Page 152 of Beautiful Storm

My heart pounds in my chest as I put his phone down and grab my own, ignoring the messages from Hayley. I quickly bring up a browser before searching his name as I struggle to take in air. This can’t be happening. This is the last thing Luke needs.

His name brings up lots of hits, but it’s the first one that draws my attention, making me pause. And when I click on the link to open the photo, the blood drains from my body.

Luke in a nightclub with a beautiful blonde perched on his lap, her expression anything but innocent with his lips parted and her hooded eyes. He’s staring up at her with a gaze full of lust and his hand under her dress. No, not just his hand, hisarm.Suggesting his hand is most likely making its way where it reallyfucking shouldn’t be, if it’s not already there.

My stomach churns as bile rises in my throat, but I can’t look away. No matter how hard I try, my eyes stay glued to the screen, making me nauseous.

“Oh Jesus, Amelia,” Luke curses as he rushes onto the bed. “Don’t look at that.” He grabs my phone before rolling me over to face him, his expression falling when he meets mine. “It’s not what you think.”

“What do I think?” I say in a daze, struggling to focus with the image burned into my brain.

“That I cheated on you. That I’ve continued to fuck around. But I haven’t.” He studies the photo and shakes his head. “This was taken over a year ago,beforewe first slept together. Why the fuck would they release it now?”

“You don’t know?”

“What? No.”

“Couldn’t possibly be because Storm’s favorite bachelor is having a baby and was just seen in another photo looking very loved up. This makes me look stupid and naive.”

“No.” Luke shakes his head as my heart pounds in my chest. “It doesn’t. And that’s why I didn’t want you to know about them. Because I knew your mind would go there. But it’s not true. You’re not stupid. Or naive. I haven’t been fucking anyone. It’s just gossip. I know who that is. She’ll raise hell to get this removed, and she’ll tell the world it was last year.”

I stare up at him while he panics, but while he said so much, my thoughts are stuck on one thing. He didn’t want me to know about “them.”

“How many are there?”

“What?”

“How many articles like this are out in the world?”

Luke’s shoulders drop and I see the moment he knows he fucked up. “There’s one more,” he whispers, making me slide away from him.

“So you hid it from me?” I reach for the sheet, tugging at it frantically until he lifts up and lets me drag it away to wrap protectively around myself, suddenly conscious of the fact that I’m practically naked. “Amelia.”

“Just answer the question.”

“Yes,” he whispers before straightening his shoulders. “But I did it for you. I was going to tell you. I came to your office to tell you. Then Preston called and you quit your job. You’re not supposed to be stressed.”

“And you think it’s less stressful for me to find out like this? Don’t you think it would have been better coming from you?”

“I don’t know,” he yells but it’s not directed at me. I can tell he’s annoyed at himself. “I don’t know any of this. But I’m trying. It’s all new and I’m—”

“I should go.” I get off the bed but keep the sheet in place. “I just need sometime and—”

“Wait. Please.” Luke rushes to my side and grabs my hand to still me, but I snap it back so fast you’d think it burned me. “Fuuuck! Amelia, please. Please. Don’t do this. I just wanted to protect you. All I’ve ever wanted to do was protect you. Stay. We need to talk about this. I can’t let you go. I didn’t do this.”

“I’m not ending things, Luke. I just need a moment. Please.”

“I can’t.” His voice breaks. “I can’t let you walk away when you’re hurting. It kills me to see you like this. And it’s not good for you or Jelly Bean.”

“How does it feel to know you’re the one hurting me?”

Luke’s eyes close but it does nothing to hide the pain in his expression. “I didn’t do what they’re saying. You have to believe me.”

“That’s the thing, Luke. I do believe you. Considering your reputation, I neveroncethought you were still out there fucking around. I stared at that image and never for a second believed it. You told me you wouldn’t and I trusted you completely. I was embarrassed more than anything. But what’shurtingme is that you once again kept something from me.”

“But—”

“It doesn’t matter that you thought you were doing the right thing. Look where that got us last time.”

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