Roommates Box Set #4-6

26. Sierra

26

SIERRA

For once, I slept straight through the night. The few times I did stir, I registered feeling warm and cherished before sinking into slumber again.

In the morning, we couldn’t escape the sunlight that edged around the window coverings. But we were in no hurry get up, so I added two more orgasms to my lifetime total, plus I learned that it took different strokes to please different folks—so to speak.

Later, it felt good to take a shower and stretch my stiff muscles. Afterwards, I asked Tristan if he’d go for a walk with me. On the surface, our walk probably looked similar to our last one together, but it felt totally different to me.

Today, I felt comfortable with him. We held hands. And every ten steps or so, my face flushed as I remembered last night, and I thought I would burst with happiness.

Ironically, we were passing the snow fort again on the way back when my phone rang. I pulled it out, intending to decline the call, but then I saw who was calling. “It’s my friend Ronnie. Do you mind if I get this?”

“Of course not. I’ll make some repairs to the castle as I wait, milady.” He gave me a courtly little bow.

I flashed him a smile and then answered the call.

My smile didn’t last long after Ronnie’s perfunctory greeting.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her. “Are your men all okay?”

“They’re fine, but I have bad news. Really bad news.”

She sounded so upset that a chill that had nothing to do with the outside air tore through me. “Are Kylie and Alyssa okay? Please tell me what happened.”

Tristan looked over, concern on his face. “What is it?” he asked.

“Who’s that?” Ronnie asked. “Whoever it is, you might not want him to hear this.”

My stomach dropped, and I had no clue what was going on, but I knew it was bad.

Ronnie continued on. “Or, if you trust him, maybe it’s good to have someone with you.”

I looked into Tristan’s light blue eyes. He held my gaze steadily. Finally, I spoke. “I trust him,” I told Ronnie. “I’m putting you on speaker.”

Tristan came over to stand by me. That meant a lot to me.

Ronnie took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry to tell you this, but there was a leak. A scene from the movie was leaked online.”

My first instinct was to laugh. What did I care about that? Maybe Aiden would. Maybe he didn’t want any plot twists to get out. But then Ronnie kept going.

“It was the sex scene.”

Tristan’s eyes met mine as shock filtered through me. That was bad, but in another month, people would see that scene anyway after the premiere of the movie. It hadn’t been easy filming it, but at least it hadn’t involved any actual nudity. “What’s the studio have to say about this?”

“I haven’t gotten to the worst part,” she said, and her voice sounded awful. Ronnie was one of the strongest people I knew, mentally and physically, and her tone scared the hell out of me. Reaching out, I touched the back of my hand to Tristan’s. He engulfed my hand in his and squeezed.

“I’m so sorry, Sierra, but it was leaked to someone on the dark web, and they doctored it. They… well, do you know what deepfake technology is? They basically put your head on another actor’s body so that it looks like you’re naked—and that you’re really having sex.”

It felt like I’d been punched in the gut. I doubled over as my stomach heaved. The phone dropped from my hand.

“Hold on,” Tristan said to Ronnie as he pulled me upright and into his embrace. He held me while my entire body shook, and tears streamed down my face. Finally, he kissed my forehead and then let go of me just long enough to get the phone. “We’re here.”

“I’m so sorry, Sierra. So very, very sorry.”

“Why doesn’t the studio just put out a statement saying that the sex scene is just acting for a movie, not the real deal?” Tristan demanded.

Ronnie hesitated. “Aiden told me they haven’t decided on an official statement yet, but it’s likely they’re just going to ignore it and let it blow over.”

“What?” I yelped.

Tristan’s face was red with anger. “Doesn’t this look as bad for Aiden Hunt as it does for Sierra?”

“No,” Ronnie said, her voice trembling. “Sierra, the way they edited it, Aiden’s not in it at all. It’s just you and some random men. A few shots are from the actual filming, but mostly they just stole your face and your voice and created a whole new video—as if it’s a leaked sex tape.”

If Tristan’s strong arms hadn’t held me steady, I would’ve fallen to the ground. “That’s sick,” he said. “Can’t they stop the video from being circulated?”

