by M. Clarke
“Nothing much since I saw you two days ago.” I shrugged. “Oh, no, I take that back. It’s not new, new. Nathan is splashed everywhere. I think he feels uncomfortable about it.”
Isla released a boisterous laugh. “You’re kidding, right? He might be saying that to you, but he’s loving it. Who wouldn’t want to be the Sexiest Man Alive? Did you see his Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? He’s got thousands and thousands of requests and comments.”
I frowned. “Yeah, I saw. I’m really happy for him, but I’m mad at myself for being jealous of these women I’ve never met.”
Isla pinched her eyebrows together in the center and took a sip of her water. “Well, get used to it. Thanks for getting me water, but did you order my soda?”
Just as she asked, the waitress came by. Isla ordered her soda, and I opted to drink water. We hadn’t looked at the menu, so I asked the waitress to come back later.
I leaned back into my chair. “What’s Josh doing today?”
“I don’t know. I’m not his secretary,” Isla replied lightly, bending the straw at the tip without making eye contact.
“I know you’re not, but it seems like you know his schedule better than he does.”
Isla made eye contact, and a smile tugged at her lips. “That’s kind of true. I don’t ask. He tells me. So, what’s Nathan doing today?” Her obvious change of subject piqued my interest.
I gingerly moved the straw around the ice cubes. “Nathan is on a photo shoot. He’s going to be very busy until we head for New York.”
“That’s great, right?” Isla sounded hesitant. “Why do you look so worried?”
I sat up taller, realizing I had dropped my shoulders. “It’s just that Nate didn’t want me at his shoot today.”
Isla’s lips curled to one side. “Oh.” It was all she could say. After she blinked, she continued. “He’s probably really busy and doesn’t want to bother you. Waiting is a pain in the ass. Believe me. I’ve done it before. Josh told me to meet him last week at his photo session. I was glad I brought a book.”
I dipped my head down in disappointment. “I guess you’re right. But I don’t mind watching him take pictures all day.”
Isla tapped her feet with mine under the table. “I can find the location, and you can surprise him,” she sang.
My eyes lit up. “How?”
“Josh. He knows everything.”
Isla took out her phone and texted Josh. After a few minutes that felt like an hour, he texted the location.
I laughed. “Oh my. He does know everything.”
“From what Josh told me, their friendship is pretty tight. Especially in this industry, it’s good to have someone looking over your shoulder, you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I do. You are my tight friend.”
Isla giggled. “Tight friend. I like the sound of that. So, you’re going to surprise him?”
I sighed and closed my eyes. “I don’t know. Am I invading his space?”
“Did he specifically ask you not to come? Did he say ‘Olivia do not come’?”
I wrapped the loose strand around my ear. “Not those exact words. But from this text, I got the impression that he didn’t want me there.”
Isla waved her hand. “Texts can be confusing. If he seems upset, and I know he won’t be, just tell him that you didn’t understand. Simple as that. Do you want me to go with you? That way he can’t get mad at you for sure. You can tell him I made you take me...you know, ‘cause there’ll probably be tons of girls asking for his autograph, holding a Knight Fashion Magazine in their hands.”
My face burned. I had to stop being jealous. Nate had reached famous model status. He would have fans asking him for autographs or to have pictures taken with him much more often than before. I had to get used to his new lifestyle.
“That’s okay, Isla. I’m not going to blame my visit on you. I’m being ridiculous. We’re together. He won’t mind. You can come with me if you want?”
“Sure. I have no plans today.” She waved her hand to the waitress. “Let’s order before it gets really crowded in here.”
Nathan
Turning off the ringer on my cell, I walked into the studio, dressed in a dark gray suit, looking polished and sleek. All morning, the phone wouldn’t stop pinging from the tags and comments on all social media sites. I knew it was going to hit big, but I didn’t realize how big. My followers had quadrupled, and the day hadn’t ended yet. At least my family didn’t go crazy on me, although I did receive a few texts from my mom. One, she asked why I was shirtless. Second, she asked if I wouldn’t mind signing some for her friends. Third, she couldn’t wait to meet Olivia in person.
