Bobby Carrol is the name of theguy in the contact space, but I don’t recognize it, making me even more certainthat this isn’t someone who has a right to know my business.
I scroll through the othermessages he’s exchanged with this guy. Nothing much. Just this guy asking forDarren to send him shit about me. Then I see the picture Darren sent of Bryceand me kissing at the stadium. The message beneath it reads, “This goodenough?”
My mouth falls open.
That backstabbing asshole.
“Oh my God, I had a night,” Darrensays as he stumbles out of the bathroom in just a towel.
I stand there, holding his phone,horrified that the person I’ve trusted all these years has betrayed me. So manyemotions move through me right now that it’s hard to tell which is more predominant—rageor sadness. Although I know which one I’ll choose to express.
“Who’s Bobby Carroll?” I ask.
With his dark locks draped acrosshis forehead, clinging to his skin, he looks like a drenched rat. Which isexactly what he is right now…a fucking rat.
He stares at the phone. Doesn’teven start to say something. Explain himself. And I deserve an explanation.
“He’s a reporter at TMZ,” he finallysays.
“Why did you send him thispicture?” But an even more important question pops into my head. “What elsehave you sent him?”
“I was the one who mentioned yourmom to Henry Mason.”
I can tell my cheeks have turned adeeper shade of red.
“What?” I grip onto his phone, practicallycrushing it in my hold.
“Mason called me before theinterview. Told me that if I had anything juicy, he could hook me up with acontact at TMZ, Bobby Carroll. That I could make some extra money. I just toldhim that you guys were weird about discussing your mom. That there wassomething there. If I’d known the truth, I swear to God, Tad, I never wouldhave said shit.”
“This was for a few bucks?”
But I can tell by his expressionthat that isn’t it. “I was hoping for a job.”
“”Cause I haven’t been good toyou?”
“No, no. You have.”
“I just was expendable when youwere trying to decide who you could fuck over?”
Silence. He’s not going to fightthat because it’s true. And as much as I want to pretend that it’s just thathe’s my assistant fucking me over, truth is, right now, it feels like I’ve beenduped by my best friend. Darren’s been with me all these years, and he alwaysseemed loyal to a fault.
“Anything else you’ve sold secretsabout?”
He holds up his hands, as thoughhe’s trying to keep a barrier between us, which might be for the best since I’mten seconds away from totally losing it with him.
All I want to do right now ispunch his fucking lights out since he’s left me feeling like he punched me inthe gut.
“No. I swear.”
My rage builds and builds, butsuddenly, I feel like I’m about to burst into tears. I can’t stay in here.
“Email me the tickets and then getthe fuck out of my life,” I say, tossing the phone down on the bed.
“Tad—”
I’m outta here. And he better befucking out of here or I will have him personally escorted out.
Fifty-Four
