Page 107 of Clever Eli

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Only an hour ago, an anonymous source sent us this picture where Eli Ellsworth and Alexei Jankowski can be seen passionately kissing in a hospital waiting room.

The stepbrothers don’t seem to think there familial link is any deterrent to being romantically involved.

It’s only thanks to this picture that we even know Lyla Storm and her husband, media mogul Michael Ellsworth, were in an accident. In a move that many people are calling a show of the dangerous power billionaires hold, not one single publication was reportedly allowed to write about the accident.

That’s if they even knew about it.

We find it strange that in a city as busy as NYC no passersby spoke about this on social media, but maybe that’s another power move by the stepbrothers. Our source claims they tried to post this picture online several times and it kept getting taken down for inexplicable reasons. There influence is obvious, but it has obviously gone to their head.

Regarding the actual accident, there’s still no information on when or where it happened, all we know is they were in the hospital a few days ago.

Being trust-fund babies and Alexei having probably been media trained within an inch of his life since he came out of the womb thanks to his famous parents, we don’t expect any kind of statement in answer to this article, but the picture obviously speaks for itself.

If any of them comment on this, we expect it to be complete PR gibberish, but of course we’ll report it here first when it happens.

I scroll back upto the picture after reading and stare at the screen long enough for it to dim and then shut off. It was the kiss right before Dad and Ally got there. This “anonymous person” probably followed them there, probably took pictures of them too.

The audacity of these motherfuckers.

I might not be a lawyer, but I know defamation when I see it, and if people—fans—take this at face value, it could actually impact my career. If people believe Eli and I really are brothers and have familial ties, then it’s a very real possibility that I’ll never play hockey again.

I can’t do nothing.

I log onto social media and first tag the fucking joke of a magazine, and debate with myself for a minute whether to say anything directly about the whole stepbrothers thing, about being outed so violently, or about what our relationship is really like, but in the end, I think Eli should get a say in that.

For now, mocking them is enough.

@alexeijankowski15

@CNZnews We didn’t consent to this picture being taken, to this moment being witnessed, or to it being made public.

You shouldn’t get to exploit our grief for your entertainment.

You shouldn’t get to punish us because you’re uncomfortable, because you’re a bigot, because you’re determined to ignore the facts, or because your little joke of a company is desperate for clicks.

We don’t owe you shit.

And you’ll find out just how deep our trust-fund-baby pockets are when our lawyers come calling.

Also, you spelled their wrong. Twice.

There, that’s my media-trained answer, you illiterate imbeciles.

Put your money where your mouth is and “report” it.

Later, when we’re having breakfast and he’s finally awake enough to deal with it, Eli nods as he reads my post.

“I’m going to track the public’s reaction to this, and the article, and we’ll see if we even have to do anything. I’m betting they’re going to either say nothing or apologize. That’s what their lawyers would tell them to do anyway. And whatever of those two options they choose, I can already tell your response is getting an overwhelmingly good reaction.”

I sigh in relief, but don’t have the words to respond to his easy acceptance.

Despite my earlier bravado, I was nervous about Eli’s reaction to this.

“You were worried, huh?” he asks, after the silence stretches on too long. And I guess he can tell also because I’m not meeting his gaze. He doesn’t make me look at him, simply puts his hand on top of mine on the counter and squeezes once. “That’s okay. You know that, right? This exact situation is what you told me you were the most scared of on Thanksgiving.”

A genuine chuckle bursts out of me, and it actually startles me.

“After the past few days, I think most things have become a lot less important.” I realize it while I say it. I sit up, and forget I was avoiding meeting his pretty eyes. “I wrote that answer withoutreally thinking about what the fans would think. I was scared of losing my spot on the Demons, though.”