AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Someone told them your name, address, everything. They sold a story about you.”
His deep voice rumbled through my chest. I shook my head. “No, I told no one about us. I swear, Luke!”
Except Natalie.
I froze in Luke’s arms.
Natalie, how could you do this?
The betrayal was like a slap to the face. How could she tell them about my foster parents? Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks and as Luke pulled away, there was sympathy in his expression,but a little anger, too.
“She would never do this to me.”
He smiled without humor. “Just about anyone is capable of just about anything. I’ve had this happen countless times.” He stroked my hair. “I’m sorry about this. I know how it feels, believe me.”
The horror of it all pounded in my brain. I dug into my purse and opened my cellphone and saw three texts:
You need to call me immediately
Don’t let Luke go on TMZ
Jessica, I swear I didn’t tell anyone
Five missed calls and two messages. I played them both on speakerphone. Luke listened beside me, fury etched all over his face. The first message expressed her confusion, the second one was much more clear.
“Jessica,” she said in a trembling voice. “I found out what happened. Ben saw the photos and called TMZ. They offered him a lot of money for your name and background, and then they got your foster parents and theysaid all of those terrible things.” She sobbed. “I’m so sorry, Jessica. I don’t think he meant for any of this to happen—”
Her voice vanished as I ended the message. Somehow I felt emptier than I had before. My best friend’s fiancé sold me out, all because she couldn’t keep her trap shut. I looked at him. “I never told Ben anything. Natalie knew about the website before I met you, so she must have blabbed to him. She wasn't supposed to say anything!”
Luke shook his head and shrugged. He wouldn’t even look at me. “I’m going to bed.”
Darkness swallowed the room as Luke turned off the light. I sat on the carpet, hugging my legs.
* * *
I woke up with my back aching as Luke shook me awake, his hand on my knee. It took several moments for me to remember why I felt so awful.
His hands stroked my shoulders. “Did you stay here all night?”
My eyes burned with fatigue. “I—didn’t think you wanted me around.”
Luke’s face was pained. “I was angry, but not at you.” He picked me up and kissed my cheek. “Let’s get out of here.”
I nodded, my spirits rising. So, we were still together, despite our secret being out in the open. My heart beat against my throat as he hugged me.
I don’t deserve him.
A nagging guilt needled at my conscience. What kind of damage would this exposé do to Luke? It was hard to tell whether his aunt and uncle had seen the report on TMZ. By now, other gossip websites would have the same story plastered all over their pages. I dressed as quickly as possible, eager to leave Chicago and return home.
Return to what? To my volunteer job at the soup kitchen? To my ‘best friend’?
She knew how fucking important this was. It galled me thatshe would do something like this for money, especially when I wired everything I owed her and then some.
A depressing thought entered my head. The ten grand in my account—how long would it last? My heart pounded with anxiety. I did not want to return home; I didn’t want to look at Natalie and hear her useless apologies, or deal with the fact that I was still broke and jobless.
At least I have Luke.
I watched as Luke packed his bags with more force than was necessary. Even he felt like a temporary arrangement. One day he’d wake up and realize that he would have to marry ahigh-society girl, a woman who would look good hanging on his arm. Hell, a woman without all the baggage I’m carrying.
