Breaking the Habit: The Breaking Series #4

by Leigh, Ember

  She frowned, snatching the papers out of his hands. “I can manage.”

  Riley peered at the top page, squinting as she read and reread the title: NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT.

  She glanced up at Levi. Maybe he had a point about the hangover interfering. “Why don’t you give me an executive summary to start?”

  Levi’s jaw flexed as he ran a hand over his cornrows. “Fine. So, I made a deal with a PR firm to be seen with Titi LaCreux. They’re creating a big campaign around a fake romance. I’m making a fuckton of money to be involved in it.”

  Riley swallowed, looking back at the contract in her hands. His words fit strangely inside her. The strangest part about it was they fit at all. She didn’t rush to reject them. Even in her ultra-vulnerable, overly sensitive hangover state.

  “Sounds really convenient,” Riley finally said. She should be suspicious of the way she was so eager to latch onto the first thing that tumbled out of his mouth. “Wouldn’t be hard to draw up some sort of bullshit NDA. They’re all over the internet.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Why would I do that to you?”

  “You forget, I’m a lawyer’s daughter.” She tossed the contract aside, suddenly so tired she couldn’t sit up. “I’ve heard of things you can’t even imagine. And making a fake contract to fool a girlfriend? It’s been done before.”

  Levi’s nostrils flared. “I’m not faking this. If I didn’t want to be with you, I would have told you by now.”

  “So instead of telling me you made up some bullshit rule about Travis wanting us to be apart for a week and a half before the fight, right?” Her throat tensed. Tears were coming. “But really it was just so you could go hang out with Titi LaCrap.”

  “No, that bullshit rule really was Travis’s. Because he sees us together. He knows how fucking head over heels we are.” Levi clenched his jaw, pausing as he seemed to struggle with something. “I signed this contract before anything had gotten serious between us. I never would have agreed to it if they’d approached me once you and I got close. Not even for the money.”

  “How much money is it?” Riley croaked.

  “Four hundred G.”

  “Jesus.” Riley buried her face into her knees. It sounded so absurd. But it wasn’t. Not out here.

  “I should have told you before,” Levi said, the bed creaking as he shifted closer to her. “But I thought I could get by with doing the minimum for them without having to break the NDA or even get into it with you.” He worked his jaw back and forth, studying her face. “I didn’t think you’d find out that I met up with Titi this week. I didn’t know it would become the hugest news story of the century.”

  “Still sounds to me like you did something shady even though you knew better.”

  He ran two fingers over his hairline, jaw flexing as he studied the comforter of her bed. “Yeah. You’re right. But I swear to you, it wasn’t because I was with her. It was because I signed this damn contract.”

  She forced herself not to meet his honey gaze. If she did, she’d fall right into his arms, and she couldn’t do that. No, she needed more time to think about things. Get outside opinions. Make sure she wasn’t totally insane after all.

  “I don’t know, Levi.” She swallowed a thick knot in her throat, watching the ceiling so the veil of tears in her eyes didn’t turn into a traitorous tear. “I think you should go. I need to think about things.”

  “Keep it,” Levi said, pointing to the contract she’d tossed. “Read it over. You’ll see that it’s real.”

  “Mm-hmm.” She lay back in bed, turning away from him. Her heart ached, her stomach hurt, and everything sucked.

  “Ri,” Levi said, sounding like he was pleading.

  “I want to be alone, Levi,” she said, pinching her eyes shut. But that wasn’t true. Not even a little bit. She wanted his arms around her and his weight beside her and the reassuring whoosh of his breath at her ear. But giving in to that would mean she was weak. That she hadn’t learned anything from her ex.

  The bed creaked, and her eyes shot open, against her better judgement. He was standing, working his jaw back and forth.

  “Who’s gonna take my cornrows out?” he asked quietly.

  She pouted, burrowing her face in the covers. “Gage is.”

  “What am I gonna tell Gage when you don’t come home with me?”

  “Levi, stop,” she wailed. God, he knew where to hit to make her feel worse.

