Page 53 of Runaway Girl
“Who is that?” Katy asked, fear peeking through for the first time.
“Our lawyer,” I mouthed, pointing to the screen that displayed the ongoing call.
Katy’s expression froze, her eyes bulging with awareness.Yes, bitch. You’ve been played.
Stella’s titter tapered off, followed by a voice so sugary sweet it had the underlying venom to rot you to your core. “Blackmail and coercion?Oh, honey, that’s afelony.”
“Felony?” Katy choked.
“Let me spell it out for you really quickly since those morons have led you astray. A felony is a serious crime that can result in more than one year in state prison.”
“Prison? No, that can’t be. I just took some photos. That’s all I did!”
Stella clucked. “If you release those photos, you’re committing extortion, Katy. That’s up to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Add on invasion of privacy and emotional distress, and you’re looking at a lawsuit that’ll destroy your image, your bank accountandyour future. You still want to play this game, honey? Because I promise you,we’ll win.”
Katy was shaking, her hands buried in her hair as she silently screamed into the void.
“What do I do? What do I do?” she repeated, utterly lost.
Stella hummed in fake sympathy. “You’re going to do exactly what I tell you to do.”
Chapter 31
ETHAN
I stood in the middle of the field, soaking in their praise as they chanted my name. It was monumental—a core memory I would cherish forever.
I’d played the best I ever had in my life—which was fitting. The perfect sign-off to my pro league football career.
It was weirdly cathartic as my teammates hit me on the back, simultaneously giving their acclaim and condolences whilst sporting confused expressions.
One didn’t have to guess what was waiting for me once I stepped back into reality—a logistical nightmare to begin the process of dismantling my world.
So I refused to move, choosing to steal a moment to bask in the warm appreciation of the fandom—that I’d never get to experience again.
In that moment, I had no hate, no qualms or resentment. Just acceptance of my decision.
That’s when a waterboy came running towards me. He was the only one brave enough to approach and penetrate my bubble. But he didn’t hand me a drink. Instead, he gave me my phone.
As I went to question him, he was already retreating when the device started buzzing.
My screen was overrun with messages from Alicia.
The familiar sight caused a pleasant nostalgia to rise, a particular happiness that only she could ever conjure.
Our ritual. I missed her commentary, her snide remarks and sarcastic barbs. What better way to finish the night than check in with my lucky charm.
I swiped open to the message thread and read each one in turn.
“Do you want to give me a heart attack? Because you nearly succeeded.”
“How dare you kiss me like that and leave me hanging.”
“WHAT THE FUCK ETHAN. YOU ARE NOT LEAVING FOOTBALL!”
“Your mother is a rat. Jake is scum. And Katy is a snitch.”
That last one had me on high alert, my fingers shaking as they tightened around the phone.If they’ve gone after Alicia, I’m going to fucking kill them.
