“I hurt so badly, Gran.”
“What’d he do?”
“The first moment he got, he told a reporter we had…hung out. I had to find out through my agent.”
“And you’re sure it’s him?”
“There were details, Gran.”
Of course, I opt not to tell her that those details include how it began with oral intercourse, as Chatter called it, on her patio lounge, and quickly escalated to penetrative sex. Oh—and sex is now a part of his chores list like he’s my damn hooker.
“Do you think he was just telling a friend? Bragging as boys do?”
“Gran, it doesn’t matter. I still can’t believe his audacity. Today, he tried to act like he was all into me. Like it was something more than it was.”
“Ashlyn, I can’t say I know how you feel, but I can say that this is a subject you are sensitive to. What he did wasn’t right, but instead of holing yourself inside your home and refusing to let anyone in, I think you need to have a talk with him.”
“I will never—”
“Then you’ve lost, Ashlyn. And I have taught you nothing.”
?
Jake
My phone vibrates, and I quickly flip it over, so I don’t have to see that damn screen light up.
I sigh heavily. “The tabloid won’t say who their source is.”
“So, if it’s not you, and it’s not her, then it must be her gran,” Casey says.
“I don’t know. I mean, she can walk a little, but she’s mostly confined to a wheelchair.”
“Well, if it’s not her, then it must be Ashlyn.”
“Impossible. You should have seen her face. I hate that I had any part in her pain.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll get over it,” Jeff, Casey’s fiancé says. “With her money, I doubt she cares what people say about her.”
“She’s hurt,” I say with an edge to my voice. “Who are we to say what should and shouldn’t matter to her.”
“The last time this happened, we never heard from her again,” Casey says. “God, this must be
hard on her.”
“Oh, you’re talking about back when she made it big?” Jeff says. “You know, if you didn’t say anything, and her grandma couldn’t, and this has happened before…maybe it’s been her spilling the beans all along. Looking for sympathy.”
It takes everything I have not to strangle the life out of my sister’s boyfriend. Thankfully, Casey puts him in his place.
“That’s not even funny. Andy Clayton literally went on television discussing the details of taking her virginity. Half the people in our graduating class talked about every detail they could think of about her—some were even made up. She’s not an attention seeker, which is made obvious by the fact that she literally never interacts with anyone.”
“Then, how?” Jeff snaps. “How the hell does everyone know all the intimate details of your ass-grabbing session?”
I jump to my feet, angry at Jeff’s crass treatment of the situation.
“Don’t you ever—and I mean EVER—let me catch you—”
Casey’s small hand shoves into my chest. “Both of you—just stop!” She glares angrily at me.