“No. It’s already out there. There’s no way to put the cat back into the bag.”

“Shit. I’m so sorry, Sierra.” Tristan held me close as he stroked my hair. Tears streamed down my face and onto the front of his coat.

“I am, too,” Ronnie said.

“How bad is the tape?” Tristan asked her.

“It’s bad,” she said in her quietest tone yet. “Really bad, because it looks real. It looks like Sierra’s doing all those things.” She hesitated, and we could hear her use a tissue. “I only watched because Aiden heard about it and I wanted to see how bad it was, and… I’m so sorry. It’s really, really bad.”

“Don’t tell her that,” Tristan growled.

“I have to,” Ronnie said. “Because it’s spreading across the internet like wildfire. Sierra, you need to call your agent. If the studio’s not going to do anything, maybe your agent can help you come up with a plan.” She paused. “Again… I’m really, really sorry.”

I could barely walk after that. Every few steps I fell to my knees in the snow until Tristan picked me up and carried me.

It was two steps beyond the worst nightmare I’d ever had. Thousands of people, maybe more, were watching me have sex right now. Or at least they thought it was me. But if it was my face and my voice, what did it matter if the body wasn’t mine? Everyone who watched it would think it was. “Put me down,” I told Tristan.

“We’re almost back, sweetheart.”

I squirmed until he reluctantly set me on my feet.

Then I bent over and threw up.

He held my hair, smoothing it away from my face. When there was nothing left in my stomach, he gave me a handful of snow, and I wiped my mouth off. Then he picked me right back up and carried me back to the cabin.

Carter and Drew were at the worktable when Tristan pushed open the door, tracking snow inside as he carried me to my bedroom.

“What’s wrong?” Drew cried as he rushed to my side.

“Is she hurt?” Carter demanded.

“Back off until I get her in bed.”

Their questions didn’t abate, but I tuned them out as Tristan laid me gently on the bed. My phone was in his pocket, and I could hear it ringing as he worked my boots and coat off, handing each item to Drew, whose worried face was visible over Tristan’s shoulder.

“Is that her phone?” Drew asked, but Tristan didn’t answer.

It was probably my agent. Or hell, maybe it was a reporter wanting to know how it felt to have my supposed sex tape all over the internet.

“Please tell me what happened,” Drew begged, but Tristan waved him off. Then Carter was there with a pile of blankets that he tucked gently around me.

Tristan bent down to kiss my forehead. “Sleep if you can, sweetheart. Don’t think about it, just give your body and your mind some rest. When you wake up, we’ll come up with a plan.”

That was right. Tristan always had a plan. But in this case, it wouldn’t help. There was nothing to be done. Everyone knew that something posted on the internet couldn’t ever be contained. And that something like this would bring out the ugliest side of human nature.

I sobbed until it felt like I had no more moisture left in my body.

I did eventually fall asleep, but when I woke up, I had a splitting headache. For one long moment, my mind reeled, trying to figure out why I felt this bad, and then I remembered.

And despair filled me.

I pushed back the covers slowly, one by one, until I could slide my legs out. Then I made my way to the door. My feet felt like lead, and I could barely lift them.

They were all out there when I opened the door.

Drew spoke first. “I’m so sorry, Sierra.”

All Carter said was, “Me, too,” but the expression on his face was pained.

“I need my phone.” My voice sounded like a frog’s croak.

Tristan had my phone right in front of him on the coffee table, but he hesitated. “Why don’t you get some more sleep first?”

It was very tempting to retreat back into oblivion rather than face this head on, but my head hurt so much I knew it wouldn’t be possible. “I need to talk to my agent,” I said.

“She already called, actually. Rita, right? She wants you to call when you’re able.”

“I’m able.” Maybe. Just barely.

Reluctantly, Tristan brought me my phone. “Why don’t you talk to her out here? We can stay with you if you’d like or wait upstairs.”

“No, thank you, I’m just going to call her in here.”

