Page 123 of Fall I Want
“Who do you think trained her? But anyway, I have a few rounds to make. Go easy on him?” Weston says to Billie with a grin.
She rolls her eyes then smiles when he’s out of sight. “How are you, really?”
“Happy,” I say. “Fucking ecstatic the trash took itself out.”
“That’s the Zane Alexander I remember. Glad you’re back. The last time I saw you, I was worried. I’d seen the same thing happen to Weston. You’re both too fucking stubborn to ask for help.”
“When you’re in too deep, it’s impossible to break out of it until you have an awakening,” I say, taking a sip of my wine. “Glad I woke up.”
“That sounds intense. Speaking of that documentary: Wow. You must’ve gotten under Celine’s skin for her to make up all those lies about you.”
I glance out the windows, not wanting to relive it, but I prepared myself to talk about it. “Wait, you know it was bullshit?”
“Anyone who knows you knows everything she says isn’t reality. Are you kidding? She’s been boycotted by the most influential families. No one trusts her. All the party invites you got her? Revoked. Celine isn’t welcome anywhere and your ex-bestie, Nicolas, doesn’t have the same influence as an Alexander.”
“You’re joking.” Laugher escapes me. “I hope she gets what she deserves, whatever that may be.”
“It looks like karma was your personal assistant,” she says, lifting her wineglass. “Cheers to that.”
I clink mine against hers and drink. “Thanks for telling me. Harper hasn’t mentioned it.”
“Harper doesn’t know. She warned me that if I brought up Celine one more time, she’d quit. That girl is not a fan.”
“I know,” I say. “No one has ever hated Harper either. Should’ve seen the red flags.”
“It’s because Harper saw straight through Celine’s mask,” Billie says. “It’s a great quality to have around. One bad vibe, and Harper is like,hell no. That alone has saved us from making million-dollar mistakes with total fucking pricks. But yeah, Celine only gets pity invites or crashes parties these days.”
It’s impossible to hold back my smile. “I think you just made my night. Thanks for that.”
“I’m just glad you didn’t do something stupid like a tell-all interview,” she says. “Career killer that screams desperation. When you don’t explain yourself and let people think whatever they want, everyone stops caring. It keeps you relevant, or in your case, mysterious.”
I stare at her.“Fuck.”
“What?”
“That’s it. I’m firing Roxane.”
“She’s worked for you and Harper for decades.”
“She secured a prime-time live spot for me to share my side of the story when it came to Celine. At the last minute, it felt wrong, so I skipped it.”
Billie’s mouth falls open. “Do you think it was a setup?”
“Yes. Anyone else manipulating me that I’m not aware of?” I ask, my nostrils flaring as I shake my head. “Why didn’t I see this sooner?”
I think about the last five years and the whirlwind of shit I’ve gone through. Roxane was eager to help, but nothing she’s suggested lately has had results.
“Instead of extinguishing fires, she was starting them,” I mutter.
Billie studies me as if she’s recalling the past too. “Oh my God. If there isn’t anything for her to do, she doesn’t have a job, and you’re the least problematic person there is.”
“Do you think... do you think she was one of the anonymous sources in that documentary?”
“Anything is possible.” Her brows are squished together.
“I trusted her,” I say, feeling betrayed by the realization.
“I’m sorry,” Billie tells me. “When everything was going on with Weston and Lena, our team gave him that very direct advice. Look at him now. He’s America’s Playboy. Shit, you are too.”
