“Well, then don’t worry about it,” Heather said, waving it off. “It’s taken care of.”
“No, I want to know,” I said. “What happened? Was this because of me?”
After they shared another look, which meant that this was definitely because of me, Sierra leaned in closer to the group. “Apparently, this bimbo at Radiant said something rude about you, and Charlie basically told Heather to take care of her.”
“Bimbo?”
“She wasn’t a bimbo,” Evelyn said to Sierra, stifling a laugh. “Don’t slut-shame when Steven walks you around Radiant like you’re his pet.”
“I’m not shaming her. It’s the best way to describe her.” Sierra put up a finger. “The definition of a bimbo is an attractive but stupid woman, and she was definitely stupid if she thought she could say anything about Athena without consequences.”
“Consequences meaning my fists,” Heather clarified.
They must’ve been talking about Nadia. I looked over at Charlie, who was always so playful, so innocent—at least that was what I thought—but had he actually told Heather to take care of Nadia for me?
While I didn’t condone violence, it made me feel butterflies all over. And I had wanted Nadia to get what was coming to her for a long time. She’d made me feel so shitty about myself, especially when I saw her at Radiant last night.
“What did she say about me?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Sun said. “Because it’s not true.”
“Please, tell me.”
“But it’s mean,” Sun whispered.
“What did she say?”
“She just said that you were ugly,” Heather said. “But it’s not true.”
Evelyn caught my hand. “Apparently, Steven and Hector overheard Charlie and her conversation right after she said it. Charlie said, and I quote, ‘If you say anything like that again about Athena, I’ll fucking destroy your career. I will destroy everything you have. I don’t care how dirty my hands get from it. I don’t care how much money it’ll take. I’ll make sure you’re nothing to the world.”
“How do you remember every word?” Sun giggled.
Evelyn fanned herself. “How do you not?!”
“Oh my gosh,” I whispered, pressing my legs together. “That’s so hot.”
Heather squealed. “I know! So sexy, standing up for his girl!”
A giggle left my lips. While I hadn’t heard those words directly from Nadia, I knew she would say something like that about me. I didn’t know her, but she seemed like a mean girl who wanted my man.
And now that I knew he loved me, I wasn’t going to let anyone have him.
I turned toward Heather. “You didn’t have to hit her.”
“Yes, I did.”
“She totally did,” Sierra said.
“Yeah, no question,” Evelyn said.
“It was deserved,” Sun chimed in.
My lips curled into a smile, and I pulled them in closer because I didn’t know what I would do without them. If it wasn’t for them dragging me to Radiant, then maybe I wouldn’t have told Charlie that I loved him, and maybe he wouldn’t have said it to me either.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
