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“What’s that?”
He holds it up. “This? This is the newest article about you and your mystery woman.”
A mix of fear and frustration floods through me as I remember what happened Saturday night. He tosses it down on my desk, and I read the headline.
Hawthorne Takes Girlfriend to Annual Lexington Benefit
The picture underneath is fuzzy, obviously having been zoomed in a lot, but you can still make it out. I’m standing behind Tessa on the balcony, showing her the view of the city. Thanks to the mask, you can’t tell who she is, but the photographer must have been hiding in the woods or on the cliffs. The picture next to it is of the kiss we shared after she turned around.
“I still can’t believe you won’t tell me who she is,” he complains.
I shake my head as I toss the newspaper into the trash can. “It’s not that big of deal. I told you.”
He rolls his eyes. “Please. You haven’t dated anyone since Nicole, and all of a sudden there are all these pictures of you with some woman, and I’m not supposed to wonder about it?”
“Nope.”
“Ugh,” he groans. “I can’t figure it out, but I feel like I know her. I don’t know where from though.”
Oh, you know her all right. “Trent, trust me. If it becomes something to tell, you’ll know it.”
It doesn’t look like he believes a word I’m saying, but he sighs. “If you say so.”
“I do.”
Just then, in the worst possible fucking timing, Tessa comes walking in. Her attention is on her phone and she’s already speaking as she walks into the door.
“Ash, I’m going to be a little late today. Lennon needs me to—”
Her words get cut off the second she looks up and notices both me and Trent staring back at her. He looks her up and down and then looks back at me, his eyes widening by the second. Reaching over, he pulls the newspaper out of the garbage can. I know then that he’s officially put all the pieces together.
“Tessa, go,” I tell her.
The fear and apology in her eyes is overwhelming, but I need her out of here before Trent flips out. And he’s definitely going to flip out. I give her a reassuring, yet pleading, look and she leaves as quick as she came.
“Trent.” His name comes out hesitantly, like I’m waiting for him to snap. “Buddy.”
He steps back. “Don’t fucking buddy me. Are you out of your damn mind? Tessa is your mystery woman? Tessa?”
“It’s not what you think.”
“The fuck it’s not!”
I raise my hands in surrender and try to take a step toward him. “Just hear me out. I’m telling you, it’s not as bad as what’s going through your mind right now.”
His glare is furious as he shakes his head. “No. No fucking way. I don’t want to hear a damn word from you. You are her superior and she is a child!”
“She’s eighteen, and legally allowed to make her own choices.”
“Is that supposed to make it okay? Come on, Ash. You’re better than this!” He pauses, then narrows his eyes on me. “Did she seduce you?”
“What?”
“Did she force herself on you?” he questions suspiciously, and my blood boils. “I know how psychotic she can be. If she pushed herself on you, you should have resisted, but I get it. She’s fucking aggressive when she wants something. Is that what happened?”
My jaw locks and ever muscle in my body flexes. “Don’t fucking talk about her like that. You don’t know anything about that girl.”
“Now you’re defending her? To me? Unbelievable.” Turning toward the door, he shakes his head. “You deserve whatever shit-storm is coming your way.”