“Don’t watch the video, Sierra,” he urged. “Don’t dignify that garbage.”

I recoiled as if he’d slapped me. “Of course I won’t.” Again, I pictured a naked woman writhing on the screen. A woman who looked and sounded exactly like me. “I’d never do that. Don’t you guys watch it, either. I’d die if you…” I trailed off.

Tristan seemed reluctant to let me go. “We’ll be right out here if you need us.”

I nodded and closed the door.

Rita, who was one of the most practical people I knew, was sympathetic for all of ten seconds. Then she was all business. “I think Ronnie’s right. The studio’s not going to put out a statement. If directly asked, they’ll probably wash their hands of it.”

“And of me?”

“No, I doubt that. In fact, as of now, they still want you to go on the press tour.”

Oh god. That was the last thing I needed. “Why?”

“Well, you know as well as I do, this movie series is a star vehicle for Aiden, not you. You’re just in the latest one.”

“So, they’re throwing me under the bus?”

“More like they’re just going to ignore you while you’re under the bus’s wheels. Or who knows, maybe this’ll provide an incentive for more people to see the movie.”

“Yeah… come see the woman who had sex on the internet,” I said bitterly. “But can’t they just issue a statement that the sex scene from their movie was leaked and then it was doctored or deepfaked or whatever you call it?”

Rita sighed. “By all accounts, you can’t even tell that it was from the movie originally. Almost everything’s been changed or faked except for you and your voice. Plus, even if there were remnants of the actual set, no one’s seen the movie yet, so they wouldn’t know.”

Even though I was completely dehydrated at this point, tears began to flow slowly. “So, what do I do?”

“Well, for starters, I’m getting you out of that godforsaken place.”

“What?” That was the last thing I’d expected her to say.

“Yeah, haven’t you called me often enough asking for an escape route? I’ve been working on it for some time, and now we’re good to go.”

“But how? There are so many downed trees…”

“It’s a multi-step process, but apparently, there’s some little Hobbit of a man who delivers groceries, right?”

“Yes, Winston. But he can’t get through.”

“Apparently, he thinks he can now. He can’t get to the grocery store to pick up the food for you with the roads still being so messed up, but he thinks he can get to you.”

It seemed unreal that after all this time, there might be a way out of here. But why did it have to happen now?

“Anyway, he’ll take you back to his home on his ATV, and then one of his buddies thinks he can get you as far as a large clearing in the woods. They’ve used it for a helicopter landing site for emergencies in the past, so we’re going to hire a helicopter to take you to the airport in Denver. The cost is unbelievable, but if we’re to have any chance of getting on top of this thing, you can’t be holed up at a frozen Walden Pond.”

The pain in my stomach intensified. I couldn’t imagine leaving. With something this awful happening, I wanted to be near Tristan, Carter, and Drew, not thousands of miles away from them. “Let me think,” I muttered under my breath.

“What? What did you say? Sierra, this is serious. This is your career. Your reputation. You need your agent and a team of publicists, not mountain men.”

“Just let me think about it,” I repeated. The tears blurred my voice. “I’ll call you back.”

The phone slid out of my numb fingers as I sat on the edge of the bed. Then there was a soft knock on the door. I didn’t answer, just stared straight ahead, but eventually it opened.

“I brought you some water,” Drew said. “Or I can get something stronger if you’d like.”

“Just water,” I whispered hoarsely. I took the bottle he handed me and downed at least half of it.

“Sierra, I am so incredibly sorry.” He sat down next to me on the bed and put his arm around my shoulders, but I pulled away. If I let him hold me right now, most of the water I’d just gulped would come right back out in the form of tears.

“I just—I just need to sleep right now.” My voice was still a raw rasp.

I didn’t look at him, certain that I’d seen concern in his eyes, and worried that I’d see pain from my rejection.

“Please… I just… this is what I need,” I begged. I wanted to be alone before I broke down again.

“All right.” He stood up and stroked my hair. “But please know how sorry we are and how worried we are. All three of us.”

The second he closed the door, I collapsed onto my pillow, tears already starting to soak it.

