Page 82 of Paparazzi Perfect
Sunlight faded into darkness, and silence closed in around me until, at last, I fell into a restless sleep.
When I opened my eyes again, morning light crept across the room, and the pit in my stomach reminded me that, even aftermy mother's dismissal, I had to face her again. On autopilot, I went downstairs to find her. To piece together some kind of truce.
But she’d gone. She was truly lost to me. Just like Ivy. It left a hole inside me, one I couldn’t fill. I’d loved Ivy with allI had. All that was left was a hollow ache.
With coffee in hand, I stumbled back to my room. As I lay on the bed, I glared bitterly at my phone before drifting into another uneasy sleep.
But even in my dreams… she was there.
***
My phone vibrated on the bedside dresser again. For almost two weeks, Ivy’s name had been lighting up my screen—calls and messages I couldn’t make myself answer.
The lump in my throat tightened as her name flashed again.
I could just pick up the phone. Talk to her… maybe this would all go away.
I made a grab for it, but the image of them kissing cut through my mind like shards of broken glass. I yanked my hand away as if it had touched a flame.
Thinking about Ivy was like poking a raw wound.
IVY: Karson, I love you. The kiss was an accident. Please talk to me. Can we fix this?
I stared at the message as my heart lodged in my throat, my finger hovering over the Call button.
But the memory of seeing her almost naked with Miki stampeded through my head like a herd of wild horses. Snatching my hand away, I reached for the soda instead, chugging it down and grabbing another slice of pizza. I stared lifelessly, chewing slowly, until Gus walked in, pulling me from my trance.
Concern flickered across his face. He’d worn that expression since Karlos had warned him to keep me on a shorter leash.
If he didn’t do his job better, it’d be another strike against him. Karlos had threatened to fire him, then stripped him of his authority to approve my purchases. Everything had to go through Lexi or Karlos himself.
Karlos was suspicious. I needed to move faster and put my mind where it should be. And even though I had a pile of cash hidden in my room, I’d been asking for permission to order Uber Eats and make small purchases, just to avoid drawing attention.
This time, I didn’t bother pretending I was sick. Gus’s eyes grew wider, his mouth hanging open as I told him everything that was going on at SolStar and that Ivy and I had fallen out.
“Karson, I know you’re down, but son, it’s time to get back up. You haven’t been to class for two weeks.” His eyes darkened. “I can’t keep telling your father you’re sick, or you’ll raise his hackles—and we’ll both pay the price.”
Straightening in the chair, I shut my eyes for a few seconds. Gus was right. I needed to pull it together. The weight of what needed to be done was always in the back of my mind. Karlos was expecting me at the annual dinner tonight, and I had to follow through.
It was time to deal with my father. “You leave my father to me, Gus,” I said fiercely. “You won’t be working for Karlos much longer.”
His eyes bulged in alarm. “Karson, I hope this all goes well. I have bills—”
“I’ve got your back, Gus. You know you’re my family. You’ve always been there for me over the years. That means everything.” My head pulsed, and I pressed my palms against my eyes. “Gus, here’s what’s going to happen. I know you’d like to retire one day. You won’t have to worry about money. When you’re ready, this house will be yours.”
He fiddled with his shirt button, opening his mouth to speak before slumping into the chair. “Karson,” he said, tugging at his ear. “I can’t accept that.”
“It’s already organized. You see? It wasn’t a complete waste of time bed-rotting in here,” I said, glad the plan was already in motion.
“I’m pretty sure you only stayed in this job so that when I was home for the holidays, you could be a buffer between my father and me. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without you. Now it’s my turn to do something for you.”
“Someone had to look out for you,” he said, a smile spreading across his face. “You don’t know what this means to me, my boy. Even if I worked for your father until I was a hundred years old, I’d never make ends meet with what he pays me.”
He rose to his feet. “Thank you.”
“You don’t need to worry anymore, Gus. You’re family. And whatever you need, you only need to ask.”
A smile covered his face as he pulled me in for a bear hug. “And you’re my family too. Never forget that.”
