Page 49 of Butterfly

“Three years ago.”

I type in the information, my mind wandering to the night Alex and I passed here. Every time I see the sofa bed in the staff room, I see him, shoulders hunched, crying over poor Dart. But then my thoughts spin back to last night, to the things he said to Maggie, and those he said to me. Did I catch a glimpse of what a future with a celebrity might be? Geez, my imagination is running wild. We kissed a couple of times, and I’m already thinking about a future with him.

“You know, you look like the girl in that picture,” the woman says, leaning over the counter. “Did you watch Maggie O’Brien’s show last night?”

“No.” I type another piece of information about Terry. “When was the last time Terry had his dental?”

“Alex Knightley showed a picture of him with a blonde woman.”

I bite my tongue before I correct her and tell her that Alex didn’t show anything.

“I can swear the woman in the picture was you.” She grins.

If she recognised me, others would too. How long will it take for someone to mention that I was involved in my foster father’s death? What if the rumour reaches Alex? I was a minor, and it was self-defence. My record is clean. But it’s not the police I’m worried about.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I pretend to search for something in the drawer. “Last vaccination?”

“But I’m sure—”

“That’s all right, Sienna.” Tyler steps into the room, his gaze narrowing on the woman. He wouldn’t care about losing a customer if he thought said customer was a jerk. “I’ll take it from here. Help Jack with that Doberman. That beast is barking mad.”

“Thank you.” Yes, I’d take a rabid Doberman to this woman. I leave my position at the desk, Dart at my heels. When I enter our staff room, I release a breath. Blimey. I didn’t think about the consequences of my face becoming public. Alex and I might not have a future together anyway, but I don’t want him to know about my past from gossip and social media, and certainly, I don’t want my face to be known publicly. I’d quickly become the most hated woman on the whole planet simply because I’m dating him.

“Do you need help with the Doberman?” I ask Jack.

He frowns. “What Doberman?”

I chuckle. “Never mind.”

He shrugs and keeps typing at the computer.

I’m fixing myself a cup of tea when Tyler enters and walks over to me. His brown eyes shine with concern and flicker over my scarred wrist, giving away what his brain is thinking.

I tug at the sleeve of my top to cover the cursed scar. “Thank you for intervening. That woman was becoming too insistent.”

He tips his chin up towards Jack. “Jack? I need a moment alone with Sienna. Go to the front desk and finish entering the data of our last client.” He doesn’t even wait for Jack to say anything before returning his attention to me.

Jack exits the room on his tiptoes. Not a word leaves his mouth. My hands grow clammy.

“What is it?” I ask the moment we’re alone.

Tyler folds his arms over his chest and regards me from underneath his thick eyebrows. “I know what happened last night during Alex’s interview. Your face splattered on that screen.”

I shrug. “Someone must’ve taken a picture of us and sold it to the highest bidder.”

“Sod the picture. I’m talking about what he said. Did he call you after the interview?” His gaze narrows to a slit.

I move the bag of tea up and down in my mug. “He did, to tell me not to believe what he said during the interview.”

“And you?” He dips his head so that I have to stare at him. “How did you react?”

Can he see through me? Can he guess the moment of panic that took me? The fact that he might know me so well is scary.

“It hurt a little at first.” I force myself to sound casual. “But after we talked, I felt better.”

“I’m glad he called.” Despite his words, a hard glint flashes across his gaze. “However, that shouldn’t have happened.”

I put my mug down. “It’s not his fault. He tried to protect me.”

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