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The way he answers it with “What’s wrong?” It’s gotta be his sister or his mama. “What do you mean ‘everywhere’?”
His eyebrows pinch. His huge shoulders thunder up, and… something is wrong.
“Alright. Alright. I’ll check.” He grabs a breath. “We’re on our way home.”
“What’s wrong?” He hangs up and starts tapping on his phone screen while I have to know. “Was that Renie? Is it Derek? Is she okay?”
“Hang on, Detective,” Redix grouches to my questions. “Renie’s fine.”
Nina’s resting on my shoulder while Redix has his nose down, his chest huffing while he reads whatever’s on his phone screen.
“Redix, what is it?”
“Holy fuck,” he mutters. “Holy mother of fuck.”
He’s scaring me. “What is it?”
Silently, he offers me his phone while he gazes in shock at the horizon. I read the screen. It’s TMZ. It’s a breaking story in black, white, and red with headline reading…
REDIX DEAN DOES IT AGAIN.
THIS TIME WITH HIS GAY LOVER.
My eyes scan fast over the grainy, dark image of Redix with another man on his knees before him in a club, clearly giving him a blowjob. Over the copy that reads “Exclusive,” it says that an unnamed man reported his phone stolen, only to have these photos archived on it and leaked to unknown sources.
Why am I not surprised? Why am I not shocked that Redix has been with a man, or men also?
Because when he’s drunk, it’s all impulses and desires owning his actions. The problem has been he does it in public, where he’s at risk.
“Hey.” I touch his arm. “It’s okay. It’s nothing to hide.”
What he said about TJ and my mama, I don’t care. That’s done. It’s the look on his face. This is his new hell.
“I won’t hide it.” He won’t look at me. “I’ve done so much drunk, I’m not surprised. But that man just got outed, and that’s not okay.”
“You can’t see who it is.” The detective in me thinks fast. “You can barely confirm it’s you.”
“It is, and they’ll figure it out. I’m not ashamed of being attracted to a few men before. I’m ashamed of how I behaved drunk. Trust me. They’ll find out who he is, and that’s not fair. They can come after me, not him.”
Redix being with a man is news to me, but it’s the same story. It’s what I love about him, how he worries for others and always wants to protect them.
But he’s right. This is blood in the water to media sharks.
“Do you know who he is?”
“No. I…” He stammers, pausing to process. “I didn’t remember it until I saw that picture. Now I sorta do. And one other time, I think. With the same guy at the same club.”
“Why now?” My logic won’t stop. “Why did this story leak now?”
“Probably because I took Ms. Ryan to the Golden Globes last month. The press thought it was sweet that I took my childhood friend’s mom, and it raised awareness about Pamela’s missing person case.” A wince hits his cheek. “But they’re cynical fucks. I bet some thought Ms. Ryan was my beard or something. They were looking for an angle to fuck me.”
“Maybe.” It sounds plausible. But it feels off. Still, I assure him, “It’ll be alright.”
“I’m not worried about me. I’ve caused enough trouble for everyone.” He lifts his chin. “Nicolas!” he shouts, and heads turn his way. “We gotta go!”
Scarlett moves, wrapping her hand around the boy’s shoulder and escorting him our way.
“I’m here if you need to talk,” I say. “If you need anything.”
