AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"If there is something between the two of you that warrants you interrupting my day, why has Heath not said anything? Surely, if you were so important to him, he would have told me about you. You’re just some reporter with an infatuation, aren't you?" I say, like she is a silly child. I know I'm the one who now sounds like the bitch, but if you keep poking the bear, expect me to bite.
She blinks back at me, a hand going to the couch, the other to her bag so she can stand up. "I'm sure he doesn't want to hurt you," she utters, not sounding so sure about anything at all. She thought she could come here today and intimidate me with lies she wishes were true. How fucking stupid does she think I am?
"But you came here to hurt me today with this information?" I snip, the rage building inside of me making it to my fingertips, trembling with what I might actually do to her. I'm so over all this shit. He told me it would be difficult and that I would need to be strong to cope, but this is next-level fucked up.
"No, I just wanted to set things right, make sure you knew what was going on so you could make your own choices. I know you have been hurt in the past, you know, when your husband left you for the younger, prettier girl. I didn't want you to get caught up in a fantasy that was just simply not true and have it happen again." She stumbles over her words, her earlier confidence gone, and I get some satisfaction that at least I intimidate her, not the other way round.
But still my heart lurches in my chest. She knows about what Declan did. I want to fly across the room and choke the breath out of her. I take a deep breath, trying to control myself before my imagination comes to life. "Oh, you did this for me," I seethe.
"Yes, of course. You're the mother of his child, you will always be in his life, but he's in love with me," she whispers. Her words have no conviction. She can barely even say them out loud, that's how untrue they are.
I nearly snort a laugh but stop myself. A year ago, I would have let her rattle me. I would have clung to every desperate word she said, thinking it was true, but I see right through her, not because she's not convincing but because I know Heath, and he, unlike Declan, would never do something like this to me. "You said what you needed to say. Now it's time for you to leave," I tell her, surprising even myself at how calm my voice is.
She looks at me, a little unsure, but shuffles past me anyway. "I'm glad you're being so good about this, it really will make it easier for everyone," she says, like I'm going to do what she says.
I plaster a fake smile on my face, knowing she's not worth my time or energy. She just needs to get out of my fucking sight. As soon as she is through, I kick the door shut with my heel and watch it slam. My heart is racing, and I clutch my chest, feeling like I'm about to have a heart attack. True or not, I don't know how much more of this I can take. I'm not strong enough to handle it.
HEATH
IwasherewhenMillie arrived home from work with the kids. We had dinner, and I helped them with their homework. We have gotten into a nice routine over the past few weeks, and I'm enjoying being a part of it all. I never expected how being a dad would make me feel, but it's so satisfying. Connor is starting to really open up to me and show me his personality. He's got a good sense of humor, and I see what Millie is talking about when she says he reminds her of me. I have also started giving both him and Ruby guitar lessons that they are loving.
They’re in bed now. Millie has a glass of wine sitting in front of her, and she’s staring into it blankly. She has been unusually quiet tonight and jumpy. I hope it's not still from Saturday night. I know she was freaked out after someone was watching us, we both were. The police weren't much help either. They looked over the videos from the security system, but you couldn't see much. Whoever the person was, they had on dark clothes, including a black hoody that was shadowing their face. Unless the person actual does something to hurt one of us, the cops aren’t going to do a thing about it. Now I see what Della was up against every time it happened in the past. But it’s Millie I'm worried about. Normally she talks all about her day and asks the kids about theirs, but tonight it was me doing the talking, trying to fill the awkward tension because she was so quiet.
"What's going on, Millie? You seem tense. Did something happen at work with your new collection? Or the collaboration with Julian?" Just saying the man's name makes my fists clench, but I'm trying to be supportive because I know what it means to her, so I haven't brought it up since we left Paris.
"No, work is good." She looks at me like she is trying to read my mind. "How much do you know about Elara? The girl who did the interview with us."
I look at her, confused. Where did this question come from? "Not a lot. She’s done a few stories on the band, but that was the first one-on-one I've had with her."
"That's what I thought, but she came to see me today at my office, to warn me off you, said you were just playing house with me and you really belong to her," she mutters, unemotional.
I laugh, thinking she must be joking. "Yeah, good one."
Her eyes narrow. "It's funny, right? But I'm not joking, she did. She said she's in love with you. I think she might be a little crazy."
For fuck’s sake, just when things start to settle down, another thing happens to make me regret my life choices. "Definitely delusional. There has never been anything between us, I swear."
"That's what I thought." She smiles and shakes her head. "I get it now, why you struggle with the fame so much. It's uncomfortable when people know so much about you, and they think they have the right to your life. You can't just be you and get on with it. They’re watching."
A message alert pops up on my phone the same time Amelia gets one. I glance down at the text, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It's Iwan saying I need to watch a link immediately. All I can see is Elara’s face, and for some reason, after what Millie just told me, I already know this is going to be horrific. Amelia might be playing it cool right now but she's about to lose her shit when she sees this, regardless if it's true or not.
"Jasmine just sent me some weird video link," she says, looking confused.
"Might be the same one I just got from Iwan," I stutter out anxiously, already knowing it will be.
She presses play, and Elara starts talking. Her voice is shaky, like she is upset and has been crying.“This isn't an easy video to post because I know how it makes me look, but as a journalist, I feel like giving you all the truth is the most important thing at a time like this. Until now, I have been happy to keep what is going on between me and Heath Riley our little secret, but it's gotten more serious in the last month, now that we are expecting a baby, and I feel like it's time to come clean. I'm sorry to his girlfriend Amelia for any pain we have caused, but we are in love. I tried to tell you, and I know you didn't believe me. Now here is your proof.”
She is joined on the screen by images of flirtatious text messages between her and someone with my name. There is also a paparazzi photo of us hugging from outside the photography studio on the weekend. It was nothing, but it looks incriminating just the same. Followed by an ultrasound image. My stomach sinks. This looks bad. Really fucking bad. But it's not me. I haven't been messaging her or even talking to her.
Amelia sits staring at the screen as the video starts to play again, and she re-watches it. Her face is pale, and I know she feels sick to her stomach, just like me.
"Millie, it's not true," I tell her, desperation in my tone. She has to believe me.
"Why would she do this to us? It's humiliating," she stutters out, close to tears, her eyes not leaving her phone screen.
My phone rings, Della's name lighting up the screen. I ignore it. Whatever she wants can wait. I need to make sure Millie is okay first. I need to know she believes me and everything is going to be okay. "I have no idea. You said so yourself, she seemed crazy in your office today. Maybe she has a weird obsession and thinks something is there that's not. I'm so sorry, Millie, I really have no idea why anyone would want to do this to us." I try to take her hand, but she moves out of the way.
My phone starts again. “What?” I snap, answering Della, knowing if I don't, she will keep calling until I do.