I had never been to this studio before, located in downtown Los Angeles. Knight Fashion Magazine hired many photographers for various projects, so I wasn’t surprised to work with someone new. However, I was surprised there was no one in the front office to greet me. As I enjoyed the view of downtown, I entered through the double door.
“Hello?” I said, hoping to get someone’s attention when there seemed to be no one around. Tapping my feet, waiting for someone to appear, I gazed at the photos of famous actors on the wall. Taking my phone from my pocket, I double checked the address. When it checked out, I walked farther in, hearing only the sound of my polished shoes clicking against the white floor. The camera set on the table urged me to touch it. I’d always wanted to test one out.
“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.”
I dropped my raised hand and turned to the familiar voice with a bitter taste in my mouth. Troy lurked by the back door with a camera in his hand. My shoulders tensed, and my fist rounded. Blood pumped through my veins so fast, and my body burned with anger.
Many scenarios raced through my mind on how to confront Troy about his threat to Olie. I planned to find his shooting location and deal with him after that session. Although it didn’t happen the way I’d planned, it was as good a time as any. Let’s get this over with, you mother fucker.
“What are you doing here?” I said as politely as possible. Hating this man with every fiber of my being didn’t mean I had to be rude to him. Be cordial. I had to play it right, or it could cost Olie’s and my job.
Troy raised an eyebrow. “What does it look like?” His tone matched mine.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here. Someone else was on my agenda.”
When he approached, my fist was ready for him. “Scott called in sick, so I stepped in. I thought it was a great opportunity to get to know the sexiest man alive. After all, he thinks he’s dating my girl.”
I blinked in confusion. Did I hear him correctly? For one of the best photographers in his industry, he was one crazy fuck. “Excuse me?” My muscles tightened, and I got ready for war, suit and all.
Without any eye contact, he started to wipe the lens with a cloth he held in his other hand. “You heard me.” Troy slowly raised his head and met my fire-fuming gaze. “Olivia belongs to me. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll stop being a nuisance.”
I reached inside both pockets, trying to contain my rage. “She isn’t property, and she doesn’t belong to you. She doesn’t belong to me either. She is her own person. We’re together because she chose of her own free will. She didn’t choose you.”
He placed the camera down on the table, standing on the opposite side of me. “Do you know who I am?”
“A problem,” I said quickly.
His brows tugged away from the center, and he shook his head, as if I had said something ridiculous. Placing his hands on the table, he leaned closer. “I have powerful friends, Mr. Cross, including your boss. What I say is hot in the fashion industry, it becomes just that. If I say jump, people jump.” Troy rolled up his sleeves, releasing the lock on my eyes. “I’ll make you an offer. Leave Olivia and I’ll make you bigger than you can imagine. I’ll even throw in some money.”
I stifled a fake chuckle. Was he serious? “You’ve got to be kidding me? You can’t
buy Olivia, and you can’t buy me. I don’t care about being bigger. I’m already there.”
“Then I’ll offer you more cash.”
I backed away, too afraid of what I might do. My anger intensified, my urge to punch him grew even more. It took every ounce of will power to stop myself. “You don’t get it, do you? You can’t buy love, and you certainly can’t buy people. What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you even want to be with someone who hates you?”
His eyes flashed deeply into mine, and his voice boomed. “I will destroy her reputation. She’ll never work again.”
My body shook, and I bit my lip. I felt so much hatred for this man that I wanted to kill him.
“Tell me,” he continued. “How does it feel to know another man has touched her, in every place you’ve touched? How does it feel to know that I’ve fucked her hard, until she came over and over, shouting my name?”
My jaws clenched, and my fingernails cut into the palms of my hands. I didn’t want to hear what he had to say, but I had no choice. Ever since Olie and I got back together, I tossed away those thoughts Troy just mentioned in the far back corner of my mind. But I refused to bring those images to the forefront.
