16. June
CHAPTER 16
JUNE
I usually like to arrive at work early, but I had to drop off April at the airport first, and I barely had time to grab a cup of coffee in the teacher’s lounge before heading to my classroom. April kept me occupied throughout the rest of Sunday, and I didn’t hang out with the boys like I had planned.
Sick and tired of eating in my classroom but not wanting to discuss my private life surrounded by other coworkers, I invite Katrina to eat lunch at a café near the school. After the waiter takes our orders, she continues the conversation we started on the way here.
“I’m glad that the situation with your sister resolved itself. I hope the scare makes her think twice about spreading her legs the next time.”
I snort. Sometimes, I love Katrina’s lack of filter. “No kidding. I still can’t believe she slept with a boy she barely knew. But that’s April. She never had to worry about the consequences of her actions because there were never any really.”
“Teens these days are so much hornier, it seems.” Her eyes go out of focus, and a moment later, she laughs. “Who am I kidding? I was a ho at fifteen.”
My bite of sandwich almost goes down the wrong pipe, giving me a coughing fit.
Katrina eyes widen. “Are you okay, there?”
I punch my sternum lightly and croak, “Yeah. You can’t say shit like that while I’m eating.”
Her lips curl upward. “You should be used to my crass language by now.”
“If you were a ho at that age, when did you trade in your V-card?”
“Oh, not until I was seventeen. But I wasn’t a saint beforehand.” Her expression grows serious. “Lavinia will be a teen soon. We’ve had the talk, but I’m not sure it will be enough. My next step would be to put the fear of God in her, but that didn’t work on your sister.”
I shake my head. “Nope. It worked on me, though. So it really depends on the kid.”
“Lavinia is sassy.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much about her. Your parenting style is completely different than my folks’ style. You have an open door. I could never talk to my mother about anything in the relationship department.”
Katrina’s stance relaxes. “That’s true. My kids know they can talk to Beau and me.”
My phone rings in my purse, and I get all excited, thinking it’s one of the boys calling. They have a busier schedule than usual today. Thanks to the plane scare, the entire team needs to be available for interviews and psych evaluations.
“It’s Melissa,” I say, a little disappointed.
“You can take it. I don’t mind.”
I press the accept button. “Hi, Melissa. Is everything all right?”
“Yes, everything’s great. Busy today, but I had a quick chat with Jake, and he told me you’re official now.”
The butterflies in my stomach wake up, making me all tingly and excited. “Right. But only to my little sister. We asked her to keep it a secret.”
“She’s a teenager, right? There’s no chance she won’t tell a friend. I’d like you to be prepared just in case. When can you have the media training we talked about?”
“Oh... I need to check my calendar. It’ll have to be when I get off work, though.”
“That’s not a problem. Email me the dates you’re available. The sooner we get you prepared for the sharks, the better.”
The giddiness in my stomach turns into an ache. “I’m not looking forward to facing the press, to be honest.”
“No one ever does. I gotta go. Talk to you later.”
“Okay. Bye.” I end the call and set the phone down on the table.
“What was that all about?” Katrina asks.
“Melissa wants me to have media training ASAP.”
“That’s not a bad thing, right?”
I shake my head. “Not at all. But it means things are about to get real.”
She tilts her head. “In what sense?”
I lean forward and whisper, “I haven’t quite wrapped my head around dating three guys.”
“Oh? You haven’t?”
“I could handle the novelty better when we were in a bubble. Now that Jake and I will be the official couple in this relationship, we’ll be under the scrutiny of the public eye. I’m terrified it will ruin everything. And Jake had that strange reaction I told you about.”
“You’re worrying too much. He was the one who stepped up and told April he was your boyfriend. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t have feelings for you.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “You’re right. I’m probably overthinking.”
“Of course I’m right. I’m awesome like that.”
My phone vibrates with an incoming text from April, making me frown.
“What’s wrong?” Katrina asks.
“April sent me an all-caps text telling me to click on the links she sent.”
“God, why must teens be so dramatic?”
I click on the article link, and the headline makes me sick to my stomach. It says, Are Lachlan Stewart and Lorena Pearson Reigniting Their Flame?
“Son of a bitch.”
“What?”
“April sent me a link about Lachlan and his ex-fiancée.” I show her the picture of Lachy talking to Lorena when she ambushed him at the farmer’s market.
“They think they’re getting back together based on that image? Lachy looks like he’s a second from telling her to go to hell.”
“Like the tabloids care about the truth.”
“I thought you were with Lachy. You’re nowhere in that picture.”
“They must have taken it after I walked away.”
“Don’t read the article, June. It’ll only bum you out more.”
“Why would April send me this though?”
“Why don’t you ask her?”
I begin to type my message when I receive a follow-up text from her.
APRIL: Is Lachlan dating Lorena Pearson again?
Fury courses through my veins. My pulse is pounding in my ears, and my hands are shaking as I reply.
ME: Hell no.
APRIL: Then who is he dating? He said he had a girlfriend.
ME: I can’t tell you.
APRIL: Why not?
ME: Because he asked me not to tell anyone.
APRIL: You’ve met her?
Why is April so interested to know about Lachy’s love life? If I tell her I haven’t met his girlfriend, she’ll assume it’s his ex because she thinks the tabloids are always right. I don’t want anyone thinking he’d go back to that backstabbing snake.
ME: Yes.
APRIL: Really? Is she pretty?
I laugh, earning a questioning eyebrow raise from Katrina.
“I think April got a crush on Lachy. She wanted to know if he was getting back together with Lorena.”
“Oh boy. What did you tell her?”
“I said hell no.”
Katrina smirks. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” I grit out.
“Sure. And this French fry isn’t fattening.” She sticks the fry in her mouth.
“Lachy told her he has a girlfriend, and now she wants to know if she’s pretty.”
Katrina laughs. “Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“Trust me. Hand it over.”
Katrina is up to no good, but I’m curious about her intentions, so I give in. She quickly types a reply, then returns the device to me. My face breaks into a broad smile. “Lachy’s girlfriend is stunning?”
She shrugs. “It’s not a lie, and I know you wouldn’t say that about yourself.”
APRIL: She’s a lucky bitch.
That I am.