“D’you want me to spoon-feed you?” I ask. “Eat something before you die.”
He just frowns at my leg. “You’re limping,” he says quietly. “Does it hurt?”
Anger flares up in me, white-hot anger, and for the millionth time, I think about leaving him. Packing up my stuff and finding somewhere—anywhere—else that would hire me.
The thought makes my chest hurt. I don’twantto go. Lochview is my home. Alec and Fraser are the closest thing I’ve ever had to a family. It’d hurt like hell to leave it all.
But this hurts too.
Lightning strobes outside, and Alec visibly flinches. I take a deep breath.
“Just eat,” I tell him, taking my glass to the sofa and slumping down next to Fraser. He immediately puts his feet in my lap. I shove him off and stare into the fire, trying to sort my head out.
“Jesus,” Fraser says, staring at his phone. “Look at this.” He shoves it in my face.
I go to bat it away, not in the mood for whatever cat video he wants to show me, but I catch a glimpse of what’s on the screen.
It’s a picture of Summer on the beach.
Naked.
Well, practically. All she’s wearing is a miniature bikini.
Fraser shakes his head. “God, she’s unbelievable. You know she’s an ambassador for a swimwear line?”
My eyes trace the image. Summer’s body is lush and soft, all curved lines that make my palms itch. “These pictures are just…online?” I say roughly. “Anyone can see them?”
“Aye, anyone with a Picturegram account.” His eyes crinkle. “Why? Want me to make you one? Take a couple pics of you chopping logs with your shirt off. You’ll go viral in no time.” He taps to the next photo. She’s still in the bikini, but she’s thrown on a transparent shirt thing that covers nothing. “Aw, look at this one. She looks like a wee fairy.”
I look at the photo and glance away again. “What’s that?” I say roughly, pointing at the number under the picture.
“How many people liked it.”
“Two hundred thousand peopleliked a picture of her almost naked?”
Fraser double taps the screen, and a heart pops up. “I know, right? Can you blame them?”
I process that. Hundreds of thousands of people have seen Summer like this. A heavy emotion banks in my stomach. It’sbeen so long since I’ve felt it that it takes me a few seconds to recognise what it is. I’m jealous.
I shouldn’t be jealous. Summer’s doing her job. And she’s sure as hell notmine. So why do I feel so goddamn angry?
Fraser grabs my phone. “Here. This’ll just take a minute.”
“What are you doing?”
“Setting you up a profile so you can heart her pictures yourself,” he mutters, tapping at the screen. “Hey, how does ShirtlessShepherdxoxo sound for your username?” I lunge for the phone. He dodges. “Aw, didn’t you like it? Too late. You can’t change it for thirty days.” He lifts the phone and snaps a shot of me. “Okay, that’ll be your profile pic. Cute.”
“Fraser.” I try to wrestle the phone off him, but he just yanks it away.
“What? You have to have a profile pic, or she’ll think you’re a creep. Now, let me just follow her for you?—”
“Is it safe for her to be out there alone?” Alec says, suddenly behind us. “The electricity could go out.”
Fraser looks up. “Not that kind of storm, mate. It’s just a bit of rain and lightning, no strong winds. Dinna worry.” He offers Alec a reassuring grin and hands me my phone back. “There you go. You’re welcome.”
I look at the new profile. Above the name ShirtlessShepherdxoxo, it says I am following one person. Summer Faye.
For God’s sake. “I’m deleting this,” I warn.
