Page 91 of Falling for Them

Kevin gives me a ride home from Bartleby’s, which means I don’t get home until two a.m.

“Thanks for giving me the shift on short notice,” I say.

“Nicholas was happy enough to have Friday off.”

Nicholas-don’t-call-me-Nick is always happy to skip Fridays.

“Be careful out there,” Kevin says, likely still remembering those guys who were hassling me the other night.

Thankfully, he doesn’t know about the sex tape or anything else going on.I didn’t hear from Joel for the rest of the day, and other than finally confessing everything to Melinda at Maids in Heaven, I’ve kept my head down and tried not to think about it.

The worst thing for me with a sex tape is…what?I don’t have much of a family to disappoint.Tommy will be mad, but ultimately it isn’t going to hurt either of us.It’s not like I’m a celebrity or aiming to get a position in a public office or some shit like that.

But it still fucking hurts.It’s still a gross violation of my body and my mind.

Kevin waits at the curb while I let myself into the building.I wave at him and then close the door firmly behind me.Because of course, the last person to use the door didn’t close it all the way.The landlord really needs to fix this.I’ll leave him another message tomorrow.

I tromp up the stairs to my apartment and nearly have a heart attack when I see Tommy waiting by my door.

“Tommy, for fuck’s sake, you have to call me,” I say, keeping my voice low so I don’t bother any of my neighbors.

“I did,” he says, shrugging.

I pull my phone from my bag and look at the screen.Sure enough, he called.I’d put my phone on silent to avoid all of the calls from Sebastian and Mr.Tyler.“Well, fine, then,” I say.

“Good,” he says.“I even brought you a sandwich from that bodega on the corner.”

“Thank you,” I say.“I already ate, but it’ll make a nice lunch tomorrow.Come on in.”

We go into my apartment.Tommy sets the sandwich bag on the coffee table and then sprawls on the couch.I give him a pointed look until he moves his legs aside, a chagrined look on his face.The couch is the only place to sit, and no way am I sitting on the floor after working all evening.

“So, what’s up?”I ask.

He grins.“I wanted to congratulate you on going viral.”

All the blood rushes from my face.I can’t speak.Then I choke out, “Viral?”

“You’re in a video,” Tommy says.

My stomach drops.“Tell me you haven’t seen it, Tommy.Promise me you’ll click away, don’t look.”

“What are you talking about?”His brown eyes squint at me in confusion.“It’s really good.”

“Are we talking—what?”We cannot be talking about the sex video, because Tommy might be a dick, but he’s not, like,ew.I can’t even finish the thought.

He holds up his phone.“I have it right here.You sound good, Ella.I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you sang with Bastian fuckin’ Crown.”

Bastian Crown?I can’t speak, but it doesn’t matter, because Tommy’s already clicking around on his phone.He holds up a clip on VideYou, and the still shows me and Sebastian.

Sebastian…Bash…Bastian.Shit.I had no fucking idea.Tommy clicksplay, and that night comes back to me.Sebastian’s reluctance to sing, which had made absolutely no sense to me, because he turned out to have an amazing voice.The strange attention everyone had paid us, and the energy in the lounge as we sang.

That woman had asked us to sing a Bastian Crown song.

I’d responded that I didn’t really know his music.

A hysterical laugh erupts from my throat.

Tommy looks over at me.“What’s so funny?”