Page 55 of Sinful Sharing

Her gaze flickers upward.

“It’s okay. I mean it. Stop beating yourself up, understand?”

She searches my face as if trying to determine whether I’m lying. I’m not. If anything, I’m relieved. The truth is finally out. Mom knows. I’m done pretending to be someone I’m not. What happened was horrible, but I don’t miss carrying that secret. The weight will never burden me again.

Satisfied, Celeste nods and gives me a soft smile. I step aside, gesturing for her to enter. She walks into the apartment and raises her brows at the takeout boxes stacked on the center table. “You’ve really been hiding.”

“I wasn’t exactly subtle.”

She drops onto the couch and folds one leg beneath her. “I’ve been lying low, too. Well, kind of.”

“Where?”

“At Malik’s,” she replies. “His parents didn’t hesitate to take me in. It’s been refreshing living with people who don’t care about net worth and designer labels, but I miss my parents. I hope they’ll come around, eventually.”

She shrugs, though I can tell she’s trying very hard to sound optimistic. “They’re still my family.”

I nod, thinking of my mother. “You’re right.”

“In the meantime, I started my new job.”

“At the investment firm?” I ask, taking the seat beside her.

She gives me a genuine smile. “Yep. My first day was last Monday.”

“How’s it going?”

“So far, so good. They don’t know my life is in complete disarray, so that’s nice.”

“I’m happy for you.”

“Yeah, me too. I’ll figure everything else out as I go. But enough about me.” She reaches over and squeezes my hand, her expression softening. “How are you?”

I stare down at where our hands join. How am I? Mentally exhausted. Heartbroken. Relieved, yet angry. Free, yet still feeling lost as hell. “I’m... existing,” is what comes out.

Celeste sighs.

“It’s best to stay indoors until the election is over,” I go on. “Mom’s legal team managed to get the website shut down, but the video has already circulated beyond their control. They still haven’t figured out who owned the site, either.”

“Do you still think that Wilson guy is behind it?”

”I know he’s behind it. Mom is trying to find a connection, but I haven’t gotten any good news yet.”

At least, not since her last text message two days ago. Then again, she has probably given up on contacting me since I’ve constantly left her messages on read. I’m not ready to talk to her, either. I still can’t believe she wanted me to throw Roman under the bus.

“So he just might get away with it,” Celeste says, incensed. “Him and all the other assholes involved.”

I shrug. “Maybe not.” Karma might not have caught up with Wilson as I’d want it to, but he still got a decent serving. “He got mugged a few nights ago.”

Celeste’s eyebrows lift. “What?”

“Yep. Someone beat him pretty badly. He spent a couple of days in the hospital.”

“I... wow.”

“Mom said they hadn’t found any suspects. I hope they never will.”

“It sounds like justice to me,” Celeste says. I make a face. She squeezes my hand again. “I know that won’t change what happened to you, but look on the bright side. This scandal will soon fade into obscurity. You’re going to move on from this.”