Chapter 25
Naomi wakes up to a strange snore. She cringes as she turns to her side and sees Leo’s shirtless body sticking out from under the covers. Then she realizes she’s naked as well. Goddammit.
The memories come back to her in a haze.
Leo coming outside to console her, asking if she wanted him to walk her home.
Naomi begging him to stay. Naomi kissing him.
Him pushing her away, saying he didn’t want it to happen like this.
She was drunk. Him finally caving. Her groaning as his tongue slipped inside her mouth.
Him pulling back, asking if she was sure.
Naomi saying “I want you” as she rubbed her hands over his groin.
Him groaning as she unzipped his pants and kneeled down, taking him in.
Him pulling her up to share another kiss as he undressed her and lifted her up as he slid inside.
Them moving as one all the way into the bedroom.
She feels turned on all over again, wanting to rip off the sheets and mount him. But the urge disappears when she recalls the rest of last night, the hangover anxiety kicking in.
You think Harlow Hayes, the pop star, killed your sister?
Her heart rate spikes, face flushing red as Tom’s mocking words come back to her, shifting her embarrassment to anger.
As if the notion is so wild to believe, even though Harlow was arrested just last week for murder.
Tom tried to make Naomi feel like she’s crazy, make everyone think she’s gone insane.
But she isn’t crazy. She’s on to something, she knows it.
“Hey,” Leo says, rolling over, breaking her out of her spiral. “What time is it?”
Naomi checks the time and clears her throat. “Eight.”
“Shit, I should get going.”
“You sure? I can order some breakfast if you want…” Her face reddens, and she worries his brother got in his head. Does he really need to leave or does he just want to get away from her—this insane reporter?
“I would love that, but I gotta be at the precinct by nine.” He runs his hands over his face and through his hair, somehow managing to make himself look even sexier.
He rolls over and kisses her on the cheek and her head spins for a moment.
“Last night was incredible,” he says. “We should do it again.”
“I’d like that.” She blushes, heart pounding. Maybe she hasn’t scared him away. He said he believed her at one point yesterday. Didn’t he?
“Mind if I use your shower?” he asks.
Naomi hands him a towel and heads to the kitchen. She puts on a pot of coffee and pops three Advil. After his shower, Leo walks down the corridor, looking sexy in the same jeans and T-shirt as the night before.
Naomi holds up the pot of coffee. “Want a cup?”
“Nah, I really need to head out, but I’ll call you later?”
Not knowing whether to kiss on the lips or cheek, they end up in an awkward half-kiss goodbye.
Naomi closes the door behind him, letting out a loud sigh. She sinks into the couch and opens her Twitter account to where she left off the night before. She leans forward, excited to see new posts from @ThatHazieLaywerLady.
@ThatHazieLaywerLady: My main issue here is that they wouldn’t have arrested Harlow if there wasn’t real, concrete evidence for BOTH murders. Something clearly led authorities to believe she was guilty.
“Exactly!” Naomi says out loud, feeling somewhat vindicated.
@ColtonStrongxx: They need to release the evidence against her to the public. NOW! This is so unfair.
@ThatHazieLaywerLady: @ColtonStrongxx unfortunately, they don’t and they won’t. The case has been dropped and sadly we’ll never know why.
@UndercoverJayne: @ThatHazieLaywerLady: DNA not being a match doesn’t prove she’s innocent. She could have been careful, could have planted someone else’s or could have been let off on a technicality. Just think of OJ and the glove…
@ThatHazieLaywerLady: @UndercoverJayne Yup – so much room for error in these cases.
Naomi would never dare to interact with accounts like this from her normal account, but now that she has an anonymous one, she can finally join in.
@JusticeForFaye31498: @ThatHazieLawyerLady So in your honest professional opinion, you think she could have killed both of them?
@ThatHazieLawyerLady: @JusticeForFaye31498 not enough evidence to prove it clearly, but yes I think she’s involved.
@JusticeForFaye31498: @ThatHazieLawyerLady Do you think it’s possible she’s killed other people too (i.e. Bill Lever)? There’s also rumors of other aspiring musicians dying under similar circumstances to Jade…
@ThatHazieLawyerLady: @JusticeForFaye31498: Is there? Idk about these, but usually when there’s smoke, there’s fire…
Naomi wants to take a screenshot of the thread and send it to Tom with a note saying, “See, I’m not fucking crazy.”
She digs her nails into the palms of her hands, thinking more about his reaction.
The nerve to think I’m crazy, she silently scoffs.
It’s ridiculous. I’m not a stan or an anti, going on here with all sorts of wild claims like Harlow is in the Illuminati or some shit.
And I don’t think she’s guilty for no reason.
I’m genuinely going off facts and only believing credible sources, like this lawyer.
She can’t sit back and keep quiet any longer, thinking of all the Toms out there, unaware and misinformed. It’s her job to educate them. To spread the truth, let people know what’s happening.
They need to know, she thinks as she powers up her laptop. She drafts her article, almost unable to type fast enough as the words pour onto the page.
When the article is finished Naomi exhales, feeling better. She wonders if all she needed to do was to get her thoughts out on paper. Then she recalls Amelia’s words. “There’s nothing else you can do.”
“But there is,” she says, hitting Publish.