came from the television Ben had left on, and Entertainment Tonight silently flashed across the screen.
He’d obviously gone without saying goodbye.
It shouldn’t bother her, but it did.
“You’re the one who told him to find a hotel,” she muttered to herself, stretching out her legs and resting them on the coffee table.
She had, hadn’t she? Right about now, every female in America would be screaming vile things at her if they knew she’d sent Ben Barrett away, but to hell with them.
Growing up, Maggie never felt like she belonged. At school, she’d been a loner. At home, she’d been invisible. It wasn’t until she’d started volunteering at the Broger Center that she’d finally found a place where she fit in. She’d found her identity there, discovered that unwavering hunger to help the children and ensure they grew up feeling like they mattered.
As a kid, she’d been passed up for adoption so many times she’d given up on ever finding someone who truly cared about her. It was like being the last person picked for a game of softball. Standing there as everyone around you got picked one by one, feeling humiliated and unloved, as useless as a piece of trash on the sidewalk.
Only the stakes were higher than a silly sports game. It was about a child not being good enough to have parents.
It had taken her years to get past that pain and resentment, and she didn’t want any of the kids she worked with to ever feel as alone as she had.
So what if it meant putting relationships on hold for a while? She wouldn’t be single forever, just until she earned her degree. Then she’d go out and do what other women her age did. She’d date and flirt and maybe even get married. Other Ben Barretts would come along. It wasn’t like saying goodbye to this one would have life-altering effects or anything, right?
“The ladies love Ben Barrett!”
Maggie yelped as Mary Hart’s cheerful voice broke through the dismal silence in the room. Shifting, she felt the remote control dig into her butt and realized she’d accidentally pressed un-mute when she moved her legs.
She yanked the remote from under her, but couldn’t bring herself to shut off the TV. Not when Ben’s ridiculously sexy face mocked her from the screen. It was like driving past a gory car crash. You just couldn’t look away.
“Bad boy Barrett might be stirring up some scandals recently, but the Heart of a Hero star still manages to stir up the ladies.”
No kidding.
“Shanika Thomas, our New York correspondent, spent the day in the Big Apple chatting with Barrett’s fans, who don’t seem to mind all the negative attention their favorite celeb is receiving. In fact, it’s unanimous—we all love him.”
“Oh my God, Ben is sooooo cute!” a fan giggled into Shanika Thomas’ microphone. “I don’t care if he, like, slept with a married woman. He’s still hot!”
“I’m a married woman and he can sure sleep with me,” another fan remarked with a laugh. She lowered her voice. “Just don’t tell my husband I said that.”
“I don’t know who his new girlfriend is, but I wish it were me,” someone else sighed. “I’d go to a hotel with Ben Barrett any night of the week!”
“Well, there you have it,” Shanika chirped into the mic. “Scandalous or not, it looks like Ben Barrett has still scandalized the hearts of his female fans.”
Scandalized the hearts? What did that even mean?
Sighing, Maggie turned off the television and then nearly fell off the couch when the door to the apartment swung open.
“Oh,” she blurted, eyes wide as Ben entered the room. “You’re still here?”
“Sure am.”
He strode toward her, dropping a set of keys— her keys—on the hall table before approaching the living area. He held a large brown paper bag in his hands, and from where she sat, she saw the splotches of grease at the bottom of the bag and the steam rising from the top.
“I went out and got us some Chinese food. I don’t
He’d obviously gone without saying goodbye.
It shouldn’t bother her, but it did.
“You’re the one who told him to find a hotel,” she muttered to herself, stretching out her legs and resting them on the coffee table.
She had, hadn’t she? Right about now, every female in America would be screaming vile things at her if they knew she’d sent Ben Barrett away, but to hell with them.
Growing up, Maggie never felt like she belonged. At school, she’d been a loner. At home, she’d been invisible. It wasn’t until she’d started volunteering at the Broger Center that she’d finally found a place where she fit in. She’d found her identity there, discovered that unwavering hunger to help the children and ensure they grew up feeling like they mattered.
As a kid, she’d been passed up for adoption so many times she’d given up on ever finding someone who truly cared about her. It was like being the last person picked for a game of softball. Standing there as everyone around you got picked one by one, feeling humiliated and unloved, as useless as a piece of trash on the sidewalk.
Only the stakes were higher than a silly sports game. It was about a child not being good enough to have parents.
It had taken her years to get past that pain and resentment, and she didn’t want any of the kids she worked with to ever feel as alone as she had.
So what if it meant putting relationships on hold for a while? She wouldn’t be single forever, just until she earned her degree. Then she’d go out and do what other women her age did. She’d date and flirt and maybe even get married. Other Ben Barretts would come along. It wasn’t like saying goodbye to this one would have life-altering effects or anything, right?
“The ladies love Ben Barrett!”
Maggie yelped as Mary Hart’s cheerful voice broke through the dismal silence in the room. Shifting, she felt the remote control dig into her butt and realized she’d accidentally pressed un-mute when she moved her legs.
She yanked the remote from under her, but couldn’t bring herself to shut off the TV. Not when Ben’s ridiculously sexy face mocked her from the screen. It was like driving past a gory car crash. You just couldn’t look away.
“Bad boy Barrett might be stirring up some scandals recently, but the Heart of a Hero star still manages to stir up the ladies.”
No kidding.
“Shanika Thomas, our New York correspondent, spent the day in the Big Apple chatting with Barrett’s fans, who don’t seem to mind all the negative attention their favorite celeb is receiving. In fact, it’s unanimous—we all love him.”
“Oh my God, Ben is sooooo cute!” a fan giggled into Shanika Thomas’ microphone. “I don’t care if he, like, slept with a married woman. He’s still hot!”
“I’m a married woman and he can sure sleep with me,” another fan remarked with a laugh. She lowered her voice. “Just don’t tell my husband I said that.”
“I don’t know who his new girlfriend is, but I wish it were me,” someone else sighed. “I’d go to a hotel with Ben Barrett any night of the week!”
“Well, there you have it,” Shanika chirped into the mic. “Scandalous or not, it looks like Ben Barrett has still scandalized the hearts of his female fans.”
Scandalized the hearts? What did that even mean?
Sighing, Maggie turned off the television and then nearly fell off the couch when the door to the apartment swung open.
“Oh,” she blurted, eyes wide as Ben entered the room. “You’re still here?”
“Sure am.”
He strode toward her, dropping a set of keys— her keys—on the hall table before approaching the living area. He held a large brown paper bag in his hands, and from where she sat, she saw the splotches of grease at the bottom of the bag and the steam rising from the top.
“I went out and got us some Chinese food. I don’t
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