Chapter 8
Beatrix
“Something wrong?”Cooper asks while I’m stuck just staring at the screen on my phone.
Everything is spinning. That’s what’s wrong. I’d been half daydreaming about what it would be like if I was really on a date with Cooper when my phone buzzed with an alert.
I’ve been tagged in a picture on my main public profile. Not the secret one Lizzy discovered first, but the one everyone knows about. I opened it, wondering if the article the PR Professionals group wrote about Madison and me was finally posted online. What I found instead is stealing my ability to think straight.
It”s a photo of Cooper and me at the fair, eating together at the picnic table and laughing. I’m tagged in it, but he isn’t. There’s no caption, and the account has very little information as I scroll through, trying to make sense of why someone’s documenting our trip to the fair. There’s no photo, just a little black circle where the person’s profile picture should be.
My hand shakes as I turn to show it to Cooper. His face clouds with worry as he looks down at it, but I’m not prepared for the way his eyes darken and his brows grows heavy. There’s another ding on my phone as he looks at it, and I lean over his shoulder to see. It’s another tag. Another picture. One of us from just a few minutes ago when I was attempting to win him the lion. This time, there’s a caption and he’s tagged too.
‘What are you up to, Beatrix Xavier?’
My stomach churns, and I see Cooper’s eyes follow the line of text.
“What the fuck?” he snaps as his eyes search the crowd around us, and I do the same, as if somehow, we’ll be able to figure out who took these.
“I don’t know. It’s weird. Right?”
“Has this happened to you before?”
“No. Never.”
“This is fucked.”
“I don’t know who or why someone would take pictures of me like this. I mean… you’re in it. It could be you they’re photographing.” I stare at the screen. “Local media that likes to comment on you? A blogger or an overly enthusiastic fan?” I study Cooper’s face as I ask the questions.
Cooper is gorgeous, a phenomenal player, and has a reputation. He’s been linked to several celebrities before. It’s entirely possible he has a very big fan, maybe even someone toeing the line of being a stalker. Someone might have figured out who I am and decided they want to be the first to report us. It isn’t unheard of, and being a player’s sister doesn’t mean I’m a celebrity, but it definitely still makes the gossip rounds in the sports social media world.
“No. Not that I know of.”
“Maybe one you don’t know of?”
“That would know your name?”
“They could have seen me on the staff roster. With the Undergrove and Westfield drama. It could have come up. Maybe?”
“I doubt it. If they know your name, it’s likely you they’re after.” His eyes search the crowd again, and he looks down at me.
“What would they want from me?” I’m truly puzzled. Cooper’s a celebrity, and I’m no one in comparison. I might have famous family members, but I’ve always been a behind-the-scenes, fade-into-the-wallpaper sort of girl. The only exception being when my father ran for office and people became overly interested in his family. I can’t imagine this is any sort of paparazzi situation if it isn’t about Cooper.
“I think we should get Lizzy and get going. I don’t like that someone’s watching you like this. Or photographing us while they’re doing it.” Cooper’s hand is on my lower back as he interrupts my thoughts and hands my phone back to me. It sends tingles zipping up my spine, and I chastise myself for having them in what’s otherwise a serious moment.
“Okay,” I agree. “What if they’re following me, though, and going to find her gets her photographed? I’d hate to have her on the radar of whoever this is.” I stop dead in my tracks. I couldn’t live with myself if I somehow got her involved in whatever this is.
“I’ll keep an eye out for anyone pointing a camera our way.”
“Maybe I should stay back or find a ride to the hotel so you can get her home.” I worry about being a burden. Cooper has been so kind to me already, and I hate that this is happening when our renewed friendship is so fresh.
“No.” His answer is sharp, drawing my eyes to his in question. “I mean…” He takes a breath. “I don’t want you off on your own right now. Until we know what’s going on with whoever is doing this. It’s too strange, and they could still be here. Just stay with me, please?”
I can’t disagree with him. I don’t exactly want to be alone either. My need to be polite sometimes outweighs my need to be safe, and I feel relief that he’s insisting on keeping an eye on me too.
I nod my agreement to his plan, and we start crossing the fairgrounds. He stays at my side, never drifting far and constantly keeping watch around us until we come up on Lizzy and her group of friends. Cooper stops short when he sees her because the boy who had been the spare in their grouping before is now holding Lizzy’s hand, just like the rest of the couples.
“Fuck…” I hear him mutter and shake his head before he starts again.
“Be nice. They’re just holding hands.”
“That’s how it starts.” There’s another grumble I can’t hear, and then a moment later, we’re next to the group.
“Mr. Rawlings.” The boy yanks his hand back from Lizzy’s and stares up at Cooper’s impressive form towering over him. Cooper doesn’t say a word; his eyes just shift back and forth for a moment before he smiles at his daughter.
“We need to get home a little early. Something came up for Trix.”
“Trix?” Lizzy looks worriedly around the side of her father.
“I’m okay. Just need to get home.” I smile brightly at her, not wanting to scare her or ruin what was otherwise probably a good night. I know at her age, I would have killed for a boy to hold my hand, but having a brother like Xander meant that even if there was one who liked me enough, he was way too scared.
My eyes shift to the boy who’d been holding Lizzy’s hand, and he’s still looking nervously up at Cooper, but Cooper’s already moved on to the next thing as Lizzy says her goodnights and shuffles off in my direction to head to the car. When we cross the fairgrounds and the gravel parking lot and get back to the car, Lizzy hops in right away, too busy texting to notice how slow we are. Cooper gives me a meaningful look, and I pause before I open my door. I look at him with a question, and his lips flatline for a second before he returns with a more serious expression than I’ve seen before.
