“Oh my God, Claire, I can’t wait another second. Have you been online?”
“I’ve been on an Omega forum, if that counts.”
“Forget the forums. You’re all over social media. A photo of you and the three guys in the storeroom last night is everywhere. You’re pinned against a wall with three Alphas devouring you, and it’s the hottest thing the internet has seen in months. I mean, I love it for your rebrand. Talk about coming out of the socially awkward, hates-social-media closet. You didn’t just come out; you kicked the door down with three?—”
My stomach drops. “Back up. The photo was shared online?”
“Umm, yeah, and the internet is having a collective meltdown.”
“Oh God.” I’m sitting up now, scrambling to hold the phone with both hands. “Oh God, oh God. What if my parents see that?”
“Least of your worries. Listen, that’s not the main thing?—”
“How is that not the main thing? I’m being groped by three men in a storage room, and it’s on the internet!”
“You looked incredible, first of all. But here’s what happened. Your delightful ex-fiancé decided to weigh in, in the comments section.”
My blood chills. “What did he say?”
“He basically called you out, saying the whole thing is staged, that you’re faking it for publicity because your book failed…” She pauses. “He was cruel, Claire.”
My fingers are already moving, opening the browser, searching. The results load fast. The image is everywhere. I find a repost, and there it is on my screen—me against the wall, flushed, glasses tilted, three men surrounding me—and it’s more intimate than I remembered. More exposed. I mean, the dress really does wonders for my waist, but my strap is sliding off my shoulder. Jakob’s hand is on my thigh through the slit. Brody’s mouth is on me. And I’m staring at the camera with an expression of pure, unfiltered want.
“Oh God, I found the photo,” I whisper as I scroll down and find screenshots of Louis’s comment, which is all I need. The mean words leave me shaking… “The fucker.”
“He deleted it,” Katie says, reading my silence. “But you know the internet. Nothing dies. However”—her voice lifts, the glee barely contained—“your three knights in shining armor were responsible for that. Check out ManBaker’s page.”
I scroll further, and my breath catches as I read Corey’s response first, then Brody’s, then Jakob’s. And I’m tearing up. “They stood up for me?” I ask, my voice growing thick.
“Girl, they went to war for you. Brody’s followers are the most loyal fanbase on the internet, and when he stood up for you, they went absolutely feral on Louis. Check the memes they made about him. Louis had to delete his page, as he was being bombarded that much!” She laughs maniacally. “He’s such a fucker!”
I spot one of a cartoon dog running away with its tail between its legs, Louis’s name photoshopped onto it. I’m laughing, and Katie is cackling on the other end.
“They’re destroying him online,” I wheeze.
“He deserves every second of it. Oh, and the publisher called me this morning.”
I stop laughing. “Oh? Should I be worried?”
“They saw the buzz and only asked how book two is progressing. They used an exclamation mark in the email, so they haven’t completely written you off.”
My head is spinning. “I don’t deserve this,” I say quietly.
“Oh, shut up. You absolutely do.” Katie’s voice softens. “You’ve been punishing yourself for months over one bad sentence on live TV. These guys see what I’ve always seen. What everyone who reads your book sees. You’re extraordinary and you’ve been hiding, but now the world is catching up.”
I press my fingers to my eyes behind my glasses and breathe.
“Okay,” Katie says, and the tone shifts. “I have a thought.”
“Oh no. Your thoughts are dangerous.”
“Listen. The publisher is paying attention. The internet is on your side. ManBaker’s audience is treating you as one of their own. You’ve gone from disgraced cookbook author to the woman dating the hottest pack online in less than twenty-four hours.”
“I’m not actually dating them.”
“Exactly. But nobody else knows that. So why stop?”
I grip the phone tighter. “No, don’t go there.”
