Without You: A Friends-to-Lovers Small Town Romance

by Jennifer Van Wyk

  “She’s not welcome at the salon, Katie.”

  What am I missing? “Why? Did she steal from them, too?”

  Chad snorts. “Of course she has. Who hasn’t she stolen from?”

  I curl my lip when I put together what I think they’re trying to say. “She took the picture?”

  “We can’t be sure, of course, until we do some digging but that’s our best guess. She’s always looking for money.”

  “What a bitch,” I mutter just as the door opens and Brody joins us. The three of us turn to face him and I take a step back when I see the look on his face. Rage. Pure and total rage.

  “I’ve been thinking,” he says loudly, slamming the door behind him and pacing around the small room. “We’re going to the police. I’m calling Chase and sorting shit out with him to see what the hell he knows because he’s got people to take care of this shit. And we’re going to sue the ever-living hell out of anyone who had a part in this. I don’t give a shit who it is, they’re going down.” Chad, Johnny, and I shift uncomfortably and he notices. “What?” he demands, his voice still harsh.

  “Your mom might have had a hand in this.”

  “You don’t think I’ve thought of that?” he barks, surprising me. “Of course I have! She was having lunch with Hannah for fuck’s sakes. I told her Katie and I were dating. I know she had a part in it. I’m not a fucking moron!” he yells, getting angrier by the word.

  Just then his phone rings and he looks down at it, lifts it to his ear, and answers with an irate, “You’d better be taking care of this.”

  He listens for a moment before pushing a button and setting the phone on the table with the screen up. “You’re on speaker. I don’t want to have to repeat anything and the look on Katie’s face right now tells me that she knows what’s going on, even if she hasn’t seen anything yet.”

  “Hi, Katie,” Chase says through the phone.

  “We’re here, too, fucker!” Johnny yells.

  “Who’s that?” Chase asks, not even reacting to the fact that he was just called a name.

  “My friends Chad and Johnny. You met Johnny today before you offered my girlfriend a job that would take her away from me for months on end.”

  “What?” Chad and Johnny ask at the same time.

  “Let’s just say a lot has happened in one day,” I tell them.

  “In my defense, I didn’t know she was your girlfriend when I offered her the job. It wasn’t until about thirty minutes ago when I was even made aware of the situation by my public relations team.”

  “Yeah, but you knew she was someone’s,” Brody says. “But that’s beside the point. I want to know what you’re going to do to fix this.”

  “We’re sending out notices now. I’m making a statement that Katie and I were never together, that whatever pictures that went out were taken out of context, we’re demanding the video be taken down, which I know doesn’t fix everything because people are sick fucks and will keep that shit if they want. My team is working to figure out who leaked the sex tape just a few minutes ago but right now we’re only coming up with the initials HMM.”

  “Hannah Marie Mitchell. That whore!” I shout again. “I TOLD y’all she’s a whore who is a giant asshole.”

  “Someone you know?” Chase guesses.

  “My ex,” Brody admits.

  “I stood up in her wedding,” I admit next. “Like two months ago.”

  He chuckles on the other end and we raise our eyebrows. “Oh, wow, she sounds like a nice person then. Doing this to a friend? You break her heart or something, Brody?”

  I feel like Chase isn’t taking this nearly as seriously as he should be and apparently Brody’s in agreement because he growls, “Are you for real right now? This is serious, Chase! There’s a video out there of Katie and me having sex less than an hour ago! That means whoever it is that took that video was following her around today. Just like someone followed you around to the salon when you got a massage.”

  “I’m used to being followed,” Chase reminds us. “Part of the job.”

  “A job you wanted to bring Katie into? Do you know what kind of shit this brought upon her?”

  “Hey. This wasn’t on me.”

  “That might be true, but you’re the one who’s going to have to help us fix this so take it serious.”

  I take a deep breath and lean over Brody’s phone. “Chase. We need more information here.”

  “And as soon as I know more information, I’ll tell you. I’m sorry this happened to you but I think you need to shift your blame. This is on that HMM person and whoever’s helping him or her.”

