Page 71 of A Beginner's Guide to Forever
Suspicion snakes its way through my stomach. “You two never ...?” I let the rest of that sentence hang there.
She laughs so hard she can’t breathe. “No.” She finally gets the word out. “He’s like a brother to me.”
Laughing with Vaughn feels like the most natural thing in the world, but it’s then that I realize I left Joslyn hanging all day. “Do you mind if I give my assistant a call?”
She nods. “Of course not.”
I find my phone and press her contact information.
“Hey,” Joslyn answers, sounding guarded.
“Sorry I didn’t call you back. Is everything okay?”
There’s a long, pregnant pause. “I just wanted to give you a heads-up. There’s an article that’s been written about you. And Hart.”
I feel time stop, and my brain short circuits. I rise from the couch and head into the bedroom, shooting what is probably a panicked look at Vaughn just before I close the door.
“And there are pictures,” Joslyn adds.
“Send me the link.” My voice sounds robotic.
“Okay,” she says.
And then we hang up and I wait in agony for the article to slowly load, pacing the bedroom.
I hoped that nonsense on the podcast would be the end of it. Apparently not.
The photos of us are from the hockey game we attended. His hand is on my hip. Mine is in his back pocket. We look very comfortable together. Very couple-y. There’s no other way to spin this. The way he’s gazing down at me when I sat on his knee in the suite makes my heart throb. He’s giving me a look that’s filled with so much adoration and warmth. Only now I feel numb and foolish.
“Okay. Okay,” I say to myself reassuringly, scanning the article. “This isn’t too bad.” But then I get to the comments section and see that every troll on the internet has weighed in on this.
There are six thousand comments! Comments calling me a cougar and a gold digger and others that wonder what he sees in me, saying I’m not even that pretty. Saying he could do much better, and citing his supermodel ex as evidence, another commenter questions his family’s funding of the project and how inappropriate it is for us to be romantically involved. I feel physically sick.
I text Scarlet the link.
Alessia:HALP! Some idiot wrote an article naming Hart as the much younger guy I’m seeing. This is bad, right? This feels bad.
Scarlet:Please hold. I’ll read and advise. Don’t panic yet.
I draw a deep breath and try to do as she’s instructed while my blood thunders in my ears.
The comments are brutal. There’s no denying that. Apparently, my newfound bliss has managed to anger some people. Scarlet is the epitome of a ride or die. I wait, half expecting her to reply with a plot for murder or at least with a way to get the article taken down ASAP.
My phone rings and it’s Scarlet.
“Did you read it?” I blurt.
“Yes, I did. First, take a deep breath, Alessia. I know this is hard.”
You’re damn right it’s hard. “People are saying horrible things about me online.”
Scarlet makes an exasperated sound. “Do not read the comments. You never read the comments!”
“Well, too late.” I begin pacing again.
“Breathe, Alessia,” she encourages, and I do. Pulling a long, slow breath into my lungs, I continue to pace.
“You need to remember, these people are strangers emboldened because they’re behind a phone or computer screen. Their opinions shouldn’t matter. They don’t know the real you. How amazing and incredible you are. The people who know you, your friends and family, won’t believe any of this nonsense for a minute. You are amazing. Don’t let this get into your head.”
