Page 33 of Make Me Laugh

Frankie puts her hand on my forearm, drawing my eyes to her. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have⁠—”

“You guys, it’s fine.” I find myself wanting to comfort them, to let them both know I’ll be alright, even though I don’t feel fine. But maybe I don’t feel anything at all? “It’s not like I have a job to get fired from, right?” The laugh that slips through isn’t real—it kind of sounds like a pathetic sob.

I pop my hand over my mouth to catch it.

“That’s why we came here.” West steps around Hilda and points through my door to the kitchen floor. “Can we come in?”

Dude shows up on my doorstep with his buddy who has my best friend’s location, then asks for permission to enter my home like some kind of vampire?

He doesn’t move until I nod, inviting them in.

West steps through the doorway and Enzo follows. “Three-million views, Joey.” West reaches out for the phone that’s playing the video on loop in my lowered hand. “In less than ten hours.” When he turns Frankie’s phone back around, he’s showing me a few of the top comments.

Comment: The way I bought a ticket to his show in Baltimore so fucking fast

Comment: Sooo we have a chance of meeting THE @HexedHeroine at West’s shows then?

Comment from RosterandReadsBookstore: Let me show my marketing team this real quick for next week’s book recs Think Hex would wanna collab?

Roster and Reads… The nation’s biggest bookstore shared my doxxing video and wants to collaborate with me.

West pulls the phone away and hands it back to Frankie. “We can make some money off this. My tour sold out, and Enzo’s already getting emails from other clubs to add more shows.”

This is the kind of thing that blows someone’s career up—this is the big break a lot of people need… that a lot of people in my shoes with an account they’re monetizing dream of.

And I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but this was never what I wanted. I never wanted to be in the public eye. It’s why I stayed hidden behind a mask.

“You can help me build my brand. Help me build my social media presence.” West is standing so close to me I can smell him again—or maybe that’s his shirt I’m still wearing.

“West,” I start.

Frankie pipes in. “JoJo, this could be life changing for you too.” I feel like time’s standing still. “You’re a social media genius. It could be a fun thing to try while you’re in between whatever comes next.”

“You know better than anyone we could make some money off this,” West says, his crooked smile coming back.

Money is my ultimate motivator right now, especially when I have yet to look at the severance package I already know Vyce low balled the fuck out of me on…

“If I could go back and use my body to make money I would in a heartbeat!” Hilda calls, leaning against my front door frame.

There are too many people here right now. I can feel the tension growing the longer everyone’s eyes stay on me.

“Can we have a minute?” I ask the room, nodding at West.

Hilda holds her hands up and takes a step down the stairs. “I’ll have Franceska fill me in later.”

Frankie smiles, nodding enthusiastically.

“You too, Frank.” Her excitement falls, and she sticks her bottom lip out.

When my facial expression doesn’t change and she realizes she’s already lost, she sighs and trudges through the kitchen on heavy feet. “Let’s go get coffee. We’ll stop by the harbor and scoop you out some tea on the way.” Frankie’s giggles carry all the way down the stairs. “Get it? Cause you’re British. The Boston Tea Par—” Her voice is cut off by the front foyer door closing, leaving me and West alone in my home.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE ONE WITH THE 48 HOUR CONTRACT

Comment: There’s no way they’re not dating… or at the very least fucking!

Comment reply: No one looks at someone the way West is looking at Hex if they’re NOT fucking…