Friendship on Fire (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, Book 3) Contemporary Romance

by Melissa Foster

  What the hell is going on? She smoothed the comforter, thinking about their lovemaking and smiling at the thought. Yes, maybe it would be for the best if our relationship was exposed. She hated sneaking around and lying, and although they weren’t being as careful outside of work, she still felt like a thief on parole. She’d seen pictures of Josh in the rag mags over the years and on the cover of the larger publications when his career first began to flourish, and she remembered how her heart had skipped a beat, breathing new life into the crush she’d worked so hard to tamp down. Each time she’d catch sight of one of those articles, she’d buy the magazine and look at it when she was alone at night. Then she’d force those feelings back into the confines of some well deep within her mind. Someplace where they wouldn’t render her unable to think straight, as they had when they’d reconnected. Maybe now he wasn’t quite as much of a reader draw as he once was. Maybe he was overreacting. After all, why would the media care if he was dating her? She was talking herself in circles again. She knew the answer to the relentless question. It wasn’t the media he was worried about. If they took his picture, it would be happenstance, a space filler in some useless magazine in the About Town section. It was Claudia catching wind of that picture that worried him.

  She slipped out of her clothes, hung them on a hanger to be taken to the cleaners, and ran a warm shower. She had to be at the show the next morning at seven thirty, and she’d get no sleep if she didn’t relax. She pushed away the unsettling feeling in her stomach, writing it off as too much alcohol, and stepped into the shower hoping Josh would come home and join her.

  At one forty-five she climbed into bed, chewing on the possibilities that something worse had happened. With no additional texts from Josh and knowing he’d texted nine-one-one to Mia and Simone, her stomach was doing somersaults. We have 2 talk.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  THE ROOM FELT like it was closing in on him. Josh’s chest constricted, and he broke out in a sweat. What the fuck is going on? It wasn’t the room and it wasn’t a heart attack, Josh realized, but the shattering of his heart. He sat behind his desk with his head buried in his hands, rehashing the last few hours and Claudia’s accusations that Riley had stolen the design for Max’s dress from her. Riley? A design thief? Any way he cut it, it would be her word against Riley’s unless he could prove that Claudia was lying.

  The last thing he wanted to do was upset Riley with Claudia’s obscene accusation. He wanted to prove Claudia wrong here and now and go home to Riley without this shit hanging over their heads. He’d get to the bottom of this chaos if it took all night.

  He knew a nine-one-one text would raise all sorts of questions, but tonight, with exhaustion and anger taking over his rational mind, he didn’t care. He hoped that one of the staff could verify that Riley had been designing Max’s dress while she was at work, or that she’d shared her designs with them. Anything to prove that Riley wasn’t the one who had stolen the design. Why would she? She had Josh. Her design skills were flawless. She had it all. Why would she risk everything? Why would she risk our love?

  CLAY AND K.T. had been no help at all. Both came into the office looking like they’d just rolled out of bed, with worry etched into their faces. Neither had witnessed Riley doing any work other than JBD work, though Clay claimed to have seen Claudia designing through lunch on several occasions. They’d left the office with a firm directive that what they’d discussed not leave the safety of his office.

  Mia and Simone flew through the front doors and into his office. Having had another hour to think without Claudia in his face, he realized that he should have spoken to Riley before speaking to the staff, but it was too late for that now.

  “We’re here, boss. What’s up?”

  He lifted his frustrated gaze to meet Mia’s voice. “Have a seat, ladies.” He stood and paced.

  “What is it?” Simone asked, shooting a worried look at Mia.

  “There’s been an accusation raised about Riley’s wedding gown design,” he began. “Do either of you know anything about this?”

  The surprise in their eyes only frustrated him more. Surely someone would have seen Claudia rifling through Riley’s things, or Riley poring over her sketches.

  “What do you mean, an accusation?” Simone asked.

  “She’s been accused of stealing the design,” Josh admitted through a clenched jaw.

  “We just spent the evening with Riley, and she sure doesn’t seem like someone who would steal a design,” Simone said.

