Chapter 34
Tommy
Despite the whole blackmail mystery being solved, I’m still technically on the hook for this engagement gig. Young-gi and I–after I came down from the high of my spanking and all the deliciously dirty things he said to me while doing it–chatted about timeline strategies.
The Vandmorsons have been quiet, behaving because I’m a Sokolov now, and they don’t want to poke that bear.
So, all I need to do is slowly start easing back, pulling away from Kira and her circle of attention and friends, until I’m forgotten.
Easy-peasy, the engagement dissolves after nobody’s looking for me or paying too much attention to Kira anymore.
But for tonight, I’m still on her arm, playing my part. I don’t want to be too doting anymore, but still a good boyfriend, toeing the line between causing gossip and being perfectly forgettable. Not too dismissive of her, not too into her, just somewhere in between.
We’re at some mixer that her super-special, uber-rich private college is hosting on campus.
One of their fancy-looking buildings is all sparkly and colorful with tasteful banners of the school logo and shit like that.
Inside, we’re surrounded by pretty lighting in the marble room, tables with silk cloths covered in tiny little plates, professors and alumni chatting by a statue of some old guy near the entrance, and most of Kira’s age group lingering by the back.
We only got here a few minutes ago. And at first, it was fine. The professors seem genuinely happy to see her, mildly interested in me, and the alumni are polite but distant. But once we get towards the back, where Kira’s graduating class mingles around drinks and flowery decor, I feel it.
Something isn’t right.
I loop Kira’s arm in mine casually, trying to look around without appearing to.
People are glancing at us, but like…everyone is glancing at us, then turning their backs so I can’t read their lips and see what they’re whispering about.
Instinctively, I look down at myself and Kira, but there’s nothing weird about our appearance.
She’s wearing a dress as lovely and as elegant as anyone else in the room, radiant with her timeless beauty, and I’ve been forced back into a suit and match with every other guy here. We look the part. So what’s wrong?
Our interactions with her classmates are sticky-sweet and false, and they keep…
They keep looking at me. Their smiles are awkward or scandalized, and the way they look me up and down makes it clear that I’m the punchline of some joke I’m not in on.
Shit. Do they know?
I lead Kira to the refreshments and grab her a drink, giving us some space from the crowd. Her eyes are anxious, her breathing too shallow. She’s not oblivious, and she’s just as aware as I am that something isn’t right.
“What’s going on?” she whispers behind her glass, begging me with her wide gaze to fix it, to reassure her.
“I don’t know,” I admit, linking our fingers together to stop hers from trembling. “But something’s up.”
“Could they–” Her breath hitches with nerves. “Could they know? Did the blackmail…?”
“No,” I say firmly, with way more confidence than I feel. “There’s no way. We just figured out who he was this morning, and he doesn’t have the connections to circulate those pictures here. Besides, Young-gi’s already dealing with him. No, it’s not that. I don’t know what’s going on here.”
She gulps her champagne and places the glass on a tray for someone to clean up, fidgeting and scared. I hate to see her so nervous; her normally cherub-like face is now ashen and drawn.
I subtly turn her so her back is to the crowd, so she’s only looking up at me. Kira can hide her feelings and her thoughts when she needs to, but anxiety seems to be her Achilles’ heel. She can’t hide it to save her life. Her poker face just can’t cover her fear.
“Breathe,” I coach her softly, keeping my expression warm and calm. “It’s alright. It’s probably some random gossip. I won’t let anyone hurt you. Okay? No one will get away with saying one goddamn thing about you. It’s going to be alright.”
She stares wordlessly up at me, trying to blink her tears away before they fall, and it takes all my self control not to start tearing my way through the crowd and questioning people.
To grab the nearest gawker, shake them by their throat and ask them what the fuck they think they’re looking at.
To ask them what the fuck they think they’re doing, causing her so much distress.
I’m furious on her behalf, and I realize that it feels natural to want to protect her. It goes beyond her timid nature calling to my protective instincts. It’s more than that now.
I don’t love Kira romantically, but I love Young-gi, and she’s his niece. And my friend. I think I might love her like that. Love her like a family member. It’s been a long time since I had a family member. Since I felt that way about anyone.
“Maybe we should call my uncle,” she whispers, her fingers clutching tighter to mine where our hands are linked between us. To the rest of the room, we’re just lovers whispering to each other, close and unbothered. It should be the perfect cover, it’s exactly the way we’re supposed to look.
