Page 138 of Red Flag
To stare at the picture I had sentRaay. Me, lifting my boob in my crop top for my brother to get the tattoo in the shot. There was a circle of it zoomed in.
“Okay,” I muttered to myself before pressing on the article it had been attached to. My heart sank.
Publicist ROMANTIC with Client NixonArmas.
I should have shut the laptop down and thrown it out the window into the pool. I should have done anything other than continue reading.
A close family friend of theQuinnsdisclosed that NixonArmas, 27, and Olivia Quinn, 29, are in a relationship and he has met her family.
Scrolling further down, there was the worst of it.
Amongst the upcoming trial that Quinn is a witness for, what is most surprising is the rumours she went to the newspaper to disclose the allegation of a woman being raped byVinnyGarvs.
And, like that, I was the villain.
I was the bad guy.
I knew it even as I clicked on a YouTube video by a gossip socialite. He had posted a couple of hours ago and it had already racked up36kviews.
Sniffling, I watched it, tears blurring my vision.
The video started with him side-eyeing the camera dramatically before summarising what the news had already told the public. Then he said, “I’m just going to say it. Why make this come out now? Why do that to your client?” I pulled out my suitcase from the wardrobe and started to pack as he spoke. “NixonArmas— you know, the bad boy motorbike racer who would make anyone drop their underwear — was getting such good press. Did you see that stunt with the kid on the bike the other week?” He kissed his fingertips as I threw my clothes in without care. “Chef’s kiss. But this? While Nixon has a girlfriend?”
I tutted. I should have listened to Nix. If we’d officially announced their break up this mess might not be so bad.
“Why come out with this when theGarvstrial is so close? And if she’s sleeping with her current client willingly, maybeshe—”
There was banging on my door. Constant banging. I shut the laptop and tightened my dressing gown around myself.
Criswas about to say I couldn’t complete my notice period. OrEmericfromPrixtonwas about to fire me before I’d even been hired.
I might feel like I’d been hit by a truck, so maybe I should just get hit by the train to finish me off.
I’d rather take it all in one go.
But when I opened the door, it was a red-eyed, leathered NixonArmas.
He inhaled on seeing me and stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him.
It was 10 am. He should still be qualifying. In fact he should be qualifying right now.
He continued to look at me as I tried to speak, to ask him what he was doing, if he knew where he was.
At least he’d taken off his gloves. He reached for my hands. “Livie, I am so sorry. I didn’t realise — I couldn’t believe—”
I only nodded, stepping back and dropping his touch.
“Are you okay?”
I shook my head, biting my lip to stop the sob as my eyes burned.
“Fuck, of course you’re not. I didn’t realise— I can’t believe you gave that up for me. For me.Livie, you shouldn’t have—”
“But I did,” I whispered. “And I’d do it again.”
It was then that the sobs couldn’t be contained. I fell into his cold leathers and let everything go. Choked screams accompanied my cries.
He held me close, wrapped me up in his arms, stroking my back.
