Page 174 of Fame & Chaos

Emotion starts clogging my throat, so I force myself to breathe.

“I love you, okay? Just… call me.”

The call ends.

I rake both hands through my hair and start pacing like a caged animal. How the fuck did this happen? While I’ve been lying in bed feeling sorry for myself, Indi’s been publicly ripped apart online.

Then it hits me…

Sasha.

The night I called her over, I told her everything. Every detail about Indi and me. Our history. Her past. Her parents. All because I needed someone to vent to.

“Fuck!”

I launch my cell phone across the room when something inside me snaps. Rage floods my body so violently that I can barely see straight. I snatch my cell back up and immediately dial Sasha’s number while pacing hard enough that my footsteps thud through the room like gunfire. By the time she answers, I’m shaking with fury.

“Caleb, I knew you’d call—”

“What the fuck have you done?” I roar.

Silence.

“Excuse me?” she says cautiously.

“Did you leak the story?” I hiss.

She exhales—big mistake.

“Caleb, she broke your heart—”

“No, Sasha. I broke hers. Correction… you fucking destroyed it. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Caleb, I only want what’s best for you—”

“What’s best for me?” I laugh harshly. “You seriously think destroying the woman I love and leaking private details about her dead parents is what’s best for me?”

“Oh, stop yelling. You’re being melodramatic.”

“You think I’m melodramatic?” I bellow.

“Yes, Caleb. I think you’re blinded by the past and refusing to see your future.”

I scoff. “A future with you, right?”

“You know that’s where this is headed.”

I rub the back of my neck while trying not to lose complete control. “Listen carefully, Sasha, sweetheart,” I say coldly. “I’ve never considered myself a man who’d survive prison.”

“What are you talking about?” she laughs nervously.

“I’m saying if you come near Indi again, spread another story, or breathe in our direction, I won’t be responsible for what happens next. When it comes to Indi, I’ll do anything to protect her. Anything.” The line goes dead silent. “I don’t care that you’re a woman,” I continue darkly. “You ever pull this shit again, I swear to God I’ll make you regret it.”

I mean every fucking word.

Her breathing grows frantic.

“You understand me?” I bark.