Page 124 of Snared

“Same,” Evie said.

“Shit,” Cassie said, her phone in her hand, as she looked at me.

My stomach clenched. Cursing at her phone and looking at me did not bode well for my relaxed state.

“What?”

“Have you checked your phone?” she asked.

Evie groaned. “What’s the bullshit now?”

I turned on my phone to see a shit ton of messages. From Josh. From my mom. From Jules. From the guys. I pressed my head against the locker.

Josh: Stupid paps. She’s an old friend. Ignore the garbage.

Josh: My fucking father is an asshole and trying to stay relevant.

Josh: Call me. I know you’re having a spa day, but please call me.

Jules: Who the fuck is that woman? Josh loves you. The paps are liars. And his dad is a douche. Call me when you can.

Mom: Charlotte, why does this keep happening? It’s not a good look to have your name in the gossip pages constantly. This wouldn’t have happened if you had a real job.

Josh: Please call me.

Jax: I’ll gut him like a fish just for you.

Tristan: Are you okay? I think she’s an old friend.

Bash: Ignore the garbage. Convincing pictures can be nothing.

“Fuck,” I swore as I read through the texts. They’d all texted me and that definitely wasn’t a good sign.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Evie said, standing next to me.

I took a deep breath and opened the search engine, typing in Josh’s name.

And there it was. He was having lunch or something with a gorgeous brunette. They were smiling, and he looked so happy, not a care in the world. LA looked good on him. And my heart sank.

While Charlie Jones is in New York, new husband Josh Harrison is wining and dining Alana Anderson, daughter of director Barry Anderson. Could there be trouble in paradise?

There were multiple pictures, first of them at lunch and then hugging as they waited for his car that they both got into.

And then there was a comment from his father.

Harvey Braun, Josh’s father, quipped, “My son’s business is his own, but the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I guess. Settling down isn’t in our nature.”

I wanted to throw up. I wanted to throw my phone.

Evie grabbed it. “Never assume the worst when it comes to this clickbait shit. Call him.”

“Is this what it’s always going to be like?” I asked, already knowing that, on some level, it would never stop. We were in the limelight, and unfortunately, it came with the territory.

Didn’t mean it didn’t suck ass.

“You’ll get through it, but you have to talk to him. This shit ebbs and flows. One day, the gossip is about you and the next day it’s about someone else. The bottom line is that you and Josh are the only two that matter in this relationship. The outside is noise—unwelcome and usually unwanted—but just noise,” Evie said. “It’s part of the deal for loving these guys. And we all get through it because they’re worth it.”

I half smiled. Aside from Evie being an actual therapist, both she and Cassie knew how I felt. “Thanks, what do I owe you?”

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