I prayed for sleep. For a break from this nightmare. And maybe even for a chance to find out it was all a bad dream when I woke up.

But for right now, I’d just take the break from consciousness.

The light was different when I woke. It was obviously early, and when I finally found my phone deep under the covers, there were dozens of messages for me.

My muscles were so stiff that I could barely get to my feet. I shielded my eyes as I opened the door to the living room, and it dawned on me that at some point, the snow on the skylight had melted.

The guys were at the worktable, hunched over a computer. At least they were getting some work done. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to write again.

Each step was painful as I forced myself forward. The guys were so intent on what they were doing that they didn’t hear my labored approach.

And then I heard something. A moan. A woman’s moan.

It was my voice.

Revulsion hit as I stared at Carter, Tristan, and Drew. I took a staggering step back and banged my hand into the lamp on the end table next to the couch.

All eyes turned to me, and Drew snapped the laptop shut.

“Sierra.” Tristan sprang to my side, but I put my hand up, holding him off.

“You watched it?”

“Sweetheart, we were trying to find something that proves it’s fake. Drew’s so good with technology, we thought maybe he could find something,” Tristan said.

I stared over at Drew, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes. He looked almost as sick as I felt.

“Or we thought maybe we could find some trace of the original shoot so we could force the studio to admit that the sex scene originated there,” Carter added.

“You watched it.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“It’s not even you, Sierra. We just wanted to help.” Carter’s voice was pleading, willing me to understand.

“I can’t believe you watched it,” I said one last time, the betrayal a bitter taste in my mouth.

“We’re sorry,” Drew said as I backed away.

“No, I am.” Carter stepped in front of Tristan and Drew, as if shielding them from my gaze. “This was my idea. I’m the one to blame, not Drew. Not Tristan.”

“He was trying to help, Sierra,” Tristan said. “We all were.”

Carter ignored him. “This is on me, and I’m sorry.”

I continued backing away, nearly tripping over the doorstop in front of my room. Then I went inside and closed the door.

The next morning, I was up early. I took a shower before the guys even got up. Drew awoke when Zeus barked.

I stood in the doorway to my room as Tristan and Carter made their way downstairs. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Tristan said when he spotted me.

“I’m better,” I said neutrally. By all objective measures, I was. I was clean, dressed, and better hydrated. My voice was no longer a rasp.

And then three heads turned. “What’s that noise?” Drew asked. He peered out the living room window.

“It sounds like…” Carter moved to the other window. “Holy shit, it’s Winston. I can’t believe he got through.”

“But why’s he here?” Tristan wondered out loud. “We didn’t order any groceries. We didn’t know we could.”

“He’s here for me.” I stepped out of the room with my small suitcase.

All three of them gaped at me. “What?” Drew said, his voice shocked.

“I’ve got to go back home. Do some damage control with my agent.”

“Sweetheart, you can’t leave,” Tristan implored. “With all that’s going on, isn’t out here with us the best place for you to be?”

“It’s my job. I have to salvage what’s left of my career.”

The engine of Winston’s ATV got louder and louder until it sputtered to a stop outside the cabin. Then the silence grew.

“This is because we watched the video,” Carter said flatly.

The ache in my stomach intensified, but I didn’t let it show on my face. “Of course not. As you said, it wasn’t even me.”

My delivery was strong enough that they seemed to at least consider that I meant what I said.

Then there was a banging at the door, and I went to open it. Zeus, oblivious to the tension in the room, rushed over, excited to finally have a visitor.

“Morning, girlie,” Winston said, his beard as unruly as ever. “Got your things?”

Most of my things were crushed under the roof of my old cabin, but I just nodded.

“Wait,” Drew said, hurrying toward me. “Take my coat. You’re going to need it out there.”

I looked away but shook my head. “I’ll be okay. I’ve got a lot of layers on.” That was definitely true. Pretty much everything I’d worn this past week was on my body except for the evening gown.

I moved to the door. The three men in the living room looked unhappy but resigned.

“Good luck with Sustainability First,” I said.

Then I left.