22:03·Sept 25, 2024·108.3KViews
858Reposts3KLikes
@MariahCM: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK PLEASE GOD NO NOT COLTON
@ShivvyDivs: Harlow Hayes is a serial killer, confirmed.
@WhiteRev9: You guys should be ashamed of yourselves posting rumors like this, these are real people’s lives!
@OnceUponASummerHH: Harlow didn’t write “caught in the spokes of the wheel, but to spend time with you, I’d spin for eternity” just so she could go kill him ??
@ApotheosisBitch5: @OnceUponASummerHH that song is about her dog
@AFCNottsFan: Anyone check on her other exes? ??
@DavePetersonOfficial: Don’t worry guys, I’m still alive
Chapter 8
Huddled beneath an umbrella, Naomi waits near one of the Roman columns at the top of the towering courthouse’s granite steps. The steady pitter-patter of rain and the drop in temperature are a stark reminder she’s no longer in LA. Instead, she feels like an extra in a Batman film, waiting for the villain of Gotham to arrive.
Today’s antihero, Harlow Hayes, is expected to pull up any minute for her arraignment. She’ll either be granted or denied bail, and Naomi and the rest of the world will finally know for certain whose murder (or murders) she’s being accused of.
Once Naomi left the restaurant last night, a bit later and tipsier than expected, she called Joel to tell him what she’d learned. Joel said one of his sources heard rumors about Colton as well, so he was happy for Naomi to run with the story. After posting it, she spent the rest of the night wondering who the other victim could be, constantly checking comments on social media, perusing the different theories piling up. Naomi thinks it’s most likely to be someone Colton was close to or someone he was sleeping with. Maybe his ex, Meghan Rhodes? Or maybe it was just a friend who was there at the wrong place and time. Collateral damage. Or maybe Harlow went after another one of her exes. Had she moved on from writing songs about them to killing them?
Naomi laughs in disbelief. As if she’s actually standing here, genuinely contemplating who else Harlow Hayes potentially murdered. She’s still struggling to believe this is seriously happening. But the abundance of paparazzi, reporters, and cameramen gathered outside the courthouse tells her it’s very serious.
Even the general public is out in force, some showing support for Harlow and others denouncing her, demanding the “demonic” pop star be locked up for life. Naomi watches in fascination as police hold back a group of protestors clashing with a swarm of fans.
“Both groups have been here since yesterday,” C*Leb’s cameraman, Chris, tells Naomi as he fixes his large camera on the tripod. He arrived at the courthouse early to get them a good spot near the door.
Naomi shakes her head, still taken aback by the level of passion these people have for a stranger.
“I hope you’re wrong about Colton, by the way,” Chris says, adjusting his camera. “That guy’s one of my favorite actors.”
“Guess we’ll find out soon enough.” Naomi shrugs, shivering, as she looks at Chris’s exposed bald head, bent forward to check his equipment again. Even fully dressed in jeans, black Timberland boots, and an oversized rain jacket, his tattoos are visible, climbing up his neck to the side of his face.
“Do you really think there’s more than one?”
Before Naomi can answer his question, two black SUVs pull up in front of the courthouse and chaos commences. Camera gear clicks into place as reporters and paparazzi buzz into action. Chris follows suit, hoisting his furry mic into position, as Naomi stumbles forward, trying to hold her ground on the front line. She instinctively shields Chris with the umbrella to make sure his lens doesn’t get wet, sacrificing her hair so he can get a better shot.
Reporters call out and cameras flash as the district attorney arrives with his small army of lawyers and paralegals, but the excitement quickly dies down as everyone waits in anticipation for the real star of the show.
As Harlow Hayes steps out of her SUV, panicked whispers of “Over there” and “That’s her” rapidly turn into shouts of “Harlow!” and “Did you do it?”
Naomi strains to get a look but is boxed out by pushy paparazzi. She balls her hands into fists, channeling her inner Faye.Shewouldn’t have let anyone get in the way of seeing her favorite celebrity. Naomi can almost hear her voice.You didn’t wait there for hours only to get pushed out. Do something about it. So Naomi inhales and barrels forward, not caring if her heels impale anyone else’s feet in the process, and is finally able to score a glance.
Harlow is guarded by an entourage, hovering over her with giant black umbrellas. Her face is covered with large black sunglasses, her hair tied in a low, dark ponytail down her back. She’s dressed in effortless luxury, wearing a beige blazer, wide black trousers, and black pointed heels.
Naomi stares in awe, feeling as if time has slowed. A shiver shoots down her spine and the hairs on her arms stand on end. She’s unsettled and doesn’t know if it’s because she’s only feet away fromtheHarlow Hayes, or because she’s in the presence of a murderer.
The moment passes in a stunning, ominous rush of glittering gold, crimson, and black, and before Naomi can catch her breath, Harlow and her crew are safely locked behind the courtroom doors. Unfortunately, the arraignment is private, with no press or public allowed in the courtroom, so Naomi has no choice but to wait.
Once the hysteria tapers off and the reporters disperse, Naomi pulls out her phone. She wants to see if she has enough time to grab coffee for her and Chris before the post-arraignment press conference, but a message from Leo distracts her.
Her chest tightens, wondering what he’s going to say. She’s confident he had a good time too. It was he who suggested they order another bottle of wine after dessert.He wouldn’t have bothered if he wasn’t enjoying himself. Right?
She feels suddenly anxious, surprised by how much she wants to be right. By how much she’d like to see him again, not just for information. She opens up the message, hoping he’s asking for a second date. He’s not; but Naomi doesn’t care. Because what he has to say is far more interesting.
