I ignore the stupidly tragic headline, mocking my assault charges. I hate that they published her name like that, next to such an ugly title. I click the article as fast as humanly possible. My dinner rises in my throat the moment that I see the picture they’ve attached.
Sure enough, there I am. AtIcebox.Behind me, with a red circle around her face is Irina fucking Coasta. She’s standingveryclose to me, smiling up at me like we know each other intimately. I wince, scrolling down, and hoping to god this is all that there is. One stupid picture isn’t the end of the world.
Of course that’s not where this ends, though.
There aretwentypictures, all of them varying in closeness, but none of them show us talking or actuallytouching. The killer is not the photos. The killer is the fact that this absolutely unhinged woman did an interview. A tell-all. This woman and all her crazy brain cells sat down and told somebody that she was having an affairwith me.
This is Reno’s fault in some twisted fucking way.
“One sec, Boss. I’m going to watch this video.”
“Take your time.”
I hit play.
Interviewer:I received an anonymous tip from a credible source that indicated Pittsburgh defenseman, Carter Forkerro, is having an affair. I decided to go straight to the individual that thissource named: Irina. Hi Irina. Thank you for sitting down with me today.
Right, like the source and Irina aren’t the same person.
Irina:Thank you for having me.
Interviewer:You have been photographed with the Pittsburgh hockey team quite frequently over the past few years, correct?
Irina:That’s correct. I met them one night at a local bar and it kind of took off from there.
Interviewer:Is that how you met defenseman Carter Forkerro?
Irina:Yes. We have known each other for some time.
No. We haven’t. I don’t know her. Terrifyingly, I think she might know me, though.
Interviewer:And you claim that you and Carter Forkerro had a romantic relationship during that time?
Irina:Have. Yes. Present tense. We have had a romantic relationship for sometime, pre-dating that woman that he’s been photographed with recently.
I run my hand over my face. This is bad. This is very, very bad.
Irina:He met her the night that he got arrested, and then they started spending time together behind my back. So, if anything, I’m not the mistress. She is. I was here first. I was with him first.
My blood goes cold. Not only did she just completely lie about a history with me, she just said outright that Arden wasn’t my girlfriend the night I was arrested.
Fuck.
I pause the video and try not to scream into my closed fist.
“What the fuck?” I groan.
“It gets worse and worse,” Boston says on the other end of the line.
Irina:I’ve tried to get ahold of her over Instagram to tell her, but she won’t accept my requests. He might be publicly dating her,but he’s also been with me. She needs to know that. I’m tired of being a secret.
Interviewer:Does Carter Forkerro know that you have tried to contact her? Does he know that you’ve attempted to reach out to Arden Doll?
Irina:He knows that I wanted to. He begged me not to. I think he’s afraid she’ll cut things off with him if she knew. I still think it’s only fair that we’re both aware of what’s going on. The least he could do is let us know that he’s sleeping with other people.
She is certifiably insane. Absolutely delusional. None of this is true.
Interviewer:So, you’re doing this to look out for another woman?
