Page 105 of Tell Me When It's Over

It’s on me for thinking someone as popular as Beckham, who can have anyone at Saint Michael’s, would choose me.

Lips wavering into a frown, I find the courage to step out from behind Kyler. I’m stronger than hiding, and I have to remember that. Like the first time I showed up and overheard Ky calling me pathetic, I offer a genuine apology. “I’m really sorry for everything that’s happened.”

Mia steps toward me, shaking her head instantly. “Lenny Lou, you don’t need to apologize. This isn’t your fault.”

“The hell she doesn’t,” Harry growls.

For the first time since the paparazzi swarmed the house and everybody’s phones started going off, my mother speaks from where she’s been standing idly by, arms crossed, and unamused. At Harry for talking to me like he is, or for me to even put myself in the situation to begin with, I’m not sure. She said she liked Beckham. Told me I’d “found a catch” even though it made Kyler all red-faced and narrow-eyed whenever she encouraged me. “I hardly think this boy is the cause for such a big blowout, Harry. Leighton isn’t that experienced when it comes to reading boys and their intentions yet.”

The way Kyler goes rigid beside me is more than just something I notice. He takes one small step toward Mom, yet the action is somehow bigger, a warning. A dark expression settles onto his face that makes him look scary. “You should really reconsider speaking right now, Katherine.”

Mia gapes at the cold voice coming from her brother while I stare wide-eyed at the ice forming over his tone. He’s never used it with her even though he’s probably always wanted to. He stopped picking fights a long time ago, choosing to avoid her when he can and ignore her commentary if she does try starting conversation with him.

Mom crosses her arms over her chest in an unthreatened manner. “You can’t speak to me like that. We all want what’s best for this family. I’m simply pointing out that arguing over what can’t be changed is pointless.”

“What you’re saying—” Ky spits, “—is that your sixteen-year-old daughter doesn’t have the skills to read what a teenage boy’s intentions are, as if you expect her to start learning it like a fucking artform. Spoiler alert. She isn’t a goddamn whore like you.”

“Ky,” I whisper, voice cracking. My palm rests in silent warning against his forearm, but he shakes his head at me, eyes cloudy when he meets my uncertain ones.

His gaze lifts again, looking between our parents. “You can play men however you want and expect the worst from them, but Lenny shouldn’t have to live that way. She didn’t know Beckham was going to go through Mia’s shit. Why would she? I’ve been around the kid enough to assume that he was halfway decent. Not good enough for her, but not the worst person in her life.” He narrows his gaze to my mother when finishing the last sentence, as if making a point.

Mia clears her throat. “This is on me, you guys. Dylan and I knew what we were doing when we first started seeing each other. He and Hannah were on the outs, constantly breaking up and getting back together. Things got intense and we decided to keep seeing each other no matter what the circumstances were. That isn’t on Leighton, Dad.”

Harry’s jaw gets tight, but he doesn’t say anything. Maybe she broke through to him because his nostrils flare but his lips don’t open to speak or argue.

I look to Mia and mouth thank you, still sidled closely to Kyler, whose hand has slipped into mine in comfort. My mother looks between us, something haughty in her eyes as she studies our linked fingers, before huffing. “As Mia said, this isn’t Leighton’s fault. I think we should try moving past this the best we can to get back to normal.”

Under his breath, Kyler scoffs, “Normal,” with thick skepticism in his tone that nobody questions. I look at him, brows pinched, as he tugs on my hand and leads me away from everyone and into the kitchen.

He gestures toward the stool, letting go of my hand and digging through the cupboards for something. When he produces a box of Kraft macaroni, I can’t help but smile.

“Don’t let them make you feel insignificant, Lele,” he informs me, going about heating up my favorite meal. Ever since the news leaked, things have been crazy around the house. Mia’s people are setting up meetings, and Harry and Kyler have both been pestered for commentary on the matter, asking if they’re going to defend their family or not. Extra security had to come because the crowd outside has gotten so big that there’s a break risk, and I don’t fully want to accept what that means.

Everyone has been advised to remain quiet until a statement is made, but I’m not sure what can be said since the evidence is pretty clear based on the messages plastered on every site known to man. Mia and Dylan can’t deny the cheating scandal and Mia said she didn’t want them to. “It’s in the past,” she told the PR people on the phone earlier.

They didn’t take it well from the loud voices projecting through the other end of the phone.

At some point in the process of making me lunch, Kyler’s back tenses. Without facing me, he clears his throat and says, “Listen, Len. Things like this can get ugly before they get better. And when…” Rubbing the back of his neck with one hand as he stirs the macaroni in the little stovetop pot with the other, he sighs. “When people like my father get involved, a lot of shit is bound to come up.”

He never refers to Harry as his father, so I understand how heavy the situation is. “I don’t understand how people can make this worse. Mia is right. This happened a while ago. What more could they want besi

des an apology or something from her and Dylan?”

This time, he does turn. It’s slow and calculated, and when he meets my eyes, he gives me a funny look. One I can’t decipher until he opens his mouth. “That’s why you’re always going to be one of the good ones, Leighton. You don’t think anybody would be willing to dig up dirt on others for the sake of the show.”

I blink. “What show?”

His smile is sad. “When you’re public figures like we are, you’re the world’s entertainment. Every move made, word spoken, and action taken is going to be picked apart by the people watching, reading, and listening no matter when it happens. Look at all the social media posts from years ago that get dug up when the time fits that gets celebs into hot water. Remember when that happened to Asher?” He’s referring to his former Single Division drummer, and I nod, remembering some tweet taken out of context that got him nearly dropped from their label and replaced in the band. “Katherine should have never brought you into this mess because you’ll be part of the scrutiny now.”

My throat bobs as I try swallowing that factoid. I haven’t done anything to warrant any public scrutiny minus the whole Beckham thing. I never cheated on a test or copied anybody’s homework. I’ve never stolen anything or even jaywalked in my life. The media has no reason to involve me. “I didn’t do anything, Ky.”

My frown is weighed down with worry as he blows out a long, burdened breath. “I know you haven’t,” he murmurs. “But your mom has, and I have a feeling it’s about to bite her in the ass.”

Mom? “I don’t understand. What do you me—”

“There you are,” Mia says, walking in and stopping behind me. She wraps me in her arms, squeezing me to her in a hug and resting her chin on my head. “I’m sorry about all that in there, Lenny Lou. Daddy is just protective about our image. I screwed it up, and he wrongfully took it out on you.”

My eyes are still locked on Ky’s, but he turns back around to finish making me lunch instead of telling me what Mom supposedly did. I look up to Mia and give her a tiny smile. “You don’t need to apologize either. We all make mistakes, right?”

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