  “You know the outing you arranged with him and the girls is like the funnest thing he’s ever done, right?” Levi rested his hands on his hips. “What about my new jokes? Who’s gonna screen ’em?”

  “I’m sure Travis would love to hear all of them.”

  Levi set his jaw. “I have all this coffee at my house that I need to make for you.”

  The thought of his horrible coffee combined with this hangover sent nausea crashing through her. “I swear to God, Levi, if you don’t leave now—”

  “Okay. I’m out.” He headed toward the door, pausing to look back at her. “I’ll call you later.”

  She waited until she heard his footsteps go downstairs, followed by the click of the front door before she let herself unravel. The tears came, and they didn’t stop, not for a long time.

  She cried more than she thought possible for her dehydrated body, and then she cried some more.

  It had to all come out. Because once she was done, she was going to make some decisions.

  Chapter 33

  Three days later, Riley was at the studio as usual—editing pictures with coffee at her side, visiting the bon-bon shop next door on breaks, receiving the occasional surprise visitor who was curious about what she did.

  Life went on despite heartbreak. Despite celebrity notoriety in the rag mags for the second time.

  And that was the surprising part.

  She kept waiting for her world to bottom out, like it had the first time. The sickening lurch and sweep of losing everything all at once—boyfriend, privacy, dignity. But it didn’t come. Maybe being off most of social media helped. Maybe she’d finally grown a thick skin. She wasn’t sure.

  She was still on the hook for turning over all of Levi’s completed images from the tied match, which she was putting the final touches on. The fight had been gruesome. Something both awful and fascinating. She’d never seen Levi fight like that. Not in any practice and never on a fight night. It was like he’d mentally checked out. Mind everywhere but the fight.

  And she felt partially responsible for that. She hadn’t done a good enough job keeping her anger under wraps. She knew he’d picked up on the fact that she’d found out. And that itself was damning evidence that what they had was special. Intense. Rare, even.

  She didn’t like admitting how relieved she’d been to find him in her bedroom on Sunday morning. Every part of her wanted to believe him. She was just awaiting the final verdict.

  Her father’s take on the NDA.

  She’d sent it to him Monday morning, wanting his honest feedback about where the document fell on a scale of one to bullshit. Nobody was better equipped to answer this question than him.

  Which was why she was checking her phone like a maniac every ten minutes. He’d be responding soon. He’d promised to do it by lunch. And it was 11:25.

  When her phone buzzed with a new text, she jolted and scrambled to swipe it open.

  DAD: Contract looks good. Very standard for that company. Have worked with (and against) them many times before. They luv finding up-n-comers to exploit like ur friend.

  She reread his text a hundred times, each time her smile growing a little bigger. Something about daddy’s seal of approval made her feel less crazy for believing Levi.

  RILEY: Thanks dad. Really appreciate it. He’s actually more than my friend. You’ll have to meet him sometime.

  Her hands shook as she set the phone down, relief trickling through her. She and Nikki had pored over the contract multiple times together—swearing her to secrecy first, of cours
e—and even she’d been swayed by the legitimacy of the document.

  Now it was Riley’s turn to be swayed.

  She planned on getting the pictures one hundred percent completed before she did anything else, like head over to Holt or throw herself at Levi demanding that they talk more about the “head over heels” part. Maybe she had some apologizing to do, too. She’d been a drunk asshole with him, and she didn’t like that a twisted side of her had come out like that, even under the pretense of heartbreak.

  But still, there was one last elephant in the room to address. Levi’s notoriety would always be at the forefront of their relationship. Maybe he wouldn’t always be the MMA bad boy. But he’d always be present in the public eye.

  Which meant that loving him would come at a high price: the final shreds of her privacy.

  As she clicked through photos of his last match, her stomach alternately wrenched and tightened, reliving the brutal display. But seeing his bloodied face only reminded her of the brightness that seeped out of him. His sharp quips and the never-ending jokes. The unwavering love and attention he showered on Gage.

