Page 32 of Spite Crush

“Can we get this statement done first?” I asked her.

“No worries, I already wrote it.” She lifted one shoulder in an elegant half shrug. “I can have it posted in five minutes.” She stood up and walked over to the mini fridge, grabbing two beers before coming back to the table and sliding one over to me.

“What do you mean you already wrote it?” My skepticism was clear in my tone, but she just grinned at me as she picked up her phone again.

“As much fun as the verbal sparring between Inferno legend Zak Dempsey and HSF lead singer Kellen Fox has been for their fans, it seems that the feud is over. Sadly for us, the two have decided to handle their differences like gentlemen, as evidenced by the photos leaked from a private event. While this invasion of privacy is disappointing, both the Inferno and HSF spokespeople have confirmed the truce. We look forward to new music from HSF and will continue to monitor the playoff run being made by the Inferno, who are on the verge of clinching the firstberth in over thirty years for their franchise.”

“When did you write that?” I asked her.

“The night the photos leaked,” she admitted. “Come on. I knew what the party line was going to be. And I know the truth.”

“The truth? Please, enlighten me to the truth, Naomi.” I raised an eyebrow before finally taking a long sip from the beer she’d given me.

“That Kellen Fox is the prettiest man I’ve ever seen in real life and ifyou weren’t gay before you met him you sure as shit are now.”

And then I promptly spit the mouthful of beer all over my arms and the table and a little bit on Naomi as well.

She just smiled as she swiped at the droplets of spit on her neck and chest, completely unfazed by my stunned reaction.

“What the fuck did Josh tell you?” I asked her as I stood up and grabbed a towel from the counter to wipe my arms down.

“Nothing,” she said, yanking the cloth out of my hand and using it to dry off the table. “Do you really think he’d betray you like that?”

“Then why would you think—”

“I’m not fucking blind, Zak,” she said, tossing the towel back to me. “You never looked twice at me. I’ve flirted with you for years and you just shot me down every single time.”

“You are so fucking full of yourself that you think only a gay guy would turn you down?” I barked out a laugh. “Well I’ve got news for you, princess. You’re not that hot.”

“Yes, I am.”

Okay, granted, yes she was. I might not be interested in women, but there was no denying that she was stunningly beautiful.

“Jesus Christ, Naomi.”

What really pissed me off about the entire situation is that I would actually love to have someone to talk to. Yeah, Josh knew. But he didn’t want to hear details. Not that I could blame him. I didn’t want details about his sex life either.

I didn’t have a single friend that I could just…talk…about Kellen to.

But she was a reporter. And that was dangerous. Too dangerous. Except…she actually was my friend, too.

“So what,” I said after a minute of silence stretched between us. I dropped back into my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. “You want to paint our toenails and talk about boys?”

“Oh, my God, yes. That’s exactly what I want,” she agreed. She picked up her phone once more and turned the power completely off beforethrowing it on the bed and facing me with her undivided attention. “Spill it.”

“Kellen Fox is definitely the prettiest man on Earth.” I couldn’t stop the smile that spread over my face. “I mean…he doesn’t even seem real.”

“Those eyes. That voice.”

That dick.

Not that I was going to get that personal with her. I wanted to trust her, and to a point I did, but I wasn’t going to go into detail about what had physically transpired between us. This conversation was going to bedangerous enough for me without giving her loaded ammunition.

“I really was annoyed with him at that first game,” I admitted. “I genuinely had no idea who he was.”

“That blows my mind,” she admitted. “HSF is like…the biggest rock band in the world. How could you have existed the last five years without knowing who they are?”

“Luck?” I shrugged. “Look, his fame is honestly my least favorite thing about him. It’s dangerous. And stupid.” I blew out a sigh. “This is so fucking stupid.”

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