  “That first picture,” Chad starts, “how did they get Katie’s name?”

  He blows out a breath. “That’s a little trickier. Looks like someone at the café recognized me, took a picture of us, and sold it. That wasn’t a big deal because they didn’t know your name. Then someone saw the picture and leaked Katie’s name. Sounds almost coincidental but too much so, you know?”

  “I’ll say,” Chad mutters. “You know what happened,” he accuses Brody. “We know it, too. Now what are we going to do about it?”

  “Someone want to clue me in?” Chase asks.

  “My mother had a hand in this hoping for money.”

  “Shit. What kind of people you run with in Benton?”

  “The best kind, aside from those two.”

  I hear a car pull up and stand up to look out the window. I don’t recognize the vehicle but Johnny’s right behind me, looking as well. “Brody’s dad,” he mutters.

  When I turn around, I see Brody has the phone to his ear now instead of on speaker. He marches toward the door, opens it, mumbles a hello to his dad, and goes outside.

  “Take it by the fact that my son is yelling at someone into the phone to fix this yesterday that y’all already know.”

  Johnny and Chad nod and I fidget. Please God, today has been sucktastic and I don’t need more suck to add to it. Please tell me that Brody’s dad didn’t see a video of me having sex with his son. And if you’re answering prayers anyway, make this go away?

  “Yes. We know.”

  Mr. Redding turns his eyes to me. “Katie?”

  I nod and hold out my hand. “Hi, Mr. Redding.”

  He takes it, cups mine with his other hand as well so it’s incased in his warmth. “Call me Gil, Katie.”

  “Gil.”

  “Now. What’s happening? Who’s my son yelling at?”

  Chad clears his throat and explains, “Chase Stanton, sir.”

  His eyes widen to comical levels. “He’s not holding back.”

  “Nope, I suppose he’s not,” Johnny says.

  “You know everything that happened, sir?” Chad asks.

  “Boy. Stop calling me sir. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

  “He’s a good southern boy,” Johnny teases.

  “I’ve not seen anything,” he says, pointedly looking at me, “but yes, I’ve been made aware.”

  “Sir… I mean, Gil, is it possible that Phoebe had anything to do with this?” I ask, speaking of Brody’s mother.

  “She’s the one who called me to let me know. Brody think she does?” he asks me.

  “It’s a theory, yeah.”

  Chad speaks up for all of us. “B went over there to help her with her washing machine and she said she’d been having lunch with Hannah. The person who uploaded the video has Hannah’s initials. I’m not sure Phoebe actually had a hand in what happened, but I have a feeling she told Hannah that Brody and Katie are seeing each other and instead of acting like a rational person, Hannah chose the opposite.”

  Gil blows out a breath. “That damn woman. She can’t just leave well enough alone.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know, she tried to be a good mother. She really did. But her addiction always got in the way. Her shoplifting addiction is actually what she does to cope with how she grew up. She was a model parent compared to what she grew u
p with. They didn’t pay attention to her. She started stealing little things here and there when she was only eleven. Therapy taught her it was an effort to be noticed. She didn’t need to keep it up, but she did. It took over her life, as you all know. So now, she clings to shit from the past to fix for Brody since she wasn’t there for him. She has it in her head that he’s upset over Hannah and his breakup. Nothing we tell her will make her think otherwise.”

  That actually makes a lot of sense. “So she kind of picks and chooses points where she feels she dropped the ball on being a mother and tries to fix it?”

  “Exactly. Even though Hannah is married and he’s happier than he’s ever been with you.”

  I blush at his praise. “That’s really nice of you to say.”

  “It’s the truth.” He shrugs and cracks his knuckles as if he’s getting down to work. “Let’s figure this out. What’s online that we need to worry about? How do we get it down?”

  I look at Johnny and he scratches the back of his head. “If you haven’t looked, it’d probably better for you not to. Someone recorded Katie and Brody together earlier tonight and got it uploaded quickly, like they knew who to send that shit to.”

