Once Upon a Friendship

Interesting. Apparently she hadn’t chickened out. “And?”

“I said more than ‘no comment.’”

“You did.” He wanted to take this seriously. Gabi was a smart woman and not disposed to drama. The fact that she was upset usually meant something was legitimately upsetting. And he wanted to hug her, too. He never should have sent her out there, a small fish in his big diseased pond.

She’d been so sure she could handle it. It had seemed so important to her the night before when they’d all discussed their plans, that as his attorney she should be the one to make the statement. Marie had thought it a good idea. So had Elliott Tanner, not that he had enough history on them to know what he was talking about, except from a safety standpoint. Tanner hadn’t thought Gabi would be in any danger facing any reporters on her own. To the contrary, it had seemed the least dramatic way to go...

With her hands clasped in her lap like a schoolgirl, she said, “I got defensive, Liam. I said more than I should have.”

“What did you say?” He was still just merely curious at this point.

Another glance up at him and she turned back to his computer. “You can see for yourself. The jerk put it up on YouTube.”

Liam’s first clue that Gabi had real reason for concern hit him when she mentioned that the video was online. His second came as soon as her fingers hit the keyboard. She knew right where to go to find what she was looking for, which meant she’d already seen it. And knew it was bad.

The third was the number of views the video had had. Almost as many as his article. In less than a day’s time.

She’d gone viral.

* * *

“IF YOU DID your homework like a good reporter should...”

Liam watched the scene unfold on his computer screen, completely entranced. No one had ever...ever gone to bat for him like that.

He’d had no idea Gabi had so much lion in her.

Or that he’d be the one to inspire such a passionate response from her.

And there was that black suit again. And more makeup than he was used to seeing on her. Makeup that had mostly worn off by the time she’d come to get him from jail that afternoon.

Her back to him now, she faced the screen the entire time the video played.

When it finished he didn’t say a word. He was too moved to trust himself not to say something he’d later regret.

One thing Liam had learned at a young age was that there were times to hold your tongue.

Gabi was typing again. The name of a rag internet news source. He was familiar with it. And would rather work for his father than write for them.

She clicked, quickly clicked again and a bold black headline filled his screen: What Man Wouldn’t Die for a Hot Attorney Like This?

Gabi thought the hideous scumbag had made up a lascivious, insulting, disgusting story.

In Liam’s mind the lowlife reporter managed to hit right on the truth.

“I’m sorry.” She was still looking at the screen.

She was sorry? Did that mean she wasn’t on to him? Hadn’t noticed that he’d fallen for her?

Could he still salvage this?

“I’m not sorry,” he said, complete seriousness behind every word. “You stood up for me, Gabi. You are not responsible for the fact that one man’s brain took him straight to a dirt pile. What you said is completely true. My father and I are not only not close, he never even let me associate closely enough with him at work to have the ability to be instrumental to a scheme like this. You aren’t to blame for this reporter’s cheesy attempt to get a lot of press.”

“I should have said ‘no comment.’”

Possibly. But he was glad she hadn’t. However, Liam quickly determined that now wasn’t a good time to tell her how completely wonderful her defense of him made him feel.

Because in the end, the way he felt wasn’t wonderful at all. Not when it meant risking Threefold and the family they’d grown into.