But I see the way they’re watching us over her shoulder. See the way our closeness seems to fuel their stares, rather than quell them.
I have no fucking clue what’s happening.
“He’s busy,” I say quietly. “He’s taking care of the blackmailer.”
And if that sentence doesn’t provoke the most confusing bundle of feelings ever, I don’t know what will. He’s taking care of another person from my life that’s trying to fuck things up for us. Taking care of another mess that I’ve somehow caused.
On the one hand I feel defensive, dreadful, angry and as nervous as Kira because holy shit, he must be getting tired of it by now?? He must be ready to give up on me, right?
But on the other hand, I’m like…giddy. Because he said he loves me, and this is just more proof isn’t it?
The way he sweeps trouble out of our lives like it’s nothing, the way my ass is sore right now and the way his dirty words still linger in the back of my mind even hours after he said them to me in his office.
I’m delighted, fucking tickled pink because no he won’t get tired of me, and this is the proof I’m always demanding from him.
Fucking progress. Feeling giddy because someone else is taking care of me? Never thought it would happen. Young-gi is a fucking magician. He’s perfect for me.
“You’re looking all swoony again,” Kira says suspiciously. “Like, as soon as I bring him up, you get all heart-eyed.”
“No, I don’t,” I snap teasingly, even though I definitely do.
“Oh, you do,” she confirms, her nerves easing a bit. And I don’t mind her making fun of me a little if it helps her calm back down. “You’ve got it bad.”
“He said he loves me,” I whisper to her, and it’s like the whole room full of human-shaped snakes doesn’t even matter any more because– “He fucking loves me, Kira.”
Her mouth falls open and she gawps at me as I give her a blinding smile. New Tommy is coming out of his shell, being born in real time, revealing himself like a butterfly out of a cocoon. I’ve never felt a smile like this on my face before. Never.
“Wow,” she breathes. “That’s a big deal.”
“I know.” My voice is shaking with excitement and nerves. “Like, holy shit.”
“Wait…” Her expression does something complicated. “Will you become my uncle? Because that’s just weird.”
I blanch, then put a hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter. She pokes me in the side to try and get me to stop but it just sets me off more, until I’m almost crying from it.
But the sight of Lexie hurrying over to us, her face pale, sobers me up immediately. Kira notices the abrupt change and turns.
Lexie practically skids to a stop beside us, her breathing fast. She grabs Kira’s free hand and tries to compose herself.
“Kira–” she hesitates. “Kira–they–”She can’t seem to say it.
“What’s wrong?” I demand, not enjoying the suspense.
“They know about Janessa,” she whispers. “And last night.”
“Last night?” I ask, at the same time that Kira goes pale and sways on her feet like she just got lightheaded. “At the fundraiser? What happened last night?” I ask as I hold her up.
Oh wait… “Do they know about me and Young-gi?”
Or, shit, me and Gregory and Leonard? Shit, I ruin everything. My stomach flips because I want to protect Kira but I’m the reason this is happening-
“No, no, no,” Kira whispers desperately, hiding her face from the room. “This is all my fault.”
“No, Kira, I’m so sorry,” I try to console her.
“It was Brian,” Lexie hisses, interrupting me. “He must’ve sent someone to follow you, Kira. He posted it to his socials just before the party started. He knew you wouldn’t see it until it was too late. He wanted to embarrass you.”
Wait… She’s not acting like this is about me getting caught beating the shit out of rich idiots and then getting fucked in the rain.
“What exactly are we talking about here?” I ask, but Kira’s already pulling out her phone, desperately swiping through her apps, opening her socials and searching for Brian’s profile.
And there, big and bold in his most recent post, is a photo of Kira and Janessa kissing against a window, the rain from the storm last night vivid against the glass.
The lighting is low, intimate, but there’s no way to mistake who it is.
The words ‘CHEATING SLUT’ are written in large yellow text along the bottom of the photo.
It scrolls to the side, showing a photo of me and Kira at the same fundraiser as I kiss her knuckles, and the word ‘CUCK’ is slapped across my face.
My nerves simmer down immediately, a calm sense of knowledge settling inside me. Brian’s going to regret this. That’s all that really matters now.
“He wanted to humiliate Tommy, and you Kira,” Lexie says. “He-he, what a jerk! I can’t believe this, let’s get out of here–”