42. Sophie
“How are you doing?” Dakota asks.
I try to smile at her, but the muscles in my face feel tense and out of practice. I haven’t smiled much in the week since Xander’s sex tape was leaked. It’s been awful seeing how stressed and sad he is.
I sigh and glance at the plate of croissants on the coffee shop table we’re sitting at. “I’m okay.”
“How’s Xander holding up?” she asks.
“He’s doing his best, all things considered.”
She nods. Her brown eyes shine with concern. “I’m sorry for what Del said to him at the game last night…”
I grab her hand and squeeze it. “You don’t need to apologize for your brother, Dakota.”
I treated Xander’s injuries after his fight with Del. When I saw how bloody and bruised his face was, I thought I was going to be sick. I’ve never been squeamish when it comes to seeing blood, broken bones, or other injuries. But there’s something unsettling about seeing someone you care about—someone you love—hurt like that.
While I examined him and fixed him up, he told me how Del taunted him about the sex tape. He told me that for a second, he thought that Del was responsible for leaking it.
But then Xander told me that after he confronted Del about it, Del denied it. And he apologized sincerely. Xander told me he believed him. And as angry as I was at Del for what he said to Xander, after the way Xander explained, I believe him too.
“It was such a horrible thing to say,” Dakota says, her delicate shoulders sinking. “I love my brother, but he can be an asshole. Sometimes he can cross the line with the things he says to other players on the ice.”
“I know. But it sounds like he was sincere when he apologized to Xander. It sounds like it’s all fine now. Or as fine as it can be.” I shrug. “I’m sure your brother will still piss people off when he plays. He’s obnoxious like that,” I try to joke.
Dakota lets out a sad chuckle. “I guess you’re right.” Her smile fades. Concern flashes in her eyes as he looks at me. “Honestly, I think a lot of his behavior stems from how he feels about our dad. I think he still holds a lot of anger against him for how he treated our mom. And for leaving us. I used to think him fighting it out on the ice was a good way for him to work through it, but now I’m not so sure. I wish he’d find a healthier outlet. I wish he wasn’t so hurt and angry…”
Her big brown eyes turn glassy with tears.
I squeeze her hand in mine. “I wish that too,” I say softly.
She sniffles and I hand her a napkin.
She dabs at her cheeks. “And I wish we could figure out who leaked that tape of Xander and his ex so we could kick their ass.”
I let out a weak chuckle. “Me too.”
Just then some guy walks up to our table, aiming his phone at me.
“Hey, you’re Xander Williams’ girlfriend, right?”
I frown at him. “Um, yeah…”
“Have you watched his video?”
I glare at him.
“How’s it feel to know your boyfriend has a sex tape with another woman?” The guy smirks, clearly wanting me to lash out so he can record it.
Every muscle in my body tenses with anger. But I won’t lash out. I don’t want to give this guy the satisfaction. And I don’t want him to record me freaking out because that will just play into what he wants.
I look at him. “No. I haven’t seen the tape. You know why? Because that’s a crime. It was stolen and shared online without permission, which is illegal. And anyone who watches that sex tape is complicit in that crime. And I’m not interested in participating in a sex crime. Are you?”
His eyes go wide. “Uh…” He lowers his phone.
The coffee shop owner walks over. “You’re done harassing these ladies. Get lost.”
The guy stumbles out of the coffee shop. Dakota and I thank the owner for getting rid of him.
Dakota scoffs. “What a loser that guy was.” She squeezes my hand. “You handled that like a badass.”
I try to smile when my phone buzzes with an email alert. It’s my work account, so I check it. When I see it’s a message from Ethan, I frown.
“What is Ethan doing emailing me?” I mutter.
I tap on his message.
The first thing I see is a screenshot of a young-looking Xander. He’s shirtless and his eyes are drooping and sleepy. He looks drunk.
It takes a second before I realize it’s a still from his sex tape. The acid in my stomach curdles.
I read the message that Ethan typed below it.
Is this manwhore really who you want to be with? A guy whose main goal in life is to have a drunken threesome? Smarten up, Sophie. You deserve better than this low-life who’s dumb enough to film a sex tape on his ex’s phone.
Anger levels my insides.
Dakota touches my arm. “Sophie, what’s going on? What did Ethan do?”
I grit my teeth. I have to take a second to relax my jaw before I tell her about the message Ethan just sent me.
Dakota’s jaw drops. “That scumbag.”
I nod and skim the message again. “Unbelievable…”
I read it again, zeroing in on that last sentence.
…who’s dumb enough to film a sex tape on his ex’s phone
How in the world did Ethan know that this was recorded on Xander’s ex’s phone?
A second later, my brain clicks.
I look at Dakota, my heart in my throat. “I know who leaked the sex tape.”