Secret Diaries (Heartlake Cliche #1)

Chapter Thirteen

     “I see.” He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Jessica.”

     The redhead was not immune to his charm and she gazed at Liam with hungry eyes as she shook his hand. “Same here, Liam.”

     The model would have licked her lips if she was left alone with him. A fierce kind of protectiveness rushed through Rachelle and she leaned in closer to her prospective boyfriend. Better to mark her territory before some leech tries to stick itself on him.

     “Okay, I think it’s time to go now,” she announced as she looped her hand around Liam’s arm.

     “I guess,” he answered, a knowing smile plastered on his face.

     “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jessica,” Rachelle piped in as she and Liam walked side by side towards the exit.

     They were now on their way to the Cultural District and the fastest way by car would be to drive along the one main road that follows the same route as the Loop Express. There were other streets within the districts that connected all three but they were only useful when the commuter buses along Heartlake Drive dominated the roads. 

     “I assume she’s not your favorite person,” he stated amidst the silence.

     “Jessica?” Rachelle replied with a hint of annoyance. “Hmph. We’ve hated each other for years and I don’t even know how it started.”

     He gave a bark of laughter at that outrageous statement. “You mean you’re rivals for no apparent reason?”

     She nodded. “I don’t know. We just…don’t like each other.”

     The Porsche was filled with silence again before she heard Liam’s gasp.

     “What?”

     They were caught by a red light and he turned to gaze at Rachelle. “Have you ever considered…if maybe Jessica was the person behind, well, the hate letter?”

     Her eyes widened at the question. She tried to think of any reason why Jessica couldn’t have done it but in all truth, she was the only one who had a motive. Rachelle’s heart started beating faster. Everyone knew that the two of them would never be friends even though they worked in the same industry. The person who wrote the letter also seemed to be someone Rachelle had worked with before. Jessica was also the one who would benefit most if Rachelle’s reputation turned scandalous.

     Thinking about it, she was practically the only hardcore enemy that Rachelle had ever had since she started being famous.

     The traffic light had gone green and they were again moving towards their destination.

     What if it really was Jessica?

     Rachelle would not really know what to do should they find out the truth. She would probably try to get revenge or she would simply unleash her anger and physically hurt the culprit. Either way, she did not like the possible outcomes. Sometimes, she would forget to avoid getting into fights and would later on regret what she did. She could only hope that once this particular problem was over, she would remember to think before she acted.

      “I don’t know, Liam,” Rachelle whispered, feeling a tad confused. “Reason points to her but I can’t just accuse anyone. That would make things more complicated.” She shrugged. “Besides, nothing like that has happened again so maybe that’s just some person who had nothing better to do.”

     “I guess,” Liam told her. He reached out and held one of her hands. “Just so you know, Rachelle. As your new friend, I promise you can count on me any time you need a helping hand,” he said in a voice filled with sincerity.