Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
TYLER
Ihad a sleepless night like I always did when Rory wasn’t around. She’d texted back and forth with me a few times, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her when I knew she was sorting through a lot of stuff.
I’d told the guys about how serious Slash had been about her, and they’d been skeptical, but leaving her everything after sacrificing himself for her, kind of proved my point.
Not that it really mattered what they believed now that he was gone.
I was still lying awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, when the sun rose. I wanted to check my phone, but I knew the second I did, reality would crash back into me.
There would be shit plastered all over the internet about my family. Stuff about Rory. Something new, maybe?
I rolled over to grab it from my bedside table, swiping all the notifications off the screen that had been beeping all damn night. As expected, a lot were things about Rory.
There were photos of us all together, her hand in mine in one picture, then her sitting on Caden’s lap at school in another. The kids at school were making it hard because nowhere was safe now.
The paparazzi couldn’t enter the school, but students could take photos and sell them for the next big scoop.
Then I stumbled across the dreaded new content.
“Fuck,” I groaned, staring at the photo that had been taken of Lukas and Jensen making out with Jensen’s hand down Lukas’ pants. It was in a classroom, and it was obvious they’d thought they’d been alone.
People knew they were together, they didn’t hide it at school, but they rarely took it further than holding hands. Lukas was going to freak the fuck out.
I heard a door open in the hallway and climbed out of bed, poking my head out to find Caden yawning.
“Morning. Did you sleep?” he asked, and I gave him a look that made him snort. “Sorry, thought I’d ask.”
“We’ve got a problem.”
“Already? It’s only six thirty,” he grumbled, his eyes on my phone that was clutched in my hand. “What now?” I handed it over, making him curse. “He’s going to lose it.”
“I know. They’re really going at it.”
“Maybe don’t say that to him,” he deadpanned, handing the phone back.
“I have a good idea.”
“Doubtful.”
“I’ll give you a big smooch in front of the cameras.
Lukas and Jensen? It’s juicy, but nothing wild.
Me and you? The son of two famous actors and you, the son of Josie Holloway from Holloway Industries?
Gold mine. They’d forget all about them within a day,” I exclaimed, patting myself on the back with a grin.
“If you want a kiss, just say so, bro,” he scoffed, swatting me up the back of the head. “But no. Weirdo.”
“It was a good idea!”
“Where exactly is the good part of that idea?” he sighed, walking towards Jensen’s bedroom door. “Don’t do anything irrational. Lukas will kill you.”
“I’d be a hero if I took the attention away from them by kissing you.”
“Sure, man,” he muttered, knocking on the door and waiting a minute before cracking it open. I barged past, ignoring his cursing as I dove onto the bed between the sleeping assholes and made myself comfortable as they grumbled at me.
“The fuck, Ty?” Jensen snapped, trying to shove me off him as I tossed an arm and leg over him to snuggle.
“Rory’s not back so I’ll have to snuggle you. I know it’s hard, but keep your dick out of me.”
Caden crossed his arms, rolling his eyes.
“Sorry, he hasn’t slept. There’s new reports online this morning that you guys need to know about,” he stated, Lukas instantly knowing it involved him.
“What did they do?” he asked, sitting up and focusing on Caden while Jensen continued to try and pry me off.
I was a little offended that now they had each other they didn’t need my affection anymore. How rude.
“Someone took a photo of you guys making out and groping each other at school. There’s articles about you all over the place this morning,” Caden sighed, and I felt Lukas stiffen beside me.
“What? Show me.”
I handed him my phone, letting him scroll silently for a minute before I spoke.
“I know you’re not a big fan of the PDA, but isn’t it freeing? You can stop worrying about it getting out. Own it, man.”
Lukas kept scrolling, and Jensen eyed him warily. Jensen wouldn’t give a shit about people seeing a photo like that, but Lukas could spiral badly.
“Luke? Talk to me,” Jensen murmured when he remained silent, keeping his panic to himself.
“I want to find out which asshole at school took this photo,” he finally answered, tossing my phone on the bed gently with a scowl. “I’m going to fucking kill them.”
“What if it’s a girl?” I offered unhelpfully, earning a glare from Caden.
“Then I’ll let Jense handle it,” he said seriously, making Jensen huff out a laugh.
“You want me to beat up girls for you now? You need to do more than choke on my dick to get the hubby treatment, babe.”
“Bite me, asshole.”
“Come here then.”
