Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Madds offers me a forced smile. “Just give it time,” she says. “They’ll chill out soon, they just need a different story or scandal to obsess over, which is totally manageable by the way. Dig up some of Rock’s or Dylan’s old dirty secrets and dump them in it instead.”
I give her a hard stare. “Not an option.”
Madds shrugs her shoulders and laughs. “Just trying to be helpful,” she sings, picking up a dress and holding it against her body. “I mean, I could always drop mine and Dylan’s accidental sex tape.”
My eyes bug out of my head as I gape at my best friend. “Your what?”
“I know,” she cringes. “It was an accident. We were both so drunk on your birthday, and we were taking a stupid video, and then he started kissing me, and I guess we forgot about the phone, and then the next thing I know, I’m waking up on the floor of a hotel room with a video of Dylan Pope fucking me like a god.”
My jaw drops, and all I can do is stare at her.
“Say something,” she says.
“I . . . you . . . SEX TAPE!”
“I know,” she laughs, covering her face in embarrassment. “It just kinda happened. I’ve been meaning to delete it, but like . . . it’s Dylan Pope. Without that video, no one would ever believe I was with him, not that I would ever show this to anyone, not even you. But also, it kinda gives me a reason to talk to him again. I’m just not sure when that happens that I particularly want to be admitting to having a sex tape of him. I don’t want him to think I did it on purpose or that this is some kind of money grab because it’s not. I would never do that. Plus, breaking out the phone was totally his idea. If anything, I should be the one scandalized, but like . . . I actually look kinda good in it, so, you know, I’m just keeping it for sentimental reasons.”
I can’t stop gaping at her. “You absolutely have to get rid of that.”
“But like . . . do I?” she questions. “It would be a shame to get rid of it prematurely. What if Dylan wanted a viewing party?”
I go to tell her what a terrible idea that is, but on second thought, a viewing party of his own accidental sex tape is Dylan’s idea of the best night that ever existed. “You know what,” I say with a heavy sigh. “Maybe I could run the idea past him.”
Madds laughs and presses her hand to my forehead. “Are you feeling alright?”
I shove her off me just as a rush of paparazzi flood the store window, their cameras flashing over and over, blinding us as they scream for my attention. “What the flying fuck?” Madds says, stepping closer to me and grabbing my arm. She pulls me away as the store attendants hurry past us to the door, quickly locking it before the paparazzi take over their store. “What’s going on?”
I shake my head, not having the slightest clue, but what I do know is that this is so much more than just dating rumors. This is a scandal. I just wish I knew what.
“Raleigh. Raleigh Stone,” I hear them yelling through the glass, some of them banging against it and making it rattle. “What can you tell us about your father? Are the rumors true?”
“Rumors?” Madds asks, looking back at me for confirmation, but all I can do is stand and stare at them, feeling the blood drain from my face. Please don’t tell me they know about my father. “What rumors?”
“No. No. No. No. No,” I start chanting.
“MISS STONE?” the paps get more insistent, their blinding flashes sending me into a spiraling panic. “MISS STONE, DID YOUR FATHER RAPE YOU AS A CHILD? MISS STONE. MISS STONE? CAN YOU COMMENT?”
Fuck.
Madds whips her head toward me, her eyes wide and filled with horror. “What are they talking about?” she questions as the store attendants start piling up clothes racks in front of the window, desperately trying to give me some privacy, but all I can do is run.
I turn on my heel and bolt, darting to the dressing rooms in the back of the store. I find the first one, diving into it and pulling the curtain closed behind me before crumbling to the ground, locking my arms around my knees.
My whole body shakes. How do they know?
The only people on the planet who know about this are me, Ezra, and . . . my father.
FUCK.
“Rae?” Madds calls, hurrying after me as I hear her searching the dressing rooms, pulling back curtain after curtain until she finally gets to mine. “Rae,” she says, finding me, her tone filled with concern. She drops down in front of me, her hands clutching my knees. “What are they talking about? It’s not true, is it? Why would they be asking you something like that?”