  “This has to be Cruella, right?” Mia shot to her feet. When Josh didn’t answer, she continued. “Damn it, Josh. That woman will do anything to get ahead. How can you even trust a word she says?”

  “Don’t you think the same thoughts have already run through my head?” He sat on the edge of his desk and let out a long sigh. “She has proof, Mia. I was hoping that Riley had shared her designs with one of you, or that you’d at least seen her working on them. I’ve seen sketches in her apartment, but they were already drawn. I didn’t see her working on them. ”

  Mia shook her head. “I haven’t, but that’s not surprising. I can’t imagine that she’d let everyone here know she was doing something other than straight JBD work.”

  “Good point,” Josh said, chewing on the tiny nugget of hope.

  “But then again,” Simone added, “we have seen Claudia working on new designs. Remember, Mia? She showed us that pantsuit, the one with the thick belt and flared legs.”

  Shit. Shitshitshit.

  “I still don’t believe it.” Mia crossed her arms and paced. “What kind of proof does she have?”

  Josh knew that he shouldn’t divulge the details of the accusation or the proof that Claudia had presented, but his nerves were so tightly wound and anger strangled any patience that he might once have possessed. He was scrounging for something to prove Riley’s innocence. One small shred of evidence, that’s all he needed.

  “Drawings. Scanned, dated, and recorded,” he answered.

  “Shit.” Mia sat back down on the couch, her elbows on her knees. “What are you going to do?”

  “What can I do? This is a serious accusation. I have to talk to Riley and hear her side of it.” Josh tried to ignore the piercing pain shooting through his stomach.

  “She’ll quit. Hell, I’d quit even if I hadn’t stolen the ideas. Just being accused of something so heinous would piss me off,” Simone said. “You’d better be sure before you take that leap. From what I witnessed today, Riley could sell a double bed to the pope. She’s got more people skills in her pinky than Claudia has in her entire body. She’ll have no trouble getting another job, especially if she really did design that dress.”

  Tell me something I don’t know.

  Josh ran his hand through his hair, thinking, buying time before going home. No matter how many ways he turned the accusation, he didn’t have a lick of evidence supporting Riley’s efforts.

  “Not a word of this to anyone outside these four walls. Got it?”

  AFTER TALKING WITH the staff, Josh felt as if a giant hand had crashed through his chest and ripped out his heart. He stepped from the office into the cold night air, and instead of climbing into a cab or calling Jay to pick him up, he walked, crushing his anger with each determined step. Could I have been wrong about Riley? Were there red flags I overlooked because of my feelings for her? He walked by Savannah’s apartment, where his intimate relationship with Riley had first begun. He stopped in front of Savannah’s building, wishing he could go back to the nights when he and Riley had lain in each other’s arms without this mess on their shoulders.

  By the time he reached the Dakota, he felt like he’d been through a war. His muscles ached, and his emotions were frayed so badly that he didn’t trust himself to deal with this mess rationally until he’d had time to sleep and process the facts. Inside the dark apartment, he removed his shoes by the door, feeling the warmth of Riley’s presence around him, and walked soft footed to the bedroo
m. The pit of his stomach sank at the sight of Riley tucked peacefully into his bed. Her beautiful hair fanned from her head like a halo. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. He couldn’t accuse her of something so wrong. This has to be a mistake.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  RILEY AWOKE TO the alarm at six o’clock and reached across the empty bed. She bolted out of bed, hurrying into the hall wearing Josh’s T-shirt and her underwear.

  “Josh?” she called as she walked down the hall. She found him asleep on the couch in the living room. He stirred when she sat beside him, and when she kissed his forehead, he blinked awake.

  “Hey,” she whispered. “Missed you last night. Why’d you sleep out here?”

  He scrubbed his face with his hand. “Hi. I didn’t want to wake you.” He pushed himself up to a sitting position.

  “Please don’t ever worry about that. I’d always rather be next to you. Why didn’t you at least sleep in the guest room?” she asked.

