The pavement burned. The Los Angeles heat beat down on the sidewalk, baking into my running shoes as I sprinted along the cracked cement. The sun singed the small weeds that had managed to wriggle through the cracks in the sidewalk, making them wilt. I was itching to move this morning. Thoughts of the night before burning my cheeks and making my mind spin as the buildings around me blurred.
Beads of sweat trailed down my temples as thoughts trailed back to what I learned. I had seen Tate's girlfriend somewhere before and I wasn't able to put my finger on it when she was standing at my door, looking like she wanted to be anywhere else. Same girl, same.
But after staring at where she and Tate had disappeared around the corner of the hallway, for what felt like an eternity, I did what any girl did when she wanted more information about a boy and his potential girlfriend. I searched the internet. Enter spy mode.
Sitting on the couch, ice pack on one hand, I typed Tate's name into Google as fast as one hand could manage. And after the slow clack of the keys, there he was. He was plastered all over the gossip columns, smiling brightly in some photos, laughing without a care in others, and even making funny faces at paparazzi cameras in a few.
I was surprised to find him so fast. I assumed I'd have to dig deep into several pages of other Tate Dalton's before landing on him. I had no idea that he was so popular in celebrity circles. Who are you, Tate Dalton? Why does everyone know you?
Then I spotted a picture with the girl from the night before and suddenly remembered why she had looked so familiar. "Laliana Summers," I blurted out loud to no one. It felt like a lightbulb popped to life above my head.
Laliana was a popular author known for her Seapunk Princess trilogy. I hadn't read her books, but the story of her getting stalked was all over the news for weeks. And somehow, Tate had become popular because of it.
Scrolling further, I spotted an article by XOXO Daily Gossip called...
My hand hovered over the link to the article. I really shouldn't click on this... It's just gonna be full of made-up theories and lies... and it's too neon pink to be taken seriously...
But my hand moved on its own, clicking on the article, flinging me head first into the rabbit hole of pictures, words, and an unnecessary amount of neon pink hearts, that painted a picture of Laliana Summers' journey from book to movie and the guys that followed her there.
A picture of Laliana standing in between Tate and someone else filled the banner of the article. That must be Aiden, I thought, taking in the guy to her right.
I could see the resemblance between the two Dalton Boys. Where Aiden had black hair and sharp blue eyes, Tate had dark brown hair and deep green eyes. They had similar builds. But where Tate was sunshine and smiles, Aiden was stone-cold expressions that could turn those sunshine expressions right back into a pile of ice.
I began to read the article...
A picture of Laliana and Tate at the grocery store filled the computer screen. Laliana sported a pair of glasses. Her golden hair was pulled up into a messy bun, with wild strands framing her face. She was adjusting a can in Tate's arms, her face close to his, like she was leaning in for a kiss. Tate's eyes were bright, smiling his easy smile down at her like they were sharing a secret moment.
I had been behind the scenes of enough photoshoots to know she was just trying to keep his ridiculous choice of junk food from spilling all over the ground. Nice try article. They're just friends. But the article painted a different story.
The next picture showed Laliana on the pier with a man, his back to the camera. The man's hands were pulling his suit jacket around Laliana's shoulders, shielding her from the wind. Laliana smiled up at him, her face bright, cheeks blush a soft pink. That was the look of a girl very much in love.
I squinted, trying to figure out who the man was. He wasn't clear in the picture. Are you Tate or Aiden? The article chimed in with theories.
The final set of pictures were of the Seapunk Princess movie premiere. In the first picture, Laliana wore a deep green dress, her hair up in a set of beautiful braids. She was radiant, glowing with excitement. Aiden stood next to her, his face close to her neck, whispering something into her ear. Instead of using words, the article just vomited a bunch of heart emojis. I snorted. Real classy writing.
The next picture showed Laliana, her eyes bright as she spotted Tate in the crowd. He smiled brightly back at her.
In the final picture, Laliana threw her arms around Tate, hugging him fiercely as they finally reached each other in the crowd. Her fingers burrowed into his suit. Tate's eyes were closed, drinking in the moment, his arms enveloping her, his chin resting on her head.
The article explained the scene...
I shut the computer, feeling suddenly nauseous. Reading the article had been a bad idea. I knew better. The entire thing was VERY pink and full of too many hearts to be taken seriously. Like a glittery diary that threw up on the internet. Full of drama and silly gushing. That's what I get relying on gossip column called XOXO Daily Gossip... don't treat it like facts Allie.
The writer just threw a bunch of images together and painted whatever picture they liked best. Clearly, this writer was a Tate fan.
I shouldn't have read it. Especially one that uses so many exclamation points and emojis instead of words.
But the words and images clung to me like a perfume that you tried at the store and instantly wanted to wash off. It wafted around me, threatening to overwhelm until it was the only thing I could sense.
So the next morning, I ran. Jogging to take the edge off my anxiety and giving myself time to think. It was clear that Tate and Laliana were close. Were they really dating? Did he really have a baby on the way? He'd be a great dadâ I killed the thought as I headed back to my apartment.
I rinsed off the run and thoughts from the article, then I forced myself to eat a balanced breakfast instead of the zero things I normally eat before starting my day. But I still drank a gallon of coffee. Not all habits are broken easily.
It was the weekend, which gave me the excuse to text Tate and tell him to take the weekend off. I had zero desire to see him. Not when I needed a few days to reboot my brain and think like a sane human.
But that didn't mean I wasn't going to work. I just wasn't going to have Tate around to distract me. Productivity for the win!
Pulling on a long button-up white shirt, I tugged on a black vest with a set of gold chains that strung back and forth along the top of the vest. Then slipping into a pair of black pants and black leather high-heeled boots, I plucked up my bag and walked down to the curb, ready to start my day.
My hair was pulled back out of my face in a high ponytail, keeping the wind from sending it flying in all directions as I hit the sidewalk, heels clicking with purpose as I moved to the edge of the sidewalk, scanning the cars, waiting for my Uber.
A car rolled to a stop, the front passenger window rolling down. "Allie?"
I adjusted my purse and offered a halfhearted smile, moving towards the sleek black Lincoln. "Yep."
I paused, unable to find the Uber sticker that was supposed to be on every car that worked for the car service. I looked back down at my phone and found the name of the driver who was supposed to be picking me up. "Sam?"
The man in the car shook his head, his face in shadow. "No. I'm not a Lyft or Uber driver. But I am here to pick you up."
I snorted and backed away from the car, torn between wanting to retreat back into my building and keying his car. "I don't get into random people's cars. And I'm not going to start doing that today." A chill went down my spine. How does this guy know my name? "What do you want?"
"I'm here to take you to see Laurence Royal."
My stomach constricted, rage filling my vision as I narrowed my eyes. "What does he want?"
"He has a proposition that you will want to hear."
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Thank you for reading chapter eighteen! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes!
UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY!
It looks like Laurence is making a move! What does he want to talk to Allie about?
Is Tate actually dating Laliana Summers, or are they just good friends? If they are dating, is Laliana actually pregnant?
If they aren't dating, why is Aiden not seen with Laliana much these days?
CHAPTER QUESTION - Do you read gossip columns, magazines, or any other celebrity-citing posts? If so, which celebrities do you like to read about?