Headlines (Prime Time #3) - Ella Frank Page 0,55

his mouth and shook his head. “It was just such a shock. Xander is—”

“Important to you.” I took a step closer to him and reached for his hand. “I know that. I don’t want to get in the way of that, Bay. I’m the outsider here, not you. What you two have, this crazy, long history full of memories and moments that only you two share…no one can ever take that away from you. I wouldn’t want to. It’s what made you the man you are, and Xander who he is. I just want to be part of the future memories. And I want you to be okay with that. I need you to be.”

Tears fell down Bailey’s cheeks as he looked up at me. “I’ve been so stupid, Sean. So stupid and immature, when I should’ve just been happy for you. Happy for Xander.”

“Nah.” I pulled him into my arms and wrapped him in a fierce hug. “You were caught off guard. Hell, so were we. I get it. But I don’t want to be the reason you two aren’t friends anymore. I’d never forgive myself.”

Bailey took a deep breath to compose himself. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve this from me. Some of the things I said—”

“You were upset, confused.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re my brother, and I love you. I should’ve dealt with this better.”

“Would you stop beating yourself up? All we want is for you to be part of our lives. All I want is for you and Xander to get back on the same page.”

Bailey grimaced. “I don’t know if he’ll even talk to me after last night.”

That made me smile. “Are you kidding? That’s all he wants. To talk to you.”

I looked at my watch. Xander would be heading into work about now, but he’d be available after, which gave me an idea…

“Are you free tonight?”

29

Xander

“FIND ME SOMEONE who knows anything about the reconstruction of the New Orleans levees, then we’ll bump the story to the B block. I need something solid.”

I shoved out of the war room with Jim close on my heels. It was Monday night, and the story of the evening was the hurricane heading into the Gulf of Mexico this week and taking aim at Louisiana. Things were about to get really ugly down there, and we had field reporters heading south tonight to begin covering it from all angles.

“Let me know the second they have the expert lined up. I want to run through some questions with them before we hit the air.”

“Got it.” Jim scribbled something down on his notepad as he followed on my heels.

“Also, let Marcus know I’m good to cover this from beginning to end when it finally hits.”

“Sure the boyfriend’s okay with that?”

The comment was so out the blue, so unexpected, that I stopped and turned on Jim, making his feet falter. “What did you just say?”

Jim glanced up from his notebook and blinked. “Nothing, I just—”

“It didn’t sound like nothing.” In fact, it had sounded very much like a personal dig. One I wasn’t about to put up with. “Do you have something to say to me? Because if you do, you should say it.”

Jim tapped his pen on his notepad as though thinking over his words. “It just seems that Sean has a lot of say on when you come in and when you don’t these days.”

I eyed my EP closely, trying to gauge his angle. I’d known Jim a long time now. He was ambitious, hardworking, and cutthroat when it came to getting what he wanted, and he’d made no secret over the fact he’d disliked working with my replacement during the month I’d been out.

“The only person who has any say over whether or not I’m here is me. And I’d appreciate it if you kept your comments and opinions on my personal life to yourself.”

Jim tucked his pen behind his ear and nodded. “Didn’t mean anything by it. Just making an observation.”

“Well, don’t.”

Jim gave a clipped nod and turned on his heel, and as he made his way out of the newsroom, I stood there and watched him go. What the hell was that all about? But then I remembered: Jim had been working the night I’d had my panic attack in the lobby and Sean told Marcus to give me time off.

Had he somehow heard about that? And if so, what was he worried about? Sean didn’t want me to quit my job, and even if he did, there was