's not wrong.

But this is the conversation I've been dreading. At the very least, I thought I'd be able to reveal it to her in person.

Thanks to Rivera, I don't have that option.

"Fine. Lincoln and I have been seeing each other in secret since June. Okay? I love him, and I think he's the man I'm supposed to end up with, and I can't stand lying about it a second longer." I'm crying by the time I'm done blurting out the words, which isn't safe considering I'm behind the wheel of my car. Luckily I pull up to a stoplight so I can wipe away my tears and try to pull it together—a fruitless endeavor, by the way.

My mother is silent on the other end.

"You wanted the truth, and there you have it. I'm sorry if it's not what you wanted to hear."

She remains silent, and then I hear the quiet crying.

I want her to be happy for me, but thinking about future Jonah dating someone related to Rivera really put it in perspective for me. My mom and dad hate the Nash family in the same way I hate Rivera, and they don't want to see their little girl tangled up with someone from that family.

"You know what he put you through the first time, Jolene," she warns through her tears. "You know what that family did to ours. None of us want to relive that pain."

"What makes you so sure we'll have to?" I ask quietly.

"Because he's a Nash. He'll destroy whatever crosses his path, and he won't care who he hurts in the process." She's clearly implying both my son and me.

"That's why we haven't told Jonah about it yet," I say. "We're figuring things out."

"Well, now you'll be doing it under public scrutiny without the support of your parents. I hate to say it this way, honey, but if you don't end it with him, then I'm not certain your father and I can continue to be a part of your life."

Whoa.

I knew this would have dire consequences, but is she kidding me right now?

"You're making me choose you over him," I say.

"I'm trying to do what's best for you."

"I'm thirty-four, Mother. I can make my own decisions."

"Sure, you can. Absolutely. It's your life. But likewise, it's our choice to take a few steps back if you decide you want to carry on with someone like him."

My other line beeps, and I see it's Lincoln calling. And I suppose that means I'm already making my first choice. "I have another call coming in. I need to go." I click to switch the calls.

"Lincoln?" I ask, my voice breathless as I try to keep from crying.

"No, Jolene. Still Mom," she says, and my chest tightens. I guess I didn't press the button right, which happens even when I'm not driving, but I am and this is about the worst timing ever. "But good to know where you stand. I love you. Bye." She hangs up, and this time I press the right button to get to Lincoln before he hangs up on me, too.