Page 75 of Hot Mess

I shook my head.

“You should totally sue him for defamation of character. Gabe knows a lawyer,” Jessie continued.

She babbled on about raking Nick over the coals and taking him for everything he was worth. She heard a rumor that he was actually some kind of trust-fund kid, and from a super wealthy family.

“Kayla, you could set us all up for life. No one would ever have to work again.”

I glared at her. Why was she out to get Nick? The blackmailer had been so intent that I involved him.

I shook my head slowly. “No.”

Mom headed across the kitchen and picked up the house phone. “Connie, from the auxiliary guild, her husband is a lawyer. I think we should speak with him about what our options really are.”

Slowly, as if my bones and muscles forgot how to function, I crossed the kitchen and took the phone from her. I hung it up.

“We do not need a lawyer. No one is suing Nick. He was not responsible for any of this.”

“But he tore your dress and exposed you.”

How did Jessie know that? It wasn’t in the pictures, at least not the one I had seen. I closed my eyes and realized I was being a dummy. She could look at the images and interpolate a series of events that led up to that exact situation.

“No. That’s not… No. And he wasn’t threatening me with the photos. Maybe talking to a lawyer isn’t such a bad idea, but not while we are in shock and panicking.” I didn’t want Mom or Jessie involved in this mess any more than they already were. It wasn’t their mess, it was mine.

“Look, I’ll figure something out. I’ll handle it.”

“The way you handled this?” Mom gestured at the picture, still up on Jessie’s phone. “I don’t think so young lady. Clearly you can’t be trusted.”

“Can’t be trusted? I went to a party and got knocked into by crazy people. The one person who tried to help me only made it worse. And someone who wasn’t supposed to be taking pictures did. I was in LA because I needed to earn more money than I could working at the mall. I was presented an opportunity and I took it. Okay? That’s what happened, and as soon as I no longer was able to pay off whoever took the pictures, this is what happened. None of it is my fault, but it’s still all my responsibility. If you want to get mad at someone, get mad at the photographer. I’m sure they made a pretty penny from selling those shots. I know I paid them more than enough.”

“You could still sue Nick Sadler to recoup the money you paid,” Jessie started.

“Would you shut up about suing Nick? That’s not going to happen. What the hell is your obsession with him?”

Jessie sneered at me. “I just don’t understand why he was talking to you to begin with?”

I snorted.

“You were at the same party, Jessie. Did you even recognize him? Apparently, no one realized it was him in that costume. I recognized him. Me, and I didn’t even know who he was until we were getting ready for the party when your friend went on and on about how hot he was.”

I shook my head. “He talked to me because I treated him like a human and not an object.”

I turned and left. I was done with her; I was done with everything. I went into my room and crawled back under the covers. I didn’t text Amber, and I didn’t say anything when Mom knocked on my door later.

“Jessie is all packed up and headed to the airport. Kayla, do you want to come out and say goodbye?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to say goodbye. I didn’t want to say anything to Jessie. I didn’t like her, and something in my gut told me she wasn’t to be trusted.

I pulled my blankets up higher around my head and rolled over. My door squeaked as Mom opened it to look in.

“It looks like she is sound asleep. I’m sure she would have wanted to say goodbye. This morning’s news has been hard on us all.” I heard Mom say.

“You let her know…” Jessie’s voice trailed off as they walked away from my room.

I slept on and off all day. At some point Mom brought in a tray with soup and ginger ale and left it on my bedside table. It was cold by the time I woke up and tried to eat. I put the tray in the hall. I know it wasn’t room service, but I really didn’t want the smell to bother me. I drank the soda and tried to go back to sleep.

I wasn’t going to find solutions to my problems in my sleep, but I also didn’t want to face Mom and all of her constant questions. In sleep, Nick still loved me, and those pictures had never been taken. In my sleep I didn’t have to deal with my life.

I don’t know how much more time passed before Mom was knocking on my door again. “Kayla, you can’t hide in your room forever. You are going to have to deal with the consequences of your actions.”

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