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“Jesus, Dad?—”
“Look, I understand that you have needs. You’re young. There’s nothing wrong with fooling around and scratching that itch, but you don’t take your playthings to important events and get captured on camera. You have your fun and then find someone suitable.”
The faint whisper of a sigh had my head snapping up and around. Fucking hell. Charlotte stood behind me, wearing the most forlorn expression, and it nearly ripped my heart out. She only had on one of my shirts, her skin was flushed, and her hair was tousled. She looked beautiful and miserable.
Scrubbing a hand over my face, I snapped at Dad, “You don’t get to dictate my life. Not anymore.”
“James—”
I ended the call and shot to my feet. “Charlotte… I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
She said nothing. She just looked down at the floor and exhaled. When she met my gaze, her eyes were troubled. “You don’t really think I’m after your money, do you?”
“Of course not.” I walked to her and rested my hands on her shoulders, wishing that I could reassure her with my touch.
“Are you just having fun with me?” Her voice quavered.
“How can you even ask me that? I love you, Charlotte.”
“But I’m not?—”
“Don’t even say it,” I huffed, wanting to throttle my father. “You’re suitable for me. I don’t care what my father says.”
“It’s hard for me not to care, Jamie. I don’t want your father to hate me…”
“He doesn’t know you, Charlotte. Once he gets to, he’ll see how perfect you are.”
Skepticism was practically written on her face and I stifled a sigh. “Look, Charlotte?—”
My phone went crazy again. No doubt, the video and maybe some pictures had circulated and the entire world now knew that Charlotte and I were a thing. It hit me then that Lincoln would find out from the goddamn media before I had the chance to tell him.
“Remember when I said I didn’t think Lincoln hated you?”
I raised my eyebrows at Michael’s question as I stared at my phone sitting on my desk. “Uh-huh.”
“Well, if he didn’t, he probably does now.”
Massaging my temple, I nodded. “Yeah…”
“How could you let him find out about you and Charlotte like that, Jamie?” Michael chided.
“I already got crap from Spencer and Alex, man. Can you cut me some slack?”
He huffed. “Dating Charlotte in secret… I get it. I like to protect my privacy from the media too, but you should have said something to Lincoln at least.”
“How the fuck was I suppose to do that when he wouldn’t even stay on the phone with me for a full minute when we did talk?”
“Good point,” Michael murmured.
“Besides, I wanted to tell him in person. I didn’t think about Charlotte and me going viral for Christ’s sake.”
“Hmmm. So… you love her, huh? I can tell from those pictures and that video.” Michael chuckled. “She must really be something for you to gaze at her with stars in your eyes.”
I shrugged as if he could see me. “I do and she is.”
I wasn’t the least bit embarrassed about everyone seeing how I felt about Charlotte from just a few pictures.
“Well, good luck fixing things with Lincoln, you poor bastard. I’m rooting for you.”