“Listen… I’ve been thinking, and I think you should stay the night with us. We can make up an excuse for Lizzy so we don’t scare her, but I really don’t want to take you back to the hotel alone. You can stay in our guest room.”
I stand there for a moment considering the possibilities, mulling over the idea of Cooper Rawlings having a guest room in the first place. Then my mind drifts back to a reality where someone might be following us. I wasn’t going to admit it because I can handle myself just fine. I’ve spent plenty of nights on the road in less-than-stellar situations, but I am a little scared to go back to the hotel alone. If they are watching me, however far-fetched that might seem, I don’t want them to find out where I’m staying. But I’m also not exactly prepared to stay the night somewhere. My purse has a few of the essentials, but it’s a poor excuse for an overnight bag.
“I don’t have anything with me.”
“I’ve got plenty at the house to get you through the night. An extra toothbrush and everything.” Cooper grins at me, the worried look on his face lifting a little as he tries to put me at ease.
“Okay. I think you’re right about the hotel tonight. I don’t exactly feel safe going back there, but what are we going to tell Lizzy?”
He shrugs. “We can just tell her there was an issue at the hotel. No power or water or something, so you’re staying with us.”
“I’ll let you do all the talking then. Are you sure though? I hate being a burden.” My voice hitches a little in my throat as rub my thumb over the side of my phone anxiously.
“Trix, you’re not a burden and that…” He glances down at my phone in my hand. “Whatever that is, I’m worried about you. I’d rather know you’re somewhere safe until we get to the bottom of it.”
“Well, I appreciate it. Thank you.”
He grabs the door handle and pulls my side open, nodding for me to get in. “Thank me less, and let’s get you somewhere safe.”
Lizzy takesthe explanation of why her would-have-been aunt is staying in her home for the night in stride. After giving me a quick hug and a goodnight, she disappears into her room for the evening. Cooper shows me to a guest room that looks like an old girlfriend might have been decorated it, if he ever had one, and promises to return with supplies.
I spin around once, taking in the big picture window behind the bed and the cute wallpaper decorating the wall that frames it. Even the quilt on the bed matches the color scheme, and a mess of decorative pillows piled on top bring the whole thing together. I can’t help but smile at it before I remember why I’m here. My stomach tumbles at the thought, and I turn to pick up my phone out of morbid curiosity to see if my photographer has stayed silent or not.
I open the app and sink onto the edge of the bed while I stare at the two photos of us. Nothing about the angle or anything in the image is particularly helpful in revealing the culprit. It could have been any one of the hundreds of people at the fair tonight. Someone blithely snapping photos and not even knowing we were in them could have taken them if they weren’t tagging me and using my name in the captions.
“You okay?” Cooper asks, breaking through my thoughts as he leans against the doorway. He’s out of his shoes and hat now, his hair disheveled from being under the ball cap all day, and the look on his face is full of worry. My eyes flick to his upper arms, where his bicep flexes as he leans, then back to his face, and I tell myself to get a grip.
I don’t remember ever noticing Cooper this much before. I’ve always been logically aware of the fact that he’s attractive. I can understand why he always had plenty of women and an attitude about never settling down. But I never looked at anything beyond that surface when I dated Rob. But now, knowing he’s worried about me and kind enough to bring me back here, it’s hard not to feel something for him even if it’s just overwrought gratefulness.
“Trix?” he asks, and I realize I’ve been staring at him.
“Sorry.” I shake my head, trying to clear my confusion. “I’m just trying to think who would even be doing this. And feeling awkward that you’re having to have me here tonight.”
“Don’t feel awkward. You were practically family, and I still think of us as friends. You need somewhere safe to go, and we’ve got a place for you. Did you tell Madison or not?”
“I didn’t tell her. I don’t want to. She has so much on her plate with Quentin right now and resolving all the issues between their families. Everything is on the line for her. I’m supposed to be here helping, and I don’t want to cause her any stress. After all, it could be nothing, right? Just a fan of yours or a silly prank, maybe?”
The look on his face tells me he’s not buying my simple solutions.
“Pretty fucked up prank if that’s what it is. Do you know anyone who might do that? Do you know anyone in the area?”
“No. Not that I know of. I mean, it’s possible someone I went to school with or something lives here now. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility, but I have no idea who would care enough to play a prank like this. I don’t mean to keep putting the focus on you. But you’re the celebrity. Are you sure you can’t think of anyone?”
He shakes his head and looks into the distance again like he’s racking his brain for an answer, but nothing’s coming up from the well for him.
“No. Like you said, it’s possible there’s a fan or something I don’t know about. But I’ve never had anything happen like this.”
“Not even when you were involved with Sahara or Nikki?”
His mouth flatlines at the mention of some of his more famous dates. He never brought them home to meet his parents or the rest of us, but he definitely attended his fair share of red carpet events with them.
“There were some paparazzi involved with them. More photographers than usual. A gossip reporter digging into my life a little, but I shut it all down quickly.”
“None that would have stayed interested in you after?”
“It was so long ago. I can’t imagine they would.”
“All right. I just wish there was a simple explanation. I’d almost feel better if you had a huge fan or something. Someone who was mad that you were dating. I mean… Not that we’re dating. Obviously, we would not be dating. We’re not dating. But I can see how it could have looked that way from the outside. Maybe.” I trip over my words and hedge a glance in his direction, seeing the way his mouth crumples for a moment. It’s hard for me to tell if it’s a cringe or amusement that triggers it, but he clears it almost immediately.
“Right.” He nods.
“Hopefully, it was just a random thing.”
“Hopefully,” he agrees. “I’m just down the hall if you need me though. Or you’ve got my number in your phone. I keep it next to me. If anything else happens, you let me know, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you.” I force a smile despite the awkwardness of this. “And thank you again, for letting me stay.”
“Anytime, Trix. Anytime.”