“I feel like I’m in a three-way,” I joked, rolling over to face Lukas. “None of us give a shit who you’re with. All those other people don’t even matter. Not your mom, not the students, nobody. Besides, you’ve got a cute boyfriend, show him off.”
“Did you call my boyfriend cute?” he grunted, giving me the side-eye.
“I did. I mean, look at him,” I said with exaggeration, laughing as Jensen gave me a shove. “Hey! I’m helping you! He got all jealous and called you his boyfriend!”
Lukas hadn’t even seemed to notice he’d done it either until I mentioned it, his face flushing.
“You’re not helping,” Jensen warned, raking a hand through his hair. “What’s the plan, Luke?”
“I already told you. Go beat up the girls for me,” he replied with a huff, climbing out of bed and heading towards the bathroom, shutting himself inside.
“There goes all the progress I made with him,” Jensen sighed, sitting up to take my phone from where Lukas tossed it, having a look himself.
“Anyone heard from Rory?” Caden asked, changing the subject.
“I did at three this morning,” I offered. “She was still neck deep in paperwork.”
“She didn’t sleep either?” Jensen asked with a frown.
“She’s mean when she’s tired,” Caden grumbled.
“She can take her mood out on me. I’ll take one for the team,” I grinned, putting my arms behind my head and sprawling out.
“One of you check on her while I handle Luke. You two will only make this shit worse if I let you do it,” Jensen said as he gave us the stink eye, climbing out of bed and heading towards the bathroom to let himself inside.
“Coffee,” Caden muttered as he motioned for me to follow him, giving the guys some space, and we found Josie in the kitchen looking irritated. “Morning, Mom.”
She glanced up, forcing a smile. “Morning. Sleep well?”
“I did. Ty didn’t,” he shrugged, her eyes sliding to me.
“Something on your mind?” she asked, sipping her coffee as she studied me.
“I just don’t sleep great without Rory,” I mumbled, sitting at the table. “Did you see today’s new gossip?”
“I did. Have you heard from her?”
That made me frown, and I glanced at Caden to find him frowning too.
“What gossip are you talking about? I’m referring to the photos of Luke and Jensen making out and getting handsy.”
She pulled her phone out and scrolled for a minute before turning it to show us.
“Someone leaked that Slash left everything to her too. They’re camped outside his house.”
“Why the fuck won’t they leave her alone? Who leaked it?” I snapped.
“We know it's wrong, but they’re making a lot of money off you guys right now. The gossip that’s coming from this is insane. I have no idea who leaked it. Not many people knew about it.”
“Skeet told his guys yesterday,” Caden said with annoyance. “One of them must have.”
It didn’t take long for speculation to start about Rory and Diesel. Someone figured out whose truck was parked there, and that gossip mill started like wildfire.
Someone even commented saying she’d put on weight and had probably gotten knocked up.
Anger burned inside me like poison, knowing if my damn parents hadn’t mentioned my whereabouts that none of this would have happened.
It was their fault, which meant it was my goddamn fault.
“Ty,” Caden said in a sharp tone as I turned and headed back upstairs to get dressed, yanking my clothes on and snatching my keys from the bedside drawer.
I almost ran into Jensen and Lukas in the hallway, ignoring them as I jogged down the stairs and into the garage.
“Bro, where are you going?” Caden asked calmly as he followed me.
“Out.”
“Where? You can’t just run off, dude.”
“I need five fucking minutes, Caden,” I growled, unlocking my car and opening the door.
“Let me get dressed and I’ll come with you.”
“I’ll be back later,” I bit out before opening the garage door and climbing into the car, locking myself inside.
Cameras flashed as I backed out and headed towards the gate, security scrambling to open it for me. People filled the exit, surrounding the car to try and get a photo of me, and I was pretty sure someone screamed that I’d run over their foot, but that was their problem.
They were the one’s blocking me in when I was obviously trying to leave.
I floored it once I was out of the crowd, heading towards my place as the anger consumed me even more. My parents ruined everything, they always had.
Even now that they’d been out of my life for so long, they’d come back and started destroying my future. Rory didn’t want this, she liked flying under the radar, especially now that she had people hunting her.
It was hard to hide when someone was always following her and taking photos.
Would the Soldiers make a move publicly? I hoped not, but not all of them seemed to give a shit about spending the rest of their lives in prison.
Surprisingly, there were no reporters at my house, and suspicion filled me as I drove into the driveway and parked by the front door. It was eerily quiet.
Once inside, I searched my mom’s name on the internet, finding photos of her laying on a fucking yacht. Her new boyfriend was with her, boasting about their new beachside home.