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She needed him Needed his support And he’d told her to take a hike Worse, he’d arrogantly told her not to bother changing herback
He winced Holy hell in a bucket but he’d said so to do, it would be hilass
Her tear-stained face came painfully to mind The hell she must have endured Her coworkers had seen the photos Everyone in her profession had likely seen them They’d all probably come to some very inaccurate conclusions
He’d been selfish and deiven one moment’s consideration to how their relationship would reflect on her It had all been about him His wants and needs He didn’t care if anyone knew about theood reason
He should have been standing with her He should have supported her Now it looked as if the world had turned on her, and where was he? Off licking his wounds while she faced the world alone
To hell with that
He had a woman to win back
Nineteen
Celia sipped her hot chocolate and stared over her dad’s backyard to the ocean in the distance She’d always loved the view here His house was perched on a cliff, though it was situated a good distance from the drop-off
As a child, after reading about mudslides, she’d been convinced that they’d fall into the ocean Her brothers had told her it was far more likely they’d fall off in an earthquake She shook her head at the memory of how they liked to torment her
It was peaceful here, and not for the first time, she wondered why she’d been so anxious to move away
True, her fa at times, but they loved her They were loyal and they’d do anything in the world for her That wasn’t so to hold on to and never let go
No, she wouldn’t leave again She was through discovering the world Her world was here Home
Where her family lived
The sliding-glass doors opened and Noah stepped out She turned all the way around in her chair to greet him, but stopped when she saw the expression on his face
“I was about to say good ,” she said as he came over and plopped down beside her
He sighed and held out another newspaper “I thought about not showing you this, but I knew if so said about me, I’d want to know about it so I wouldn’t be blindsided”
Dread began low in her stomach She stared fearfully at the extended paper Then her disgust overcame her apprehension and she plucked it from his hand
There in black and white for the entire Bay area to see was a detailed account of all that had happened
in New York Oh, it was ablatant suise of an article announcing the deal brokered between Reese Enterprises and Maddox Communications
It detailed her job history, colorful as it was, to the present and hinted broadly about there being a relationship between her and Evan
Nothing was left to the i she’d worked so hard to overco detail
She should be angry Furious even But what she felt was…resignation
She looked up into the worried eyes of her brother as the realization hit her
It would always be sory that she’d placed ht of her than she did whathe thought of her
As long as the people she loved knew the truth, it shouldn’t ht Brock believed in her and her abilities She had the backing of her agency Her family loved her unconditionally
Evan evidently didn’t care who knew they were involved, so why should she?
For the first ti while, she looked at her life with a sense of deep gratitude For so long she’d been shaped by external forces Her desire to shed the protective grasp of her family Her need to escape from the scandal in New York and prove herself to everyone around her
The only person she’d been proving anything to was herself Everyone else had known all along what kind of person she was
“Oh, Noah, I’ve been so stupid,” she whispered
He cocked his head in confusion She responded by throwing her ar him fiercely Then she dreay and kissed him on the cheek
“Thank you”
He still looked supremely puzzled “For what?”
“For opening my eyes I’ve been so very blind to as in front of ”
He grinned crookedly “Well, okay Domy ass, you remind them that I opened your eyes Whatever that means”
She s to please others I’ what they think about me The only people in this world who matter to me already believe the best of me
What more do I need?”
“Don’t let these bastards get you down, Cece You’re right We love you to pieces and nothing anyone ever insinuates is going to change that Furtherirl I helped raise isn’t abitch who doesn’t care who she hurts on her way up the corporate ladder”
She hugged hiain “Thank you, Noah You have no idea what that means to me”
He leaned away, still holding her arms “So what about Evan?”
She pressed her lips together “He told ed my mind Well, too bad I made a mistake It’s not the end of the world We all make them I’m sure he’s made his share
He was angry and I’ toto take the leap and tell him I love him and hope like hell that doesn’t make him run for cover”
Noah touched her cheek in a tender gesture “If he does, he’s a fool who doesn’t deserve you
Remember that, okay?”