“That’s right. Now you know how I feel. She doesn’t get to leave until I’m done with her. You know...if I was just an average Joe, you would have punched me right now, but I’m not, am I?” He cocked his arrogant ass of a head.
I started to back away to the door, contemplating what to do. In my plan, I imagined smashing his head in. But if I started, I would never want to stop. The only solution was to talk to Matthew. Though he would believe me, I wouldn’t be satisfied. My testosterone was going haywire. I congratulated myself for having so much tolerance. Any time soon, if he added one more log to the fire, I would have no self-control. So help me God, I would kill him if I had to.
I pointed at him. My lips trembled from rage. “You’re not going to get away with this.”
“I already have. Olivia will have more followers than you when the nude pictures of her circulate around social media. Won’t that be something?”
I tried with everything in me to be professional, but he just cut the last straw. I didn’t care if I got fired. The headline might change from “Sexiest Man Alive” to “Craziest Man Alive”, but I didn’t give a fuck. Olie was everything to me. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t stick up for her? I slammed my fist into his face.
Chapter 19
Olivia
I should’ve listened to Nate. No, I was so glad I was there. Isla and I exchanged startled glances when we heard loud noises. We rushed in together as more sounds echoed.
“Nate?” I called out just as we entered, worried he might be hurt. What I saw before me hadn’t registered until Troy collided with the table, knocking down the mega camera. The camera split into pieces. Then Nate slammed his fist on Troy’s face again and again. Blood squirted from Troy’s mouth and nose, and Nate’s knuckles were bloody, too. Then Troy kicked Nate in the gut, pushing him back.
“Nate,” I called louder and tried to go to him, but Isla held me back.
In the split second Nate looked at me, Troy took an advantage and threw a punch to Nate’s jaw.
“Nate,” I murmured, feeling my jaw ache.
Nate backed into the light fixture. It dropped to the floor with a loud bang. The white cloth on the floor backed by a white curtain dropped, tangled on Troy’s footing when he recoiled.
“We gotta stop this.” I tried to push away from Isla, but her hold was strong.
“Why? I’m enjoying Troy getting his ass kicked.” She smirked.
Isla was right. Nate had the upper hand. He punched Troy twice on the face and took several steps away. Nate raked his hair back, and then he grabbed Troy’s shirt collar and sneered.
“You’re going to fix it. You’re going to take it all down. Then you’re going to apologize for what you did on social media. Don’t ever look at Olie, and don’t you ever threaten her again. Or, so help me, God, I will kill you.”
When his arm swung back, I thought Nate was going to punch Troy again, but out of the shadow, Josh appeared, making Nate pause.
“Whoa, superman. That’s enough, or you just might kill him.”
“I’m okay.” Nate breathed, patting Josh on the arm, and then took a few seconds to come out of his daze.
When Nate’s eyes locked on my wide, teary eyes, he snapped back into reality and ran to me. Wrapping his arms around me, he dug his face into my hair.
“I missed you so much. Everything will be fine.” His words muffled.
And that answered the question of whether he would be mad if I showed up.
I released him. “What happened? Is this the reason why you didn’t want me to come? Did you lie to me? You had planned to beat him up? Are you crazy?”
“No.” Nate caressed my hair over and over, shaking his head, and looked at me as if he couldn’t believe I was there. “I didn’t know he was going to be here. I was scheduled to shoot today, but Troy replaced Scott.”
We froze when Troy stood up and stumbled forward. Josh jumped in front of Nate, preventing him from making his move.
“This isn’t over, Cross. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.” Troy pointed at me. “You need to put a leash on your dog. This is far from over. I’m going to keep my promise, Olivia. Enjoy all the comments and followers.” He spat blood on the floor and disappeared from sight.
“He’s a lunatic.” Josh whistled, twirling his finger in the air like a propeller.
“Why are you here? I mean...I’m glad you’re here.” Isla wrung her hair behind her ear, her eyes widened in curiosity.
“When you texted me you were going to the location, I thought I’d join you.” Josh shrugged. “I’m done for the day.” He tossed a rag that fell from the table to Nate.