  “It felt too far away.”

  She kissed his cheek and felt him stiffen against her lips. “What’s wrong?” She searched his downcast eyes. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

  Josh cleared his throat. “Let me get some coffee.” He pushed to his feet and started for the kitchen.

  Riley was on his heels. “Why didn’t you return my texts last night? Did something happen with Claudia? I know you texted Mia and Simone. I was with them last night when the texts came through.”

  Josh didn’t respond. He put both hands on the counter and leaned over it.

  “You’re missing your morning run,” she said. Shit, this has got to be bad.

  “I know,” he whispered.

  She touched his back, hating the way he pulled away just slightly but enough to send a very strong message. “Josh? Have I done something?”

  When he turned, his eyes were filled with love. Relieved, she took a step toward him. He looked away, and in that flash of an instant, she saw his eyes narrow, then close, stopping her in her tracks.

  “Josh?” The hair on the back of her neck prickled. Oh my God, what did I do?

  “Riley, let’s sit down.”

  She moved robotically to a chair. He sat across from her, but he felt a million miles away. Her mouth went dry, and she thought she might be sick as she waited for him to speak.

  “Where did you get that design for Max’s dress?” he asked.

  She shook her head, thinking she’d misheard him. “Where did I get it? Do you mean where did I get my ideas from?”

  He sighed, running his hand through his hair again. His eyes darted around the table, to the left of her, to her lap, anywhere but meeting her confused stare. When his eyes finally found hers, it was the rest of his face that sent the pit of her stomach on a downhill roller coaster. Worry lines streaked his forehead, and a deep vee had formed between his furrowed brows.

  “Riley, Claudia said the design was hers.”

  Riley felt like she’d been kicked in the gut. She pushed to her feet, sending the chair flying backward. “What? That little bitch. You know that’s not true.” Her entire body shook. She crossed her arms in an effort to stop them from trembling. Her lower lip shook, and she bit it, holding it in place. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

  “Babe,” he said.

  She wished that endearment didn’t remind her of just how much she loved him. “Josh, you know this isn’t true. You were there when I showed it to Max. You saw the drawing. You saw me laboring over the design right there at your dining room table.” Don’t cry.

  “I saw the sketch when you showed it to Max, but I didn’t see you draw it.” He looked at her then with a mixture of disbelief and empathy—or maybe it was pity, she couldn’t tell.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t steal anything. I can prove it.” She didn’t mean to yell. She swiped at a tear that had broken loose. Prove it? I have to prove something to you? “I can’t believe this. You’d believe Claudia over me? It’s me, Josh. Remember?” There was no stopping the flow of angry tears. She sucked air into her constricted lungs. “Remember me, Josh? The girl you said you loved? Do you really think I’d do something like that?”

  He dropped his eyes. “I didn’t want to believe it, but she showed me scanned sketches of all the drawings, dated well before you showed the dress to Max. I accused her of lying, of stealing. Hell, I accused her of everything I could think of. Then I had to watch her click through image after image on her computer of scanned clothing designs she’d supposedly sketched. Designs I’d never seen before, with the exception of Max’s wedding dress and one dress that I had actually witnessed her designing earlier in the month. Witnessed, Riley. Damn it, why didn’t I witness you drawing the damn wedding dress in the first place? You have to believe me. I didn’t want to believe her—even when her proof was infuckingdisputable. So I talked to the staff and—”

  “You talked to the staff?” Oh my God. “You’ve humiliated me without any proof.”

  “Riley, no one has seen you drawing anything besides JBD work.”

  He looked at her then, and this time the meaning was clear. Pity. Before the sobs tore from her chest, she stormed from the room.

  “I don’t believe this,” she spat.

  In the bedroom, she threw her clothes onto the bed. She was shaking so badly that she kept dropping them on the floor. She heard Josh enter the room, felt his arms touch her from behind. She stopped for a beat, then twisted away.