  “What do you mean it was them together?”

  “Together, together,” Chad explains and I could die right on the spot. I know my face is flaming red and I am mortified. I might as well have sent my boyfriend’s father a topless picture.

  “Oh. Ohhhh. I see,” Gil says, cringing. “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “Thank you.”

  The door opens again, feeling a bit like it’s been revolving since I got here, and once again Brody walks in. Not looking any happier than when he left.

  I rush to his side, hugging him before stepping back. He doesn’t let me get far, though, holding my hand and tucking me against his side.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “Son.” He nods, standing wide and looking so much like his son it’s a little freaky. “What’d he say?”

  “His legal team is taking care of it as we speak. He got a text while we were talking that the video was uploaded directly to a website from a phone. The IP address is already being tracked and they’re sending notices, or whatever it is they do, to get it taken down. The prosecutor will need to know if we are going to press charges, which, just to say, I’m leaning in that direction no matter who it was because that fucker stood outside of my shop and recorded us having sex as well as smeared your character by spreading lies that you are a cheater. The thing is, it was far more than just spreading a lie. It was actively trying to ruin someone.

  “Chase is pissed, as he should be, and I have no idea how it would go if you accepted his job that he offered you but he said he’d protect you if you do decide to accept it.”

  “Hold up. What job?” Johnny asks.

  I turn to him. “He offered me a job to travel with the band to be their massage therapist, basically.”

  “Bullshit. He has the hots for you and wanted you with him. You’re not taking it, are you?” Johnny says vehemently.

  I shake my head and give Brody a little squeeze. “Not anymore. I was thinking about it, because it seemed like a really good opportunity and the money he offered would be a game changer for me. It was also something I figured I’d never have the chance to do again, and thought maybe it would be… interesting, I guess. But now I know I’ll just be in the spotlight and stared at, gossiped about, and slandered so no, I’m not going to accept it. I was on the fence anyway, because he’d asked me out a few times and I was afraid it would be awkward but also because…” I turn to Brody, “don’t let this freak you out, but because of you.”

  He grins. “Doesn’t freak me out but it does make me happy. I didn’t want you to take it, either.”

  “Why didn’t you say that? I wanted your truth, B.”

  “No way was I going to stand in the way of something you truly wanted. That wasn’t my choice to make for you, babe.”

  If I wasn’t already falling for him, that would have tipped me right over the edge.

  I kiss him lightly on the cheek. “Thank you. You can’t know how much that means to me. But I brought it to you because I truly wanted to know where you were on the idea of me being gone.”

  He looks at me closely, back and forth between my eyes as if he’s trying to get a better read on me. “Do you need me to say it?”

  “Say what?” I ask, even though I know what he’s talking about. It just makes me nervous to admit to wanting his opinion on what I do with the next several months of my life. Is it too soon to figure Brody in as a factor of a decision like this? I’m sure some would say yes, but it sure doesn’t feel like it’s too soon. In fact, it feels like he’s the primary factor in whether or not I would have said yes or no to Chase’s offer, even though it’s no longer in question.

  He doesn’t seem to be bothered that his friends and dad are in the room when he takes me by the hands, facing me. “A few months ago, these nut jobs and I got rip roaring drunk and almost made a fool of ourselves as we interrupted Hannah’s wedding reception. I looked over and saw this gorgeous blonde with lips I couldn’t get out of my head and my world changed. Not because of a contract I had just signed, but because of the girl I had a hard time looking away from. Katie, without you, none of this,” he gestures to the shop and office, “matters. None of it. I want you with me as often as I can have you and if I have to prove to you, I’ll enjoy the hell out of that. But hear me, and I’ll repeat it as many times as it takes for it to stick, then I’ll say it a thousand more times, the reason why I’m happy right now isn’t because of a job or money. It’s because of you. Could I survive a few months without you around me every day? Probably. But I don’t want to.”

  By the time he finishes talking, I’m a bundle of emotions, tears flooding my eyes and a lump forms in my throat. “I needed to hear that,” I whisper.

