When Mrs. Infamous Lost The Masochist... (BOOK 4)

Chapter 42

Carina's POV

I stayed up late last night to watch Palaye and Lizzie on the late-night talk show they were invited to be at that night. I watched nervously as the show started out normally, then almost turn into a riot as the audience members wouldn't stop asking questions about me and Remington. I was incredibly shocked as I watched Remington stand up for me and everyone else as he basically told everyone that he wasn't as ashamed as he should be and called his fans out. While I was expecting him to go ballistic like last time, he actually managed to handle the situation as calmly as he could, which I deeply appreciated. I was flattered when Lizzie even stated how she has no hard feelings toward any of us and hopes to stay friends with all of us after the tour ends. I wished I could help Lizzie feel better about all this if she was scared. I wondered if we'd be able to figure all of this out when we could.

For the rest of April, I attended school and dealt with the stares and murmurs of everyone around me as they recognized me as "the girl who was caught with Remington while he was in a relationship with someone else". Once or twice, I had people confront me personally for being a side chick for Remington and destroy a good relationship. I didn't say anything most of the time since there was no way to explain we'd been allowed to be together this entire time. Thankfully, most of the professors defended me by reporting those who talked badly to me and emphasize that despite what I did, I've earned more respect than most students. That made me feel a little better, especially when Finn and Leona came to me one time and he asked, "Carina, are you okay? We heard some students have been giving you a hard time about all this." I shrugged and told them, "It's not like time was inevitable, it's fine. I'll be out of this school soon anyway and people will forget about me." I heard a familiar voice tell me from my blind side, "Not me!" I turned to find it was Phoebe. She seemed upset and I didn't understand why as I said to her, "Phoebe, you don't have to be nice. I'm sure I disappointed you."

She shook her head furiously before telling me, "That's not true! I know I said I hoped you and Remington would get back together, but I didn't think it would be this way. Still, the way he's been talking about you and act so devoted towards you, it's hard for me to be mad at him for following his heart. And you've been so humble about all of it! Most girls I know would be bragging about how they're dating a famous rockstar like him, but seeing you not make a big deal about it makes me believe you truly love him and want to protect him." I stared wide-eyed as she showed understanding and acceptance about our situation without judging as harshly as everyone else has been. She continued to express her feelings to me, "I know everyone's been giving you hard time with this, even outside of this school and this town. But there's a small fraction of Palaye's fans who've always supported you and Remington being a couple because we've never seen him so happy than when he's got you by his side."

Her words brought me to tears, but I held them back as I didn't want to be seen crying at school. Instead, I pulled her in for a hug and thanked her for being one of the only people outside of my friends to support me and Rem. Later that day, after school, I hung out with Finn and Leona as we caught up and had dinner at the local diner. Leona volunteered to buy us some sundaes and left our booth to do so. While she was gone, Finn surprised me by asking, "Hey, Carina. I don't mean to be invasive, but how long exactly had you and Remington been together since he starting dating Lizzie Calliope?" I wasn't sure what to say, "Um, that's a bit complicated. But I guess shortly he and his brothers arrived back home last Fall." He seemed skeptical about it, but his next question caught me off-guard, "Why didn't you tell me?" I looked away, slightly ashamed that he was one of the only one left in the dark about Rem and I. I held a guilty expression on my face as I said in an apologetic tone, "I don't know, Finn, but I am sorry. We were already worried about everyone else besides our friends finding out and causing trouble for him and Lizzie. I guess it didn't matter anyway."

Finn nodded solemnly and only asked, "Well, it explains why you had been much happier than the year before. And if you're happy, then we're happy. Hopefully, it'll all be okay for you and him." I smiled at Finn and nodded in gratitude for being so sweet and helpful, like he used to be when we were younger. As Leona came back with our sundaes, Finn wrapped his arm around her and kissed her sweetly on the side of her head, making her smile. It warmed my heart to see him so happy with someone as special as Leona and he knows what it feels like to be devoted to someone who makes you happy and safe. When we were done, I thanked them once more for being so supportive and understanding, and I wished them the best in their relationship which they deeply appreciated. I drove back home that night and managed to feel a little easier about my situation with Remington. It didn't last very long when I got a call from my father who was visiting my hometown to try fixing things again with my mother. Everything within me ran cold as he told me through the phone, "Your mother is in the hospital, Carina. She's sick."