A/N: This chapter is dedicated to BrianneBrockman23 ! Thank you for the support and passion for the story!
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*Ash*
I watched her fabulous ass as it retreated into another room, closing the door behind herself. Fuck.
The word repeated over and over in my head like a mantra as I made my way back to the dining room. "Is everything ok?" Mick, Gia's dad asked, frowning. With the abrupt phone call and us being gone for a considerable amount of time, I couldn't blame him for being suspicious.
Under any other circumstances, it would've meant that I was tapping his daughter's luscious ass - but tonight, I was mostly clinging to it while she tried to toss me out on mine. "I think it's best if Gia explains it to you," I said instead, knowing she'd hate it if I made any inappropriate comments in front of others. "Jesse, can I talk to you?"
My brother was already on his feet, following me out of the room as he grabbed his ridiculous top hat on the way. "What the fuck happened? Where's Ginger?"
"That was London on the phone," I started, running a hand through my hair. "Apparently a photographer has gotten a couple pictures of us out today. London knows and so does the rest of the world."
I haven't bothered to look the story up, but my brother had his phone in his hands before I could get the last sentence out. His fingers pistoned over the keyboard and a moment later, he got what he was looking for.
"It's already trending."
I rolled my eyes. Of course, it would be. "It's not like she's the first chick I ever had my photo taken with." Far from it, actually.
Jesse held his phone in front of my face, angling it annoyingly close as he zoomed in on an HD photo of Gia and I grinning at each other as I opened the car door for her. Another as I leaned down, our faces only an inch apart. In the third photo, Gia is pouting at me in an overly exaggerated gesture.
"Okay, I get it!" I snapped, slapping Jessie's hand away. While we weren't making out in the pictures - actually, we weren't touching aside from holding hands - it was very apparent how together we were. It was unmistakable - that familiarity, the way we both looked at each other.
If I didn't know any better....
"Aw, you two look cute as hell!" Jessie swooned, making puppy dog eyes at me over his phone as he read through the article. "On the downside, they mention her by her full name, adding her age and even the school she goes to. There's also a link to another article here which has pictures of me and her when we arrived up North."
"What do the comment say?" I asked, and despite my best efforts, my stomach tightened in a knot as I remembered the crude things anonymous people on the internet have said about London when her relationship with Lukas first came out.
Oh, fuck me! Lukas!
I ripped my phone out of my back pocket as I dialed my best friend's number.
"They're not too bad actually. Compared to-" Jessie trailed off. We were both on the same page. "This one chick is cheering Ginger on for getting with both of us. Her exact words are 'what I wouldn't give to be the meat in the middle of that Wolfhart brothers sandwich!'."
Jessie's chuckles faded into the distance as Lukas picked up the phone after the third ring. "What the fuck have you done now, man?!"
***
*Gia*
"I'm driving over to London and Lukas' place right now," Callie said as I clutched my phone tighter to my ear. "She sounded very upset when I talked to her."
"She didn't even give me a chance to explain." I sighed, collapsing into one of my father's modern, faux fur chairs.
"There's not much to explain, Ginger. Are you fucking Ash Wolfhart?"
I rolled my eyes. "It's not that simple."
"But it is! It's a yes or no question. So, are you?"
"Yes."
Callie fell silent. The quiet went on for so long I actually had to check if we were still on the call. "Well, that just about explains everything. Is this weekend the first time you fell into bed together?"
"No." I replied, honestly. "It's been going on for a while."
"Weeks?"
"Months."
Another long stretch of silence. "I see," Callie said finally. "Actually, scratch that! I don't see at all. What the fuck, Ginger?! Ash?! Out of all the people you could be banging, you went for him?!! His dick has been in more holes than-"
"Callie!" I warned. "You're not one to talk."
"Fair enough. But still! Aside from the fact that he's a total player, he's a psycho player! Don't think I haven't heard of what he does to the girls he's with! He's into all that fifty shades of grey kind of shit and-" She inhaled audibly. "I guess I just never pegged you for that type."
I wasn't sure what to say to that. Callie wasn't the only one who assumed that I wasn't that adventurous - in fact if she would've asked me before that night at London's house where I've lost a bet with him, I would've agreed. I was never one to color outside of the line.
"Is that why London is so upset?" I asked, finally. "Because she thinks Ash somehow corrupted me?"
