Sean’s trying not to smile. His lips keep twitching as his eyes dart between my gaze and the grass. “Nothing.” He lets out a sigh and all the tension leaks from his muscles. Sean steps toward me, but he doesn’t touch. The tension between us is thick. My body responds to him and remembers his caresses. “Tell me how someone pretended to be me last night. I’m guessing you were blindfolded or something.”
I make a face and look away, wishing I could hide behind that bush down the street again. Being stupid is one thing. Admitting it later is another. Why is everything always crystal clear in hindsight? Avoiding his gaze, I say, “Uh, something like that. Listen, I can handle that on my own. Don’t worry about it.”
“No, you don’t understand. It’s my problem when someone impersonates me, especially if he took advantage of you.”
“I’m a hooker, Sean. I don’t think things work like that anymore.” But I thought they did. I feel played, but the guy paid, so does it matter who it was? I honestly don’t want to start turning over stones to see who did it, because I know I won’t like what I find. Every day with Black becomes worse than the day before. I need a new job, but I’m so close to graduation. The end is within sight. I just have to hold out a little longer. I’m almost done.
Sean doesn’t like that answer. I can see it in the set of his shoulders before he answers. “Avery, people will treat you the way you expect them to. This is unacceptable. What were you doing that you couldn’t—”
Mel choses that moment to emerge from the house. “That is one fine house, Ferro. At least you’re not a total asshole, cuz anyone who does stuff like this for his brother can’t be all bad.” Mel looks at me and then Sean. “What’d I miss?”
“Someone impersonated me to get to Avery.”
My hands slam onto my hips and I glare at him. “Wow, thanks Sean. What if I wasn’t going to tell her that?”
Sean’s voice deepens as he glares at me. “If you say, ‘You’re not the boss of me,’ I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and spank you senseless.” The look on Sean’s face is dark and brooding. I know he means it. My response is so totally wrong, but a giggle pops out, so I press my hands over my mouth and look away, horrified.
Mel rolls her eyes and turns from us. “You two are into the freaky shit, and I don’t wanna hear it.”
Sean steps directly in front of me and looks down. “Avery is staying with me for a few days.”
“No, I’m not!”
“Yes, you are. It’s not negotiable.”
Slouching, I tip my head to the side and counter. “Sean, you’re being a dick.”
“I am a dick.” He lowers his face to mine, so we’re nose to nose. “And it doesn’t matter what you say, Avery, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Black won’t let me stay with you.”
“Black doesn’t have to know.” Sean glances at Mel and adds, “Does she?”
Mel makes an offended noise in the back of her throat and bristles. “Why you gotta be like that? I’m not tattling on you two if you want to fornicate, but Black does have eyes everywhere. In a couple of hours she’ll know where we are and what we’re wearing. She’ll know Sean’s here.”
I glance up at him. Part of me wants him around. I want things to go forward, but this isn’t forward. It’s like a barn dance and I think we’re spinning in circles, forever stuck in the same damn spot. “I can’t afford to piss off Black. No one has done anything to me. The guy didn’t hurt me, Sean, and I’m a call girl. I did my job.” Yeah, keep telling yourself that Avery. You don’t feel violated. Of course not. I’m having trouble swallowing that lie. “I’ll just head home and—” My phone chirps, so I fish it out of my pocket and look down at the screen.
There’s a message from Marty:
Better sit down, Avery. Saw this and thought you should know. It’s bad. People recognize you. Call if you want to talk.
Sean and Mel are arguing, but their voices turn to noise as apprehension fills my stomach. I press the link and a video starts. Mortified, I look away and try not to cry. One of the videos from the other night—a full body shot of me pleasuring myself—is online. Being a call girl for Black is one thing. I’m a whore, but no one else knew about it. I could live with that, sort of, but this is unthinkable. Without blinking, I shove the phone at Sean and walk away. My feet move down the tree-lined street as horror rises up and drowns me. I don’t realize how hard I’m trying not to cry until I feel Sean’s hand on my shoulder. I stop in my tracks and turn, unable to look him in the eye.