Page 177 of His Good Girl

“No,” I said honestly.

Dana snorted. “Good answer.”

I kept reading. Margo had done exactly what Dana said she would. She had made it beautiful without making it fake. She did not make me look like a victim or Callum’s mistress or his toy. She made me look like a woman worthy to be standing beside a man who had chosen not to hide her. My throat tightened so hard I had to stop reading.

Benjamin, who noticed everything, plucked the phone from my hand. “Enough. You can spiral later in a controlled environment.”

“I wasn’t spiraling.”

“You were pre-spiraling. I have charts.”

Dana took her phone back. “Comments are mostly positive.”

“Do not read the comments,” Callum and Benjamin said at the same time.

They looked at each other.

Benjamin shuddered. “I disliked that.”

Callum smirked and shook his head.

By seven, reporters were gathering downstairs. Security called up and the PR department panicked. Marcus suggested we leaveseparately through the service entrance, which caused Dana to say, “Absolutely not,” so loudly I heard it from the hallway.

Callum found me in his office. He walked over and stopped near his desk with his coat over one arm, watching me.

“We can still leave separately,” he offered.

I laughed softly. “You don’t want that.”

“No.”

“But you’d do it if I asked.”

“Yes.”

I turned to face him. “I don’t want to.”

His gaze held mine. “You’re sure?”

I was not sure of anything. I was twenty-five, newly employed, recently photographed without consent, publicly linked to a billionaire who had once been my father’s best friend, and there were people downstairs hoping I would cry prettily enough to become useful footage. I was definitelynotsure. I was terrified. I was furious. I was in love. I was exhausted enough that the floor occasionally seemed to tilt. But certainty, I was learning, was overrated.

I stepped closer and held out my hand. Callum looked at it, then at me. Then his hand closed around mine, warm and firm and there for all to see.

Benjamin appeared in the doorway. “The car is ready. Security has cleared the front entrance. PR would like everyone to know they are brave but nauseous.”

“Thank you, Benjamin,” Callum said.

Benjamin’s gaze dropped to our joined hands. For a second, I expected a joke.

Instead, he only nodded once. “Cute.”

Dana joined us at the elevator, phone in one hand, red lipstick freshly applied like war paint. “Walk slowly,” she said.

Jules had said the same thing once, about the pencil skirt.

My heart squeezed.

I had texted her the article before I finished reading it. She had replied with seventeen crying emojis, one knife emoji, and then: proud of you. also scared. also fuck them. also, I love you.