Page 87 of Lights, Camera, Love

‘I know, I’m sorry. I was at the cop station for most of the day with Austin. They kept pushing us further down the priority line.’

‘Why were you at the cop station?’

‘Nadia, Austin’s ex, who’s been harassing him for ages, posted a … uh … a compromising video of him.’

‘I know.’ I wince. ‘I might’ve watched it.’ My gaze darts to Rafael, but he’s poring over the wine menu.

‘Shit, really?’ Kye says.

‘I’m so sorry—it was just so hard to look away.’ He turns silent, so I quickly add, ‘Not inthatway. I mean, it was bad. It was really, really bad.’

‘I know. I’ve never watched it; hearing the details was enough. But at least it’s been dealt with. All the posts should be coming down now. Austin seems to be coping all right, thank god, and Nadia’s been arrested.’

My palm covers my mouth. ‘Wow—seriously?’

‘Yeah. Tomorrow, she’ll be charged with revenge porn offences and harassment. I honestly hope she gets let out quickly and that her lawyer argues she needs treatment for her mental health. Austin doesn’t want her locked up either; he just wants her to be banned from contacting him because this shit has really gotten out of hand now.’

‘I’m sure that’ll happen. At the very least.’

Rafael’s now gawking at me, so I cover the phone and quickly fill him in. A relieved breath slides out of his mouth.

‘I’ll let you go,’ Kye says, his tone heavy with fatigue. ‘I can hear that you’re out.’

‘Oh. Okay, then.’

We end the call with a promise to talk later, but no time—or even whether that means today—is specified. I didn’t even get a chance to ask him how the visit with his brother went.

As soon as I get back to my apartment, my stomach happily crammed with salmon sashimi, pork gyoza and soft-shell crab, I text Kye, but he doesn’t reply.

I know it’s late, and he sounded so exhausted on the phone—he’s probably fallen asleep. Still, the same bleak feeling that washed over me before I fell asleep with him the other night makes a sharp comeback.

The voice in my head is faint, but it’s there.

You let him into your heart.

And now, he’s going to hurt you.

‘There’s a man at the door to see you, Evie.Evie!’

I roll onto my back, rubbing my groggy eyes with my knuckles until the water stain decorating my bedroom ceiling comes into focus. ‘What time is it?’

‘Almost eleven,’ Mum says.

‘What?’

She arches a brow at me from the doorway. ‘I came in and checked you were still breathing a little while ago. Anyway, did you hear what I just said? There’s a man for you at the door. A very good-looking one.’

I sit up on my elbows. Holy shit, Kye ishere?

‘It’s theactoryou were dating,’ she explains, her tone reinforcing her disdain for leading men as she aggressively swipes an emery board back and forth over her thumbnail.

‘Oh, you mean Austin.’ My shoulders sink a little.

‘That’s it—Austin. I knew it was the name of an American city. I think I called him Phoenix.’

‘You did, but it’s all right, darlin’,’ croaks a raspy voice. My eyes jerk to the tall guy in a fedora hat who’s appeared behind Mum in the hallway.

OMG, he’s just the type to walk straight in rather than wait.Embarrassment prickles my cheeks at being sprung in bed this late—at him seeing me in bed at all.

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