Page 23 of For You & No One Else (Say Everything 3)

“Oh shit,” she whispered.

No.No, no, no, no.

She recognized the suit, the restaurant, the lighting.

She clicked on the video and turned her phone sideways to expand it, the sound of a busy restaurant filling the silence in her living room. And then she heard her own voice. Angry. Loud. Slurred.

“Shut. The fuck. Up! I can’t do this anymore. You hear me? Date after date after date, it’s the same blue shit. No, blue shirt.Bull. Shit.”

Acid burned the back of her throat as she watched her drunk self stumble over her words. The video was taken from table height, putting her at the most unflattering angle possible, but there was no mistaking who she was or what she was saying.

That sonofabitch Ryan hadfilmed her.

“What are we going to do back at your place? You going to pretend to talk with me, right? Like I’m en-resting. But only long enough to get my clothes off. ’Cause that’s all that’s really en-resting to you.”Video Eliza slapped her hand on the bar table, making the video jump for a moment.“Well, why don’t we just get that outta way right now?”

Panic went through Eliza as she watched.No. Please, girl. Don’t.

But Video Eliza was already trucking down that path. She grabbed the top button of her blouse and unhooked it, spreading the shirt open and revealing her lacy black bra. “There. Happy? You paid for dinner and a show, right?”

“Sweetheart…don’t.” Ryan’s voice was patient, patronizing, because that narcissistic sonofabitch knew he was recording. This was entertaining him. “Close your shirt. You’re drunk and embarrassing yourself. Let me take you home.”

“Screw you.”Video Eliza fastened her shirt back together and stood up, going half out of frame but rattling the table as she bumped into it.“I’m leaving.”

She disappeared from the video, but Ryan’s voice filled in the last few seconds, his face conveniently not on-screen.“And that, ladies and gentleman, is internet dating. All I’d asked her was if she wanted to see a new art piece I’d purchased, and that’s the reaction I got. You think you’re going on a date with a hot therapist, and you end up with a night of seriously boring conversation and then a whole lot of crazy once the drinks came out. She looked so normal and fun on her YouTube videos, but we know the internet lies. Be careful out there, kids.”

Eliza’s teeth were clenched together so hard her jaw started to ache. Thatfucking bastard.

But the anger turned to horror as she scrolled down, reading the comments. Tucked a few down was a comment that read:Found her! This is definitely the same woman.

Next to it was a link to her YouTube and professional web page.

Her email dinged.

She opened it up, her fingers numb. The scheduling program she used had sent an update about a new client appointment for this afternoon.

Adam and Olivia Wolfe

Appointment: Canceled

Reason: Other

Rescheduled for: None

She stared at the words, unable to process everything at once.Other.No one ever pickedotherfrom the drop-down menu as an appointment cancellation reason. The canceled appointment was probably a coincidence, but her intuition alarms were going off, calling bullshit on that. They’d canceled because one of them had seen the comments on her YouTube.

The gravity of that hit her.Anyonecould see this.

She was on the internet. Drunk. Flashing her boobs. And people now knew who she was.

Something dark and heavy seeped through her, making her limbs tingle and her skin hot. Embarrassment. Horror.Shame.

She was brought right back to sixth grade when Eric Geiger had called her Werewolf Legs in front of the whole PE class because her mom hadn’t allowed her to shave yet. The sound of laughter in her ears was fresh and clear.

These people were laughing at her, too. Not just laughing…labeling. Damaging her reputation.

Fear rushed in, bright and cold.

Everything she’d worked so hard for—the business she’d built, the image she’d honed, the life she created—all of it was at risk.