Free A Hundred Ways to Break Up (Let's Make This Thing Happen 2) by PJ Adams Page A

through the social media?
    If the paparazzi had any half-decent photos, or if they knew her name... it was no longer even a matter of whether Thom would find out, but when ...
    “God, Ray,” she sighed. “This isn’t good, is it?”
    She slipped into his arms, the fit against his body perfect as ever.
    Gently stroking her hair, Ray said, “This takes me right back: I haven’t had the press on my doorstep since... well, it’s been years and there was a trashed Lamborghini and three Belgian girls involved in the story.” He was trying to joke, but not doing very well.
    “You wouldn’t think they’d be interested,” said Emily. “Surely you’re allowed to have a life, and it’s not as if I’m anybody.”
    “I haven’t been allowed to have a life since I was nineteen. And it doesn’t matter who you are: they don’t care. Oh yes, if you turn out to be some other minor celebrity then it gives them a juicy angle, but that doesn’t really matter. I’m Ray Sandler, I’m still married as far as they’re concerned and now I’m sleeping around again. That’s all they need.”
    “You might not have been allowed a life, but I have,” she said. “And now they’re going to dig, and keep on digging until they have what they want. My name’s going to get out there and suddenly I won’t have any privacy, and Thom’s going to find out, everyone’s going to find out...”
    She could feel him nodding as she spoke. Now he said, “And how do you feel about that? How do you feel about Thom knowing? How do you feel about him, full stop?”
    “I don’t know. I’m scared of him finding out, because he’ll take it badly. He’s not violent, not physically, at least, but he really does know how to twist the knife. But I can handle it. I’ve set myself up for this, I can take the blows. But more than that, I don’t want to hurt him, Ray. We’ve both become different people and our marriage is dead, but I don’t want to cause him pain.”
    “Maybe you need to tell him before your name gets out there. It’s like you told me: you have to try to understand what you can control and learn to let go of what you can’t – if you tell him first then you’re still in control.”
    “You were listening.”
    “Raptly.” They both laughed.
    They moved apart. Ray turned to walk through to the back of the house and Emily followed.
    “What I want to know is who told them?” said Ray. “They don’t just start doorstepping you without reason. Nobody knew you were here, apart from your friend Marcia: do you think she–?”
    “No. Marcia’s flaky, but she’s not stupid and she’s not disloyal. I trust her more than I trust anybody.” She stared at Ray’s back, wondering what was going through his mind. She swallowed, then went on: “If you want to know who told them, you need to look closer to home than that.”
    She said nothing now, leaving Ray to work it out.
    “No,” he said, finally, glancing back over one shoulder. “Mo wouldn’t–”
    “I saw him, Ray. He was out there, watching the baying mob.” Mo had been standing by a car on the other side of the road. Leaning back against the driver’s door, arms folded, smiling. Just a glimpse, in that brief moment before Ray had slammed the house door closed again, but it had been enough.
    “Shit,” he said. “I need to have words with him. He gets carried away.”
    So it was fine to be angry if it had been her friend who had leaked to the press, but now Ray knew it had been Mo he was back-tracking. She bit back on saying that out loud, though. Now wasn’t the time to fight. They were both wound up. Both scared : this changed everything they had together. No more cloak and dagger, hiding in the shadows, feeling that they were out-smarting the world.
    “So what are we going to do?” asked Ray.
    He was really asking her? He normally had all the answers.
    “I need to get out of here,” she said. “I need to get home. Work out how I’m going to handle