"I'm sure that's a possible part of it. But you have a strong mind of your own. I don't think even Ash could talk you into something you wouldn't want to do. And that's coming from someone who has watched him work his magic on girls for a while now!" She paused. "London is upset because you didn't tell us. And before you tell me you are an independent woman, I'm well aware of that! You don't need to run your decisions by us... But I guess it's just... It hurts, Ging. I fucking share everything with you two. It's like... if you can lie about something this big, what else hasn't been true?"
"I didn't tell you two, because I didn't think it would happen again! I honestly thought I'd fuck him out of my system and that'd be that."
"Finally! The first honest thing you openly shared with me," Callie sounded relieved. "So what, he really did coerce you with that dick magic?"
I chuckled. "Something like that."
"I never thought in my life..." She trailed off. "I never thought it could happen to someone as smart and confident as you!"
"Well, evidently it did. And now I don't really know what to do, because I feel like it has gotten between me and my two best friends." I admitted the words that I've been thinking of finally spilling out. I was never one to truly share my feelings and worries, and laying all my cards on the table like that wasn't easy. Even if I knew those two girls loved me.
"It won't. London is emotional but she's just worried for you. Remember what happened to her last year?" Callie asked, and I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "She doesn't want you to go through the same bullshit. The public is brutal and she experienced the worst of the worst last year. I mean, these four guys basically grew up in front of their fans. In turn, the fans think they have some sort of a claim over them. One gets coupled up and their world crumbles..."
"We're not a couple!" I said quickly. "We've just been sleeping together. It's really not that serious."
"Unless you come right out and say that, no one is going to know, darling." Callie's voice sounded sympathetic. "And I don't think you really want to put yourself up for judgment like that."
"You're right."
"Remember, no matter what you do, it's always the woman who gets blamed. You snatch up one of the most eligible bachelors? You're a gold digger. You just fool around and have your fun? You'll be branded a whore. No matter what angle you decide to take, it's always the woman who gets judged for it."
"That's a positive way of looking at things." I murmured sarcastically, knowing just how right she was.
"It's the truth - and London knows it," She said kindly. "Let me go and talk to her. Make her see that this isn't the end of the world... And then we'll figure something out."
"Thank you, Callie. You're a really good friend, you know."
"And you're a little closeted freak!" She shot back, laughing. "I can't believe you didn't give me the details on your dirty encounters! And don't even try to pretend that Ash Wolfhart doesn't like it filthy..."
"A lady doesn't kiss and tell." I teased back.
"Apparently, you're no lady!" Callie chuckled. "I just got to London's place. I will talk to you in the morning, okay? And Ginger?"
I lifted a brow. "Yes?"
"You sound happy."
After my call with Callie ended, I walked back to the dining room. But to my surprise, neither of the Wolfhart brothers were present. Instead, I was met with my father's and Julianna's questioning gaze.
"I have to tell you two something. And your opinion of me will change, no doubt."
Mick looked calm as he sat back, placing his folded napkin on the table in front of him. "Go on, then."
"Ash and I have been sleeping together. And there are pictures of us online - so I guess now the whole world knows."
My father looked like someone punched him in the gut. "Pictures of...?" He didn't finish his question, but judging by his paling features, I could guess what he was hinting at.
"Not like that! There must've been a photographer today outside of the bridal shop. They took pictures of us coming out of it - holding hands. And now the world is speculating."
My father pushed back his chair and rose, keeping his eyes trained of me. Then, he walked out of the room.
Exhaling sharply, I sunk back on my earlier chair, eyeing my barely touched plate. If only I didn't answer the phone... This would've been delayed, I thought. Not much of a solution.
"If you ask me, I think it's wonderful that women are finally powerful enough to not be ashamed of their sexuality," Julie said, surprising me. When I glanced up at her, her brown eyes were shining with admiration. "And it's not like Ash is hard to look at. No one can really fault you there..."
Despite the absurdity of the situation, I smiled. "I think you're literally the only person right now on my side."
Julie rolled her eyes. "I think you're very wrong about that. The world is shifting, Gia. And women are fueling this change."
A moment later, my father reappeared at the door, holding his cell phone. "I've reached out to an old friend of mine. She's a publicist. She'll know the best way to handle this." He said simply, sitting back down in his chair.
Julie smiled over at him, her eyes shining with what I could only call love and admiration. "Let's get back to dinner, shall we?"
After a few minutes, Ash and Jesse joined us and we finished our meal as if the last half an hour never happened. Together, as one very strange, highly dysfunctional family. But together none the less.
***
A/N: Well there that is. What's next? Do you see another shit storm brewing or you think Gia will handle this shit?
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