Free A Safe Space (Someone Else's Fairytale Book 4) by E.M. Tippetts Page A

week.”
    “Sure.”
    “At work.”
    “Mmm-hmm.”
    “And outside of work.”
    He doesn’t laugh at me and my babbling, but it’s obvious that he notices.
    I put together the best dodge I can. “Yeah, I Skyped a fan in the hospital the other night. Her prognosis wasn’t good. I mean…it may be better now but…I don’t know. It’s always hard.”
    Devon nods.
    I lean back against the wall and slide until my butt hits the floor with a jolt.
    Devon’s sneakers squeak against the tile as he sits down as well in the middle of this tiny room.
    “Kyra gonna wonder where you are?” I ask.
    “Yeah, but…you sure you’re okay?”
    I don’t respond to that directly. “Your boss is gonna be mad if he finds out that you’re in a broom closet with some former child star.”
    “My boss is a she and a huge fan of yours.”
    “Then she’ll be even more angry. But I guess she’s put up with you until now.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    I lean my head back against the wall and shut my eyes.
    “Veronica,” prompts Devon.
    “You know what I mean. You hook up with lot of people, and are really mean to them afterwards. You’re every woman’s nightmare.”
    The silence that follows is deafening. I have taken saying too much around him to a whole new level.
    It takes all of my courage to venture a look in his direction, and when I do, I see that he is staring down at his shoes with a frown.
    “No one who ever really got to know me would be interested.”
    “That’s not true,” I say.
    “How would you know?”
    “I’ve seen people stupider than you have relationships.”
    “Well, gee , when you put it like that, Veronica —”
    “Please keep it down,” I beg. “I don’t want someone coming in here and finding us.”
    “Right.”
    I pull my knees to my chest and hug them tight. I should have a racing pulse as I sit here so close to the most gorgeous guy I know, but in that moment, he’s just Devon. It’s as if we really are friends.
    “Can I ask why you care about what I do in my time off?” he ventures.
    “Because you hurt people. Every other day, there’s some girl running out of here in tears. If someone treated your sister that way, I think it’d bother you.”
    “My sister?”
    “If you have one. Your hypothetical sister.”
    He stares at me hard, as if he could bore holes in my skull with just his gaze. “Some guy hurt you once and now you’re all on a crusade?”
    “No.”
    “Sure.” He snorts.
    “I’ve never dated anyone so…” I really shouldn’t have said that, I think. This is Devon . He is only a part-time friend. Ten minute from now he’ll be a jerk once more.
    “Sure you haven’t.” He snorts.
    I shake my head and direct my gaze at the mops leaned against the far wall.
    “Wait, seriously?”
    “Can we talk about something else?”
    “No way. How is that possible?”
    “I’m, you know…only nineteen.” That just makes it sound worse. Someone could make a comedy skit out of this dialogue. “And I work 24/7/365. I never had the time.” That’s easier to admit than that no one’s ever shown real interest. I’ve been hit on, of course, and had fans propose to me and all that, but none of the tiny group of guys whom I’ve actually gotten to know has ever seemed to see me that way.
    “And for your show, you’re gonna have to get your sexy on,” he says.
    “Right. At least the show will be entertaining for you . And just think of how much money you can make selling that little detail about me to the tabloids.”
    “You should be more worried about me telling the world that you don’t warm up enough before your workouts and your form on the weight machines is way off.”
    Not his usual kind of joke. That one had a real, malicious bite to it.
    “I’m being a jerk, aren’t I?” he says.
    “Yes.”
    “Sorry.” I hear his clothes rustle as he moves again, and I startle when he slides right next to me against the wall. Our arms touch from shoulder to