  “Sorry I wasn’t clear enough earlier.”

  Brody kisses me, a closed mouth kiss on the lips. “Apparently I’m a words speak louder than actions girl.”

  “Good to know,” he says, winking.

  “Now that that’s settled, is Chase going to fix this?” Gil demands to know. “For sure, he’s going to.”

  “Yes. He promised me he’d make it right and make sure that everything was taken down immediately. And yes, he’s still planning on speaking to the press. We can’t guarantee there won’t be blowback and that no one comes snooping for information. He warned me that just because we do our part in telling the truth, that doesn’t mean everyone will believe us or that they’ll let it go. We can only do so much.”

  “Yeah, I kind of figured that. I think I want to text Hannah and see if she’s weird with me. I mean, if it actually is her, you know?”

  Johnny hoots. “Do it. Can I help? I want to see her squirm. We know it’s her. There’s no way it isn’t.”

  “Should I?” I ask Brody and he shrugs.

  “Why not?”

  I move to my coat and grab my phone, unsurprised that I’ve missed multiple calls and texts from my sister, Maria, Cami, my mother, and a few others. I know everyone is likely worried and I’ll respond later. But right now…

  I bite my bottom lip trying to think of how to start and settle on something simple, not wanting her to be suspicious.

  Me: Hey, girl! Just wanted to check in because we haven’t talked since the wedding. Hope everything is going well.

  I wait patiently as the text changes from Delivered to Read.

  I set my phone on the table for everyone to see and hold my breath when I see the three little bubbles popping up.

  Then for the next minute they go back and forth from appearing and disappearing.

  The bubbles to let me know that she’s typing are completely absent for a couple more minutes. After thirty seconds of waiting, Johnny had already lost patience and growled that she needs to hurry up already. None of us disagreed.

  “A watched pot never boils, kids,” Gil s
ays knowingly.

  Brody shoots his dad a look that doesn’t get to his dad in any way. “Hey. I’m just being helpful. Why don’t you show me what you’re working on right now?”

  “Dad, I have no desire to talk cars right now.”

  “Whoa, that’s a first,” mumbles Chad.

  Brody rolls his eyes and huffs.

  “Tell me what else Chase said,” I ask of Brody, encouraging him to talk about something else to take our minds off our current reality.

  “He apologized for making you uncomfortable.”

  “Say what, now?” Gil speaks up, appearing obviously irritated.

  “He asked her out and according to Chase, it sounds like he was doing a shit job at it and let Katie know that he’d seen her in town when he was here looking at the custom truck I built for him. Then on top of that, he asked for her number. A week later he showed up here for a massage and shit got even more uncomfortable. He was surprised Katie didn’t tell me,” Brody looks at me pointedly, “and I agreed at first.” I open my mouth to respond but he continues, not giving me the chance to explain. “Then realized that was probably something she wasn’t allowed to tell someone else because he was a paying customer.”

  Turns out I didn’t need to explain. Brody understands without me having to spell things out for him. Just like he couldn’t tell me who he builds for because of privacy, my clients deserve the same.

  “Go back. Made her more uncomfortable?” Chad asks, equally as irritated as Gil was moments ago.

  “He got a fucking hard-on while she was giving him a massage.”

  “I’m gonna need you to repeat that.” Johnny might say the words without emotion but he’s not doing a good job hiding his smirk.

  “You heard me. Don’t make me repeat that shit again.”

  Johnny, Chad, and Gil lose it completely, doubling over in laughter. Their laughter is infectious and soon I’m giggling, too.

  “It’s not funny, assholes!”

  “Oh, it’s totally funny. Chase Stanton. Country music superstar got a hard-on because your girlfriend was giving him a massage. That’s not only amazing, it’s freaking hilarious.”

  I’m wheezing, laughing so hard I have tears rolling down my cheeks. It’s definitely a good change from earlier. What happened today sucked. No one deserves it. But this, right here, is what I needed.