She keeps staring at the screen, so I take the phone from her hand and cut Dani off.
“22-year-old Chambers was spotted in downtown New York with one of his management team. They were getting pretty close and were said to be intimate for most of the night. The lady in question was none other than Dani Hill—daughter of former Dunbar Hill legend, Bernie Hill. Bernie also happens to be CEO of Independent label, Election Records who Koolum Law signed with earlier this year.”
Another photo appears. This time the girl who tried it on with me just after Dani left the bar. This one shows her leaning forward while I look as if I’m getting close and personal with her tits.
“During the same weekend, he was spotted getting intimate with yet another unidentified woman.”
“Fuck,” I say again, more to myself. “Turn this off Cal, they’re?—”
She holds up one hand. “Shh.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I spit in frustration, but Cal keeps on watching.
“Both Dani and Bernie Hill were unavailable for comment and Chambers hasn’t been seen since his plane hit the tarmac at London’s Heathrow Airport yesterday morning.”
It’s difficult to gauge Cal’s emotions as she bites her nails.
“Lock up your daughters, Ash Chambers is on the prowl.”
I can’t stand to listen to this bollocks any longer. I grab the remote from Cal’s other hand and turn it off. Cal keeps perfectly still, staring into space.
“Baby—”
She blinks rapidly. “No. Don’t you dare.”
I take a step forward and try to hold her, but she pushes me away, her only words, “I said no.”
She takes a few steps towards the bed and drops her body to a sitting position. For a while, I do most of the talking while she stares into space and silent tears stream down her face.
“Listen to me, Cal. I love you. You have to know I’d never do anything to hurt you. Those photos must have been staged somehow. We were both a little drunk and Dani was acting weird that night. She pounced on me, the image makes it look as if we kissed, but she forced herself on me, and I pushed her away, I promise.”
“You were drunk?”
“You’re focusing on the wrong thing,” I try to reason.
“What was her name?” she asks, throwing me off where I’m going with my explanation.
“I… what? Who?”
“The second girl.”
I can’t answer.
Cal looks me in the eye for the first time in minutes. “Please tell me you at least knew her name.”
I swallow hard before I reply, “No, Cal. You’re looking at this all wrong?—”
“Am I? The proof was on the screen, Ash. There isn’t any other way to look at it.”
“Yes, there is. My way. I’m telling you the truth.”
“You know, I should have known something was up when you arrived out of the blue,” Cal says with folded arms. “And to think, last night you couldn’t sayI love youenough.” Then she mimics, “No other girl holds a candle to you, no one else. Isn’t that what you said? Now I get it.”
“Why are you taking that crock of shit on the TV as gospel? You’ve got to believe me. Don’t you trust me, Cal? Is that it?”
“Oh, okay. I see what you’re doing. Don’t think you can turn this around and make me look like the bad guy. I won’t fall for it, Ash.”
“Jesus, you’ve already made your mind up.”