“I’m glad you came,” I added. “Nate would’ve killed him.” My hands gripping his arms still trembled. Then it hit me. “What did Troy mean by ‘enjoy all the comments and followers’?”
I gazed into Nate’s eyes. As he wiped his bloody knuckles with the rag Josh threw at him, I dabbed blood from his cut lip. His hair was in disarray, but he looked sexy as hell in his suit. As I waited for him to answer, I tugged and wiggled to straighten his tie.
“Sit here.” Nate picked up the folded gray chair that had fallen during the brawl. “I have something to tell you.”
Blood drained out of me as I dropped to the chair. My heart squeezed, and my blood pressure soared. Oh, God, please don’t let it be.
“Olie, we can fix this. We can sue—” Nate started to say, but I interrupted him.
“Nate, just tell me. What did Troy tell you?” I hardly recognized my voice, trying to disconnect from reality. Nausea crept in.
Nate got down on one knee, meeting my eyes. “Troy said he posted the pictures of you.”
“What?” I whimpered, barely getting the word out. “How could he?” The room spun, and I shuddered in shock. The walls started to close in. No space...no air...I couldn’t breathe. “What am I going to do?”
Folding my hands together, I tried to grasp what Nate had just told me. It can’t be true. Troy threatened many times before. Why now? Feeling Isla’s hands on my shoulders, and finally putting two and two together, I burst into tears. Humiliated beyond words, I would’ve killed Troy myself if I’d known about it before he left.
“Did you check your media sites lately?” Nate asked, embracing me.
I sniffed and wiped my tears and muffled to the crook of his neck. “No, just yours.”
“I didn’t see any nude pictures of Olivia. I checked this morning. I mean...not that I was looking for nude pictures,” Isla murmured, her voice full of sympathy.
“What am I going to tell my mom?” I sat up. “How about your parents? Oh, God. This is so wrong and horrible. How could he do this? It’s my fault.”
“No, it’s not,” Nate retorted, stretching his legs. “Taking nude photos with a fam
ous photographer isn’t against the law, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m sure you weren’t the first. But to threaten you like that is very wrong on so many levels. When the word gets out, his past clients will be knocking down his door, and no one will work with him. He just dug his own grave. Olie, I need to get on all your media sites and delete them. Unfortunately, we can’t delete the ones he posted on his. Then we’re going straight to Matthew. I’m sorry, but we have no options. We have to be professional about this. We represent Knight Fashion, and because of that, unfortunately our private life becomes social news.”
I nodded.
Isla and Josh gave me I’m-here-for-you smiles.
Nate stood up. “Thanks for being here, Josh and Isla, but Olie and I will take it from here. You don’t have to have your name tied to any of this.”
“If you need us, you know how to reach us,” Josh said. “We are your witnesses. Besides, Troy saw us. Hopefully, he’s just crazy and not stupid.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your support.” Nate patted Josh’s back. “I’ll call you later.”
“Don’t keep me waiting.” Isla hugged me.
“Please don’t look. I mean, can you stay off your media sites?” I sighed, and my eyes welled up with tears again. “I don’t want you to see me. I’m so embarrassed.” Tears streamed down my face as I pressed my head on Isla’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry. We won’t.” She stroked my back. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. Troy is going to pay for what he did. Karma is a bitch. He better get ready.”
“Thank you for being here. Thank you for being the sister I never had.” I squeezed her tighter.
After Josh and Olie left, Nate and I sat side by side on the chairs. Inhaling a deep breath, my whole body burning with anticipation, I checked my Twitter. Nothing. I released a breath. Then I checked my Instagram. Nothing. My shoulders relaxed somewhat. Then I checked Facebook and lost it. Spread across the page with my name on it was a nude picture of me. Mortified, I died right then and there.
I covered my mouth to stop the scream pouring out of me. There wasn’t just one, but two. No...I scrolled down. Three. I stopped, unable to look at Nate. My face paled, cold as ice. My body numbed, and I dumbly stared at the ground in shock. To hear what happened to me was one thing, but to actually see those pictures spread out for the world devastated me.