Page 80 of Harmless Scandals

Dread filled her. This wasn’t something she wanted to do. Ever. “Yeah, you're right.”

“I'll call you back after I get through fucking up this rag.”

Then she hung up. Even with the horrible news, Serenity found herself smiling. Nicola was tall, graceful, and the quintessential idea of a skater. She looked like a princess from another time. When she cussed, she was really pissed, and usually it made Serenity giggle. Today, it barely brought out a smile. The idea of what she had to do weighed heavily on her. With a sigh, she headed over to the guy's house.

There was music playing. She could hear it before she reached the lanai. When she reached the front door, she slipped off her slippahs, then knocked. Mick turned and smiled at her.

“You know you don't have to knock.”

“Yeah,” she said, knowing that more than likely, she would have to after today.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he said. Adam came out from the bedroom.

“What’s up?”

She said the words she never wanted to say to either one of them.

“I have something to tell you.”

twenty-four

Adam watched as Serenity sat down at the breakfast bar. The serious expression on her face was one he didn't think he had ever seen before. She looked as if her entire world had just fallen apart. His stomach muscles tightened. This was not going to be good news.

“I got a call today.”

“The one when we were on the way to the beach?” Mick asked.

She nodded. “I let it go to voicemail. I just listened to it.”

He shared a look with Mick, then they both looked at her again.

“What happened? Did someone die?”

She shook her head as her eyes filled.

“It was from the National Tattler. They know about us.”

“What?” Adam said, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation in his own head. “They know about us? Us three?”

“Yeah, why do they care about that?” Mick asked.

She swallowed and looked away as if trying to gather the courage. He wanted to rush to her side and comfort her. Adam had the idea that she was too fragile—as if she would shatter if he touched her. When she looked back at them, her expression made his heart drop. She looked so sad and alone.

“I told you I changed my name when I was sixteen. That I was in the entertainment industry, remember?”

They both nodded.

“My real name was Kayleigh Rose Michaels. I went by Kayleigh Rose.”

He had heard the name. Knew there were bad things associated with it, but he couldn't put his finger on the story.

“Kayleigh Rose? As in the teenage star of My Sister Sam and Daughter Knows Best?” Mick asked.

“Yes. You heard the guy at the beach. You knew I was on shows.”

“Yeah, but it just didn’t click.” He knew that wasn’t true. “You...you got in a lot of trouble.”

She nodded. “I was headed to a short slide into drugs if I didn't walk away. I told you, I emancipated myself.”

---