Page 54 of Botched

It’s the smallest black kitten I’ve ever seen. It stumbles over its own paws as it tries to get used to walking on my bed, over the wrinkled yellow duvet.

“You have a cat.” I hold my hand out, trying to beckon the kitten closer to me.

“Got her last week. Her name’s Rumour.”

Something clicks and I tilt my head. “Rumour? Like…”

“The Fleetwood Mac album? Yeah.” Even in the darkness, I can see Theo smile. He leans back on one hand, the other drawing shapes on my blanket as Rumour watches him with the slightest hint of interest.

“Why did you name your cat after a Fleetwood Mac album?”

“‘Cause it reminded me of you.”

Any other time, I would’ve smiled. I would’ve melted, but it’s not happening. I think I’m more than a little broken right now.

Theo keeps trying to get Rumour to play and she only keeps watching. I hear him pop his lips before speaking. “Roo…do you want to talk about it? Juliette is worried. Kai’s worried. I’m fucking worried.”

I exhale through my nose, hard. “What’s there to talk about? I’m ruined because I’m stupid.”

His hand leaves the blanket, coming to grab my chin and force my gaze to meet his. “Uh-uh. Not stupid. We’re not doing that. You fucked up. It happens. Not the end of the world. Could’ve been worse. You just trusted the wrong bastard—”

That’s where I cut him off. “I didn’t send them to anyone, Theo.”

That’s what’s been driving me insane. I didn’t send the nudes to anyone. I took them and I wanted to send them to Theo, but I bitched out. So, I deleted them.

“You…took nudes and didn’t send them to anyone?” He sounds like he doesn’t believe me and what can I say? I wouldn’t believe that either.

I explain the entire situation to him. I tell him about taking them for him but never sending them, about losing my phone when I was slightly drunk, about getting it back the next morning. The only things I leave out are my conversation with Micah and what happened with Austin. It doesn’t seem necessary to the story.

Theo exhales heavily. “Lots to unpack there. You took nudes forme? In any other situation, I’d be fucking honored, Roo. You have no idea how…appreciatedthey would have been.”

The way his voice drops at the end, the suggestiveness in his tone, makes my pussy clench in the most annoying of ways. I’m fucking distraught, but she’s evidently still very interested in Theo.

Needy bitch.

“You got drunk with Austin? Don’t fucking like that, though. Dude’s a creep. He called you a slut, which is so far from cool. Especially since he didn’t run it by us first. That’s just wrestling 101. You don’t go for low blows without making sure it’s okay. I’m an asshole, and even I check in before I go for things like that.”

“I wasn’t that offended by the whole slut comment…” I chime in, but Theo ignores it. He’s on another train of thought.

“Where did you lose your phone? The hotel?” He makes a face. “Someone probably took it. You were drunk, not paying attention. Maybe they went through it and found the nudes. Decided to leak them…”

I groan, turning to hide my face in the pillow. “I don’t care why they leaked them, Theo. I care about how this is going to ruin my fucking life.”

Rumour comes over and sniffs my hair before curling up on the pillow next to my head. I wouldn’t exactly call it a cuddle, but it’s damn close enough.

I lean my head against her soft body as Theo leans back on both elbows next to me.

“Your life isn’t ruined, Roo. You’re being dramatic. So what if the world has seen you naked? You’re hot naked. They should be honored.”

“Yeah, I’m real sure Nathan’s going to feelhonoredabout my nudes leaking and causing a PR circus.”

When it comes down to it, my job is my biggest concern. I don’t want to lose my dream over something so goddamn stupid. Wrestling is everything to me. It’s all that I’ve ever wanted, andnow I might have to give it up. I don’t know who I am without it. I don’t want to know.

I’m broken from my spiral by the sound of Theo laughing. Obnoxiously laughing next to me as I’m going through a huge personal crisis.

“Something funny, Abrams?”

“Have youseenthe shit that I’ve done, Aurora? Nathan’s not going to fucking fire you. He’s probably going to be relieved that I’m not the one fucking up for once.”

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