  Levi made it hard to walk away from him.

  And the prospect of a future without his messy man bun and stupid jokes and every last ridge on those abs? Not one she wanted to entertain for too long.

  Just as she was wrapping up for lunch, the reassuring voice of John Stamos crooned “Oh, hi.”

  Riley looked up.

  And John Stamos was standing in her studio.

  She knit her brows together, mouth opening but no words coming out.

  “That’s my voice!” John Stamos said, a huge grin spreading across his face.

  “Are you—”

  “Oh, hi,” John said, mocking the recording as he stepped forward, offering his hand. “I’m John Stamos. Are you Riley?”

  Riley could only stare at him, head tipped back as she beheld the handsome, wonderful man before her. He was dressed in a casual linen day suit, with pointed alligator shoes and a grin that sparkled.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” John said.

  Riley huffed, trying to grasp onto her thoughts. Any thought at all. Anything that might make her function. “Uh—”

  “Maybe we should hug?” John suggested, and that jostled her out of her stupor. She nodded, rushing around the counter and launching herself into his arms. She could hear his laugh through his chest—through John Stamos’s chest—as she pressed her ear to it.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you Riley,” John said.

  “How do you know my name?” Riley demanded.

  “Well, I’ve been sent here by someone who’s very in love with you,” John began, and already Riley knew. She started laughing before he’d finished talking. “And this man sent me to say that he’s very sorry and please forgive him for something stupid he did, which I’m not very clear on.”

  The recording played again—another new arrival. But Riley couldn’t move.

  “Oh my god.” Levi’s voice now, but she could hear him smiling. “You know, I’m not even mad about this.”

  “He also said you were a pretty big fan,” John said to her.

  “I can’t move,” she mumbled into his chest.

  John shifted, and she relished another moment of hugging-John-Stamos bliss before she ripped herself off him. Levi stood to one side, looking so damn pleased with himself.

  “Hey, Ri,” he said, flashing that dimple that only came when he had the ear-to-ear grin.

  “I cannot believe this,” Riley said, looking between John and Levi. “I can’t even think right now.”

  John poked around the studio a bit, checking out some of the portraits. “Your work is really good.”

  A blush invaded her cheeks. “Thank you. So much.”

  “She’s my full-time photographer,” Levi said, with a little touch of bravado.

  John pointed at one print in particular near the door. “Can I take a print of this one?”

  Riley almost fell over herself. He wanted a print. John freaking Stamos wanted some of her artwork. “Yes. Just take that one off the wall. It’s already framed.”

  “But it looks so good here. I can take a print.”

  “No. Please. It would be an honor.”

  John grinned over at her, and then popped the small frame off the wall. When he came up to the desk, he asked, “How much do I owe you?”

  “Nothing,” Riley blurted. “You’ve given me the gift of a lifetime meeting you.”

  John frowned, turned the frame over and found the price there. He fished the money out of his wallet and left the bills on the countertop.

  “Oh my god,” Riley whispered, staring at the pile of twenties.

  “Hey, can you sign something for her before you go?” Levi asked. “She’s a little star struck. You know how it goes.”

  John signed one of her business cards, and then he let himself out after another hug and lots of amazed gaping. Once he was gone, Riley could only turn her stunned gaze toward Levi.

  “How did you—” She shook her head, unable to find any more words.

  Levi squeezed her arms. “I’ve got connections.”

  “Seriously. Tell me. Can we invite him to cookouts and stuff now? Is he your friend? Will he be at the wedding?”

  Levi’s brows shot up, and Riley clamped a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t mean to say that. It just—”

  “You’re fine.” Levi took her by the hand and led her to the fluffy white arm chair. He sank into it, then tugged on her wrist, sending her look that said can I?

  Riley collapsed on top of him, which elicited a tiny oof from him.

  “Ribs are still sore,” he explained.

  “Oh, right. You fight professionally, don’t you?” Her brain was working again. She sent him a coy smile.

