Page 134 of Cherry Beats

The screen turned black for only a moment before Janey’s fresh face appeared again. Her eyes twinkling with excitement.

“So, is this all a publicity stunt to salvage Presley’s reputation? Is now the time when sweet little Tessa has finally come in useful?” She shrugged a casual shoulder and turned her smile upside down. “I’ll let the fans be the judge of that. But before you make up your minds, here are a few more clips to sink your teeth into.”

The images became a blur as tears filled my eyes.

I recognised my mother dancing in the street the night Dex had driven me to my parents’ home, along with a headline that saidLisbon family celebrate their celebrity scoop.

I saw my own brother sitting casually across the table in a restaurant, his head bobbing up and down as he told Janey, “For sure, Tess is in on this. She knows what she’s doing by being with him. She knows she doesn’t really matter. Come on. My sister? Give me a break. Presley West could have anyone in the world draping themselves over him, half-naked, and you think he’s going to choose my grungy little sibling?”

Pictures of Harriet Cole staring longingly at Presley as we walked out of the London hotel took over.

Pictures of the women he’d taken out and been seen with in clubs.

One after the other after the other after the other until I couldn’t take it anymore.

I gasped for air, the sharpness of it hitting my chest and making me turn around on the spot.

I needed an escape, to get out, to grab whatever I could find and run.

Janey’s voice continued, “I’ve interviewed women from Hollings Hill who once dated Presley West before he was famous. Here, we have Blossom Montgomery telling us how Tess Lisbon isn’t as innocent as she may seem, and how she became so obsessed with Presley West when she was younger, she used to stalk him at every chance she got, taking great pleasure in sabotaging his chances with anyone else.”

Blossom’s voice took over as I grabbed my bag and stuffed it with as many things as I could while zipping it up frantically. Somewhere behind me Presley was speaking, but everything became blurred, the white noise in my head blocking out all of it.

Tess. Tessa. Cherry, please. Julia, do something. Turn it off. Just turn it off!

No, she needs to see everything, Presley. We can’t hide this anymore.

The fuck she does, Julia. The fuck she does!

All my monikers were thrown at me as they argued among themselves, leaving me unable to see anything clearly through the fog of my distress. I shook my head as he called my name one more time, and I turned and looked up into his eyes, the air hitting my throat like a sharp blade.

Don’t do this. Don’t do this. Don’t do this.

“Did you sleep with her?” I asked him, my voice quivering while my heart exploded in my chest, bursting at the seams with disappointment.

“Tessa…”

“Tell me.”

“You have to listen…”

“Tell me,” I ground out.

Presley swallowed hard, his shoulders dropping and the air leaving his lungs in defeat.

I stared at him, unable to believe what was staring back at me.

Guilt.

All I saw was guilt on a face I only ever thought would deliver happiness.

“You slept with her and didn’t tell me?” I whispered, the pain I felt creasing my face.

He closed his eyes and said nothing, his skin paling.

There was no air in the room. I felt hot and cold, and everything I thought once made sense now made me sick.

“I think I’m going to throw up,” I wheezed, moving around him as quickly as I could, unable to get the sordid visuals out of my mind.

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