  “You’re not the man I thought you were,” she said, more sad than angry. She scooped the clothes into her arms, grabbed the few pairs of shoes she could hold on to, and headed for the front door.

  “Riley, wait. Let’s talk about this.”

  She hooked her purse with her finger and turned to face him. He stood with his shoulders rounded forward, his hair askew, and bags under his beautifully sad dark eyes. She loved him so much that every fiber of her being ached at his accusation. She couldn’t stay in that apartment. She couldn’t stay with him. No matter how much she loved him, she knew she had to leave. She gathered all of the courage she could muster, gripping the clothes tightly against her body—a shield between her and the hurt—and when she spoke, she barely recognized the sound of her own broken voice.

  “The man I love would never have believed this farce in the first place. I’ll stay at Treat’s, and I’ll get my stuff at some point. I’ll move out of Treat’s when I go home. I’m sorry, but please find someone else to run the show. Mia and Simone are great. They’ll do it.” She reached for the doorknob just as Josh touched her shoulders.

  He rested his forehead on the back of her head. “Please, don’t do this.”

  She clenched her eyes shut, damning the tears. Her heart screamed, Turn around! Hold him! Love him! Her mind screamed, Someone who loves you doesn’t do this.

  “You already did,” she said.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  FUCK. FUCK, FUCK, fuck. Goddamn it. Josh stomped through the apartment, up and down the hall, through the living room, and finally, into the master bedroom, where he leaned on the dresser and stared at himself in the mirror. His hair was a mess; his eyes were bloodshot and angry. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to scream. He wanted to rewind time and fucking witness Riley draw that original drawing. He gritted his teeth, clenched his jaw, and paced the floor until his chest and stomach hurt so badly he had to get the poison out. He raised his arms toward the ceiling and yelled, “FUUUUUCK!”

  The veins in his neck pressed against his skin. His face felt white-hot. How the hell would he fix this mess? He stomped to the front door and swung it open. He’d apologize to Riley. He’d take her in his arms and work this shit out. Then what? What if he’d been wrong about her? What if she did steal the design? I’m not wrong. She’s a good person. But what if…

  He closed the door, taking relief in the fact that it was Saturday. He had time to think. To plan. To mourn.

  RILEY FLUNG HER clothes on the foyer floor and crumpl
ed onto the living room couch, sobbing. How could this happen? Yesterday she was on cloud nine, and now her career—and her relationship with Josh—were over. Kaput. Done. She sobbed until her chest and throat ached and she had no more tears to cry. She punched the couch pillows, then stood and paced. She wished she could climb out of her skin and hide. Riley threw herself onto the center of the living room floor and curled up in the fetal position. How could anything hurt this much?

  She couldn’t think past the ache of mistrust Josh had shown. He should have come to her first. Now everyone knew that she’d been accused of something she didn’t do—of something Josh believed she did.

  She dialed Jade’s number. Jade answered on the first ring, and the sound of her voice drew more sobs from a well deep within Riley’s body that she didn’t know existed. How could something hurt so much?

  “Ri? What is it, hon? What can I do?” Jade urged.

  “I…I wanna come home.” That was it. She had to go back to her safe existence. No one in Weston would ever accuse her of something so vile.

  “Oh, honey, of course you can come home. Ri, honey, tell me what’s going on. Did something happen? Did Josh do something?”

  Riley pushed through the pain and humiliation and told her best friend exactly what had crushed her will to go on.

  “Oh, hon. I just can’t believe Josh would believe any of that,” she said. Her voice was like a warm hug—an embrace that part of Riley wanted to rebel against and push away from so she could wallow in the ache of Josh’s faltering faith in her and another part of her wanted to run back into just to feel that she was loved.

  There was no hiding from the excruciating pain. She had to face Josh head-on or give up. How could she love someone who didn’t trust her? But damn it, she did love him.

  “Well, he does,” she said to Jade. “What should I do? Should I talk to him some more? I mean, what can I say? There was no one watching me draw Max’s dress. God, I had to hide it from Claudia or deal with her wrath. There were no eyewitnesses.”