Page 46 of Audra: The Prequel

They looked amazing together—two impossibly beautiful people basking in the glow of flashing cameras. Audra desperately wanted to believe the photos were harmless and that there was nothing more to the story, but betrayal and disappointment settled in her chest like immovable twin boulders, squeezing the air from her lungs. A hollow ache spread through her. Seeing Damon with the supermodel suggested that she had been wrong about him—about them.

She didn’t bother to read the article. She didn’t have to. What more evidence did she need to see that he couldn’t be trusted—which she should have known?

The allure of multiple women and living on the edge was too seductive. She had learned that lesson with Kerilyn’s father buthad wanted to believe in the fairytale. Damon had convinced her he was different.

When was she going to learn her lesson? How many more mistakes did she need to make before she understood that men—especially those focused on their careers and courting the limelight with all that entailed—could not be trusted?

And she’d introduced him to her family. He’d met her daughter.

She groaned, slumping in the seat.

“Dammit, Audra, you’re such an idiot,” she muttered, blinking back tears of anger and hurt.

What a fool she had been to believe this time was different. What a fool she had been… to fall deeply and madly in love with him.

Chapter Eighteen

Shit. Shit. Shit.

In the locker room after taking his shower, Damon stood with a towel wrapped around his waist, staring at the screen of his phone and the text that had come in from Audra. She couldn’t have been clearer, though she hadn’t typed a word. All she had done was send the link to thePeoplearticle.

Why had they posted it so soon? The photos weren’t supposed to go to press until next week’s issue. Instead, they had published them online right away.

“Yo, Flash, you coming out with us tonight?” Eddie asked from the doorway.

Damon lifted his attention from the screen. “Nah, I got something I need to take care of.”

“All right,hermano. If you change your mind, you know where we’ll be.”

Damon finished getting dressed and grabbed his bag. On the way to the car, he called Audra, but the phone rang and went to voicemail. He called two more times on the way to the hotel. Each time, no response.

Head throbbing, he entered his room and tossed his bag on the floor. He paced the carpet in frustration, trying to figure outwhat to do. They had two more games against the Mets, and then they were headed to Ohio to play the Guardians. He wouldn’t be back in Atlanta for another week.

He yelled out a curse and lifted his hand above his head to toss the phone across the room. At the last moment, he thought better of it and lowered his arm.

Maybe she was busy. He’d wait a while before calling her again.

Damon ordered room service and ate dinner while reviewing film to prepare for tomorrow’s game. Every so often, his eyes strayed from the iPad screen to the phone on the table, as if he’d miss a text or call from Audra with the device right next to him.

When he finished eating, he placed his dishes outside the door and called her again. She picked up this time, and the relief that flooded his veins forced him to drop onto the bed.

“Audra, baby, I know what you’re thinking.”

“You don’t know what I’m thinking.”

He was accustomed to her excitement every time he called, so the lifeless, dull sound of her voice gutted him.

“You have to let me explain,” he said.

“What is there to explain? The photos are self-explanatory. You and Nami looked cozy dancing at the party, and you were holding her hand as you left. Probably to go somewhere to screw her brains out, am I right?”

“No,” Damon said immediately. “You’re wrong. Listen to me, remember when I told you that sometimes as celebrities we create our own publicity? This is one of those situations. The whole evening was a stunt arranged by Nami’s people.”

“Why would Nami’s people arrange something like that?”

At least she was willing to listen, so Damon gladly continued explaining. “Nami signed with a new designer. They’re small and have a limited budget. We spent ten minutes at the venueand then left, but being seen there was great publicity for them because the dress she was wearing was one of their designs.”

“You mean the slip?” Audra asked.

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