Page 104 of Electric Touch

After our second course, I excuse myself to the ladies’ room. Everything in here is pristine and beautifully styled. After using the bathroom and washing my hands, I adjust my hair and touch up my lipstick. My phone vibrates in my purse. Fortunately, I am still away from the others, because I need to check any call or text. It could be Mama, or Ariella needing something.

It’s from a number I don’t recognise. I’m about to dismiss it as junk but a picture file is waiting to download. I accept and watch the screen. My eyes widen. There is a date stamp on it from two days ago. When Nash was away with the band. He is sitting in a booth in a dark nightclub. There is a woman in his lap. He’s smiling off to the side. That isn’t the worst part. She’s holding his dick.

“What the hell?” I mumble, trying to wrap my head around this picture.

My heart sinks. All those things he said to me yesterday. And when he’s away, he’s doing this? I lean back against the counter. I want to close the image and never see it again, but I can’t. My traitorous eyes keep staring. That soft smile on his face, like he doesn’t give two shits he’s in public with a woman holding his dick. A mix of rage and pain forces my eyes closed. I put the phone face down on the counter, taking in a few deep breaths. My eyes blur as tears threaten to fall. I blink them back. I won’t cry over this.

How am I going to face him? I have to go back out there and sit next to him, knowing that he… cheated?

Wait.

No, this isn’t right. Nash wouldn’t do this. He was so hurt by Riley’s betrayal. You can’t fake the way he feels about cheating. He wouldn’t turn around and do the same thing to anyone. I dash away the tears and grab my phone. The number goes to voicemail, a generic robotic message. I send a text asking who this is and stare angrily at it. The message goes through but it doesn’t show as read.

They can manipulate photos. That date stamp doesn’t mean it happened while he was away. It could have been between his breakup with Riley and meeting me. He already told me he had one night with a groupie he immediately regretted. I recall how uncomfortable he looked the night I showed him my tattoo. That girl was all over him. He hadn’t touched her once. As soon as she was off his lap, he’d bolted.

No, this is someone trying to cause trouble. There is only one person I can think it would be. I have no intention of ruining the night by showing this to Nash. But I will not stand by either.

I call Apollo.

“Someone just sent me a photograph. I don’t know the number. Can you figure out who it came from?”

“What kind of photo?”

“That doesn’t matter. I need to know who sent it. Can you get that for me?”

“Technically, you could do it yourself but, yeah, I can find it. What is the picture of Tia?”

“That isn’t important, but someone is trying to mess with me.”

“About what?” he goes quiet for a moment. “Nash?”

“Yes,” I don’t see any point in lying. “How fast can you get the information?”

“We need to talk about this.”

“I will fill you in when I find out what I need to know myself.”

“Fine, give me the number.”

I put the call on speaker and read out the number.

“Got it. I’ll call you back in ten minutes.”

“No, text please. I’m out for dinner.”

He sighs. “Okay. Just tell me one thing before I go.”

“What?”

“Is this something that can hurt you?”

“Not by Nash,” I assure him. “Thank you, Apollo.”

“Okay, talk to you tomorrow.”

I can’t wait in here until he gets back to me. I check my face again, then head back out. Nash looks at me with concern, but I give him a reassuring smile. He still looks confused. Like he knows something is up, but doesn’t question me. Apollo replies when dessert arrives. I’m desperate to look, but it is rude to get my phone out at the table. Curiosity gets the better of me when Nash goes to the bathroom.

His text comprises one name. Riley Edgeley.

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