Forced | cake au ✓

Chapter THIRTY-EIGHT

Calum

"Have you tried their scones? The cashier told me it's their best-seller."

"I didn't drive all the way to this part of the city for scones, Kayla."

Kayla chewed down the last bit of scone before pushing the plate away, dabbing at her face with a napkin. "I'm glad that you followed your gut and decided to meet with me after all." Kayla's smile might've seemed friendly, but her intentions were anything but.

I should've known the peace was too good to last.

Luke left only hours ago after a blissful two days spent holing up in my condo. He seemed much more energized and calmer than when he first came back. A short break from the outside world and social media had us both feeling better.

It was like we had our own little bubble, away from reality.

Currently, reality for me included facing one of the people I wouldn't have expected to cause any more problems in my life.

"I wouldn't have met with you if you didn't send me that picture," I pointed out, feeling my blood boil. Kayla had sent me an image out of the blue, without any context or explanation other than the location of a cafe I've never been to and a designated time for us to meet. The image showed both of us in my bed, a blanket covering our chests. In the photo, I was passed out while Kayla had been the one holding the camera and angling it towards us.

The woman in front of me shifted in her seat, taking out her phone and searching for a moment before landing on a video, turning her screen so it would face me.

It was around the same time she had taken the image, only in the video she was wrapping her arm around me. I hadn't moved a single muscle even when the video ended. My jaw locked at the way Kayla smiled at the camera. Even in the footage she was taunting me. "This was the night you and I saw each other at the bar. We look great together, don't you think?" She had the audacity to ask.

I kept my voice low, knowing that I needed to lay-low at the moment and a public cafe was not the place to make a scene. Though Kayla would probably like that. "Why do I not remember any of this? What the fuck did you do?!"

"Easy now." She locked her phone and slid it back into her pocket, taking out a folded paper and sliding it across the table towards me. I kept my hands where they were, raising an eyebrow at her. "What is this, Kayla?"

Kayla leaned closer, clamping her hands together on top of the table. She was dressed casually, however the matching diamond necklace and earrings were anything but conservative. "Listen, Calum, I know you're smart. You understand the severity of the situation if something like that were to leak online. So, I'm prepared to offer you a way out. You give me something, and I'll delete all footage and pictures from that night."

My mouth dropped open, eyebrows scrunching in disbelief. "Give you something? How the hell did you even get that footage?! I didn't go home with you, Kayla. You and I both know that."

Kayla's eyebrows rose in faux shock. "Oh, do we now? Huh, that's odd. Because if I recall correctly, I was the one who brought you to your condo. The bellman even directed me to your floor." She placed her chin on the palm of her right hand, smiling like she knew she had the upperhand. Which, unfortunately, it seemed like she did.