Page 165 of Finding Hope

“Hell I wouldn’t! If it kept you off the street and safe–”

I tune him out and read my texts. Jack wants me to call him. Big surprise. The girls want me to check Facebook. Fuck knows I don’t want to. I’m not stupid, I know there’s a reason Jack’s so eager to get me on the phone.

Something new has happened.

Something I won’t like.

This isn’t the first time he’s called to warn me about an article or picture I might find. The first time stung, but I’ve since gotten used to it. And byused to it,I mean, I’ve learned to hide my emotions.

Mostly.

I open the social media app and scroll down my newsfeed. I literally have nearly two hundred notifications. Just seeing the little red number in the top corner exhausts me.

It takes less than two seconds of scrolling to findthepictures that I knew I’d find. Pictures of Jack and a girl. They’re not doing anything wrong, just a fan asking for an autograph and photo. This stuff doesn’t even bother me, not really. The fact he freaks out so much is enough to make me feel better. He doesn’t like this extra attention any more than I do.

Watching over my shoulder in silence, Alex turns back to the TV andswitches to the news channel. There he is again. So fucking sexy. Smiling for the camera.

But his smile isn’t real.

I know him, and I know he’s faking it as much as I’ve been faking the ‘we’re going to be fine’ bullshit.

Like he knows I’m watching – or maybe another minute has passed – my phone rings and snippets of‘Breaking News’flash across the TV screen.

Swiping, I pretend to be happy. “Hey, Jack.”

“Bambie! Jesus, why’d you take so long to answer?”

I frown at his snapped words. I did nothing wrong. “I was busy. What’s up?” I plug my other ear in an effort to hear over the noise blasting on his end of the call. “Where are you?”

“I’m stuck at Pinocchio’s.”

“Oh… what are you doing there? I thought you were going home.”

“Are you not watching the news?”

“Yeah, X just switched it over.” I study the screen for a long minute, then it clicks. “Oh, this is live! You’re there now?”

“Yeah.”

“I just assumed this was old footage.”

“No, I’m here right now. I just wanted to check in with you.”

“You’re there right now with your arm around that girl?”

“No! That was like ten minutes ago.”

“Oh, well.” I shake my head. “That’s better, then.” I sit up and set my beer on the table. Swaying in my seat, I smile at the buzz that cushions my heart. Now I get why he drank after Steph. “I thought you were going home.”

“I was, but then the girls wanted to go out for dinner.”

“Wouldn’t wanna disappoint the girls,” I reply. With the jealousy and contempt coloring my every word, I’m being exactly who I said I wouldn’t be.

I’m such an idiot.

“No, not random girls, Bambie! My sisters. Kit knew I was…” Trailing off, he changes direction. “You didn’t wanna hang out, so she thought we could all go out, instead.”

“Lucky your sister’s saving you from your bitchy girlfriend, huh?”

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