Page 40 of Between the Lines

“I’m not that girl anymore.” I giggled. “Unless I have to be!”

The rest of the interview was fun—as it always was with them on their hilariously messy show—and I was able to loop us back to the original promotional purpose of me being a guest.

Chloe was actually at their studio with me, and she and I had dinner after to discuss a few things in the works. I didn’t have any problem getting safely home with Tamra at my side—she was actually really cool and didn’t “look” like security, which was perfect.

Just before I passed out, my phone lit up with a text from Shaw—I’d turned off all notifications except from my top ten, which I’d never taken him out of.

Shaw:Proud of you for handling those questions the way you did. Professionally let the world know you would beat her ass.

I grinned, then typed back.Thank you. I hope she got the message.

Shaw:What would you have said if Arnez had got that question off about us?

I didn’t have to ask for clarity because I knew exactly which one he was talking about—the question about if there had ever been anything between me and Shaw, even if there wasn’t now.

The question Arizona had saved me from.

I’m not sure. I think I would’ve blurted it out though, probably.

Shaw:That we were together and I broke your heart?

That we were together and I was too toxic for us to continue in a healthy manner.

Shaw:Toxic is harsh.

It’s the truth, though.

I was far enough removed now to admit it.

Yes, he was the one toinitiatethe breakup.

But he most certainly didn’tcauseit.

Shaw:We live and we learn, right?

AbsolutelyI texted back.See you tomorrow?

Shaw:Yeah. See you tomorrow.

Chapter Ten

SHAW

“I’m notsure if I’m supposed to be flattered by this or not,” I mused, frowning at the comments accompanying the social media post in front of me on my phone screen. I blew out a sigh, shoving the device back into my pocket.

If there was going to be speculation about my dick,commentary such as,“I know it’s good,it’s got to be good,he definitely got that monster on him, why else would these girls be acting an ass about him?”was preferable to the opposite, I guess. But mostly, I’d prefer not to be speculated about in that manner at all.

Especially since at this point, the drama of it all seemed to be leading the news ahead of the show’s premiere.

“It’s definitely not the worst shit people could be saying about you,” Alec chuckled, leaning down to get at eye level with the pool table to line up his shot. “But trust me, bruh, I get it. The blogs and shit consistently take it a little too far.”

A little too farwas putting it kindly as far as I was concerned. I was just glad I’d always been too paranoid to send nude pictures and shit—there was no doubt in my mind that this mess would make those pics a hot commodity for the nosy and dangerously horny.

But I didn’t have anybody but myself to blame for this bullshit.

I wantedbadlyto blame Stella—since she was the one who brought this shit into the public sphere to get tossed around and dissected in the first place. She could’ve just kept her commentary to herself, but her shading Ellie over the Alec lie had lit a match on the firestorm of mess that started all this.

However.

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