Chapter 14
I woke up to an incessant ringing from my phone. It's Hailey Facetiming me.
"What?" I said in a groggy tone.
Her eyes widened, "Jeez, you look like hell."
"Well, good morning to you too."
"What happened to you?"
"Oh, I don't know, but it could never be because I was tossing and turning last night," I said in a sarcastic tone.
"I slept at, like, 2:30." I groaned. "What do you want, Hailey? It's 8:00 in the morning and it's Sunday!"
"Well, it's already 8:00 and the news doesn't sleep. Check your messages. I've sent you the article."
"What article?" I went to the messages app to check the article.
"Holy shit." I sat up and felt all the sleepiness in me evaporate.
SPOTTED: AXEL JAMES COZY AT THE ORCHARD WITH A MYSTERY GIRL
I clicked on the article and immediately scrolled through the pictures. It doesn't matter what they say about us because it's all speculation, what I need to know is if my face is still unknown to the public or is out for everyone to see.
"You know what, it isn't that bad, I just thought you should know." she shrugged.
I tried to even my breathing in an attempt to calm my nerves.
There's a picture of Axel looking at me while I was picking an apple. Another of us hugging under an apple tree from when he found out that paparazzi were after us. And one from when we were running from the paparazzi and the rain.
To the innocent eye, the hug may look sweet, romantic even. What they don't know is that it's just a hiding tactic for Axel to be able to cover my face from the press.
The pictures in the article showcased only the back of my head. Thank God.
It's the second article now about Axel that actually involved me, but for both times I seem to be left unscathed. It would've been a scandal if someone had a photo of me with Axel.
I sighed in relief but I know that it's only a matter of time before they see me with their beloved movie star and I'd be attacked by internet trolls. One wrong move, one different camera angle, and the public would feast on me for breakfast.
"Lauren, you still there?" Hailey said.
I almost forgot I was talking to her. "Yeah."
"So, how do you feel?"
"I... I don't know what to say."
Hailey shook her head slightly, "It's okay, you're still in shock."
"Yeah..." my voice trailed. "That's the thing though... I don't know why I am, I already expected this. I know something like this would happen."
Her brows raised at my admission. "Explain," she said slowly.
"Axel and I knew about the paparazzi, that's why we were running on the third picture. The rain is sort of like a blessing in disguise, now that I think about it. Without it, the paparazzi would've had a holiday. You know what, I can't even believe they found us. I thought they'd be busy enough because it's Fashion Week in less than 24 hours."
"Back up, tell me everything about the date." she shook her head, "No, scratch that. I need to be there in person. Meet you at The Café in 30?"
"Oh, okay. How about 45? I just woke up, as you know."
YOU ARE READING
How to Date an Asshole
RomanceLike most people, Lauren had a big crush on a celebrity when she was a teenager. Unlike most people, she met hers ten years later, learned how big of a jerk he was, loathed him, and wanted nothing to do with him anymore. The problem was when she st...
