Billion Dollar Boyfriend (Celebrity Love)

Chapter Thirteen

Emily was in the living room within seconds. "What's going on?"

Shelby sat up on the sofa, her phone still clutched in her hand. She passed her phone to Emily. "Please tell me I'm crazy."

She needed someone to validate this. Someone who also knew Aiden, so whatever it was she was missing could be pointed out to her.

There's a simple explanation for this, she told herself. I'm just missing the obvious. The guy I let myself fall for when I was supposed to be taking a break from dating liars isn't a liar, even if the photo is making that undeniable.

"What should I be telling you you're crazy about?" Emily took the phone from her and inspected the screen. She used her finger to scroll up, and then scrolled back down. "Is it the fact that you've graduated from reading American celebrity gossip sites to reading ones from the UK?"

"Look at the photo."

"The one with the guy who looks like a rock star, hugging some woman?" Emily raised the phone up closer to her eyes.

"Yes, that one. If you take away the black hair, who does he look like?"

Emily zoomed in on the photo, then did a double-take. "Oh wow. He looks a lot like Aiden, except for the black hair."

"So I'm not crazy, then?"

"Not at all," Emily replied. "That's hilarious. They say everyone has a twin, right? I guess Aiden's twin is in London."

"Which is where Aiden also is," Shelby reminded her. "And his so-called twin in that photo has an identical scar on his right hand, and is wearing the same ring Aiden always wears."

Emily examined the photo again. "You're right. So this photo is of Aiden, then?"

"Seems that way." Shelby rubbed the bridge of her nose. "It has to be."

"Why does he have black hair? Was this taken a long time ago or something?"

"Read the caption."

Emily scanned the text below the photo, then blinked hard and read it again. "Why does this say his name is Tristan Thornbury?"

"That appears to be the billion-dollar question. Either the caption made a mistake with his name, which still doesn't explain the black hair, eyeliner, or the claim that he's a billionaire, or Aiden has been lying to me about who he is."

Emily set Shelby's phone down on the arm of the sofa. "Don't jump to conclusions until you find out the whole story. There's probably an explanation for this."

"Like?" Shelby gave her a skeptical look.

"Maybe the woman with him is famous so the paparazzi took a photo, but they mistook Aiden for that Tristan guy."

"You're serious right now? This is because he's Raine's friend, isn't it?"

"Not following," Emily told her.

"If Raine gave his stamp of approval and didn't tell us Aiden was shady, well, then Aiden must be as perfect as Raine is."

Shelby knew she was coming close to crossing a line, and that the swipe at Raine was uncalled for. If she had met Aiden through another friend, though, or out at a bar, she was certain Emily wouldn't be defending him. She had been the first to deem Darren a sleazebucket before Shelby had seen solid proof of his lies and could confirm he had been cheating on her.

Emily sat down beside Shelby on the sofa, but said nothing.

"Well?" Shelby prompted.

"I've never claimed Raine is perfect. Maybe you're right and part of me does want to believe there's a good explanation for this because he's Raine's friend, but that's not the only reason. You've been so happy over the last few weeks, and I want Aiden to turn out to be the guy we both thought he was and to continue to make you happy."