  “Only on weekends.” He sighed, pushing his fingers into her hair.

  “So you sent John Stamos to win me over,” Riley said, unable to fight the grin. It was easily the most romantic, hilarious, and absurd thing anybody had ever done for her. And maybe that’s why the marriage comment had slipped out. Because the deal was sealed now.

  “I did.” Levi’s self-satisfied smirk, punctuated by his purply black eye, had him looking both lethal and adorable. “He followed me on Twitter recently. The rest is history.”

  She grinned at him, cheeks hurting. “God, I missed you and your broken face.”

  “Yeah. I missed you too.” He pushed his fingers along her hairline. “And your perfect face.” His smile fell a little. “Missed you like fucking breathing. You forgive me?”

  She nodded. “I had my dad take a look at your contract, which helped, but really it was because of John Stamos.”

  Levi laughed. “So now your dad knows what sort of bullshit I’m wrapped up in?”

  “He’s seen it plenty of times before.”

  Levi paused, searching her face. “I figured out how to fix things.”

  “How?”

  “I’m going to pay their kill fee.”

  Riley knit her brows together. “What do you mean?”

  “If I don’t pay the kill fee, then I either need to take them to court or go through with the arrangement. But I don’t want you to worry about us again. Not like before. I think the kill fee is the quickest and the easiest.”

  “How much is the kill fee?”

  “A million.”

  Riley frowned. “Do you have that lying around?”

  “No. Not even close.” Levi gnawed on his bottom lip, the first trace of doubt showing through. Possibly the first time she’d ever seen it on him. “But I could take out a loan. I’ve already figured it out. If I get three big-name sponsors for the next season, then I could probably recoup my savings and have the loan paid off within five years. I could stop donating so much money to the muscular dystrophy research organizations, just put it on hold—”

  “Levi.” She sent him a severe look. “No. You can’t do that.”

  “Stop donating to the
research organizations?”

  “All of it. The whole reason you signed this stupid contract was to make for a more secure future for Gage. I’m not going to let you take that away from him now because of some stupid, engineered drama.”

  He didn’t look convinced. “But I know how you feel about all this shit. And I don’t want you dragged into it.”

  Riley shook her head, her gaze drifting to the hard line of his collarbone, visible below the collar of his T-shirt. “It’s too late. I’m already in it. And you know what?” She shrugged. “It’s different this time around. I’ll figure it out.”

  “Riley,” Levi said.

  “I’m serious. I…sort of remember parts from my drunk night last weekend. And I remember being so angry that I wanted to sell you out. But in being a drunk asshole, I remember it made sense to sell myself out, too.”

  “I tried very hard to sneak you out of there,” Levi added.

  “I’m sure you did. But the truth of the matter is that I’m a sports photographer for someone who is famous. I can’t avoid the spotlight. Not anymore. I mean, it’s not like I want to be a drunk asshole every weekend—"

  “You were kinda cute even when you were screaming obscenities.”

  “Or maybe I could be a drunk asshole more frequently. Point is, it’s happening. And I should roll with it.”

  Levi’s lips were quirked into a private smile. She felt like his gaze both rejuvenated her and made her melt into a useless puddle.

  “But they’re gonna publish really, really baseless shit about me and Titi,” Levi said, his voice soft. “That’s the whole point of this. To fabricate a relationship that doesn’t exist, so that it can go down in flames for her benefit. It might reflect onto you.”

  “I don’t care,” Riley said, feeling the meaning of those words down to her bones. “I’ve tried to keep myself out of the spotlight so hard and for so long. It hasn’t worked. And being a hermit just to avoid attention? That’s not how I want to live.” A sigh rattled out of her, and she felt both excitement and anxiety prickle through her with the revelatory words. “People will always think what they want, no matter what I do. In fact, it almost doesn’t matter what I do—there will still be someone waiting to speculate and take it wrong and ultimately call me a whore. I’d rather be living my life. As long as you’re with me, and we both know the truth of what’s going on, I don’t care.”