“They won’t make out, will they?” chuckled a guy, looking at me from the other side of the room.
“It won’t hurt if I throw this at your face, will it?”
I mimicked the gesture of throwing an entire tequila bottle at him, forcing him to quit teasing me.
“Chill, one minute more, I’ll check if they’re still alive.” Taylor shut everyone up as she got up, while I glanced at James, looking for a sign. He was leaning on the windowsill to smoke. He was staring at something out the window like he was avoiding my gaze.
I wasn’t jealous of Ari, but I knew perfectly well how Will felt about her. That was the problem.
Taylor on the other hand looked down at me. “Unfortunately, you couldn’t go in there with him. You would’ve seen fireworks.”
I couldn’t understand why she had such a grudge against me. We barely knew each other. Maybe it was because I took her Juliet role? She could have it. I’d been to more parties than rehearsals.
“Give it here.”
To my surprise, James came closer to her and literally ripped the phone out of her hands.
“What the fuck are you doing, Jamie?” she asked, with a hint of worry. And when he lifted a corner of his mouth into a crooked smile, I sensed that his intentions were anything but good.
“I’m picking out a photo.”
“James!” Taylor reproached him.
I saw her frown before trying to grab the phone from him.
I didn’t know what was happening at that particular moment, but then how could I take someone seriously who was still holding a cookie between his teeth while he raised his arm to prevent her from grabbing the phone?
“Would your dad prefer a close-up of me or a photo of both of us? Or maybe a video . . .”
Taylor’s face turned completely purple.
“Sent.”
“James don’t even think about it! It’s a crime! Try it—”
“How’s it a crime if it’s my photo?”
“But . . .”
“It’s me. But I’m naked and in your bed. Do you think your daddy will be bothered?”
Taylor’s light-blue eyes widened in sheer terror.
“What?!”
“Oh, it looks like he saw it. He’s already calling you.”
Her jaw dropped when James gave her the phone, while I covered my forehead with my hand. But it was too late because I’d seen the photo too.
“You wanna ruin my life!”
“We’re even, sweetheart,” he whispered sarcastically in her ear before leaving the room.
Taylor was still shaken up when she went to open the closet where Ari and William were.
I didn’t have the courage to look up, but I heard one sentence loud and clear.
“You don’t know how to keep your clothes on, do you?”
