No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

75 - This Can't Be Over Now

I stared at the pictures on my screen, my heart racing and bile rising in my throat. A photograph of Harry lying on his back, his face turned towards Kendall, seemingly in a clinch... Another one with his face apparently buried in her chest... A third showing Harry lifting a towel up in the air while Kendall looked down at him... A fourth with the towel covering Harry's face... A fifth with Kendall lying on her front on top of Harry, who was playing on his phone behind her head...

"Jess," Callie said, softly. "Are you OK?"

"Something's not right," I heard myself say.

There was a pause, and then Callie's voice again.

"Wh - what do you mean?"

I swallowed hard, forcing the feeling of nausea back down into the pit of my stomach. I needed to be rational. I needed to keep my cool. I needed not to lose control.

"I mean," I began, hating how hard my whole body was shaking, "this just doesn't add up. It doesn't make any sense. Why would he do this? After everything we've been through... after everything he's been saying to me over the past couple of days..."

I could feel tears brimming in my eyes. I gritted my teeth. I would not give into this emotion. I would not break down in front of everyone.

"Because he's a lying, cheating, two-faced, sadistic bastard," Callie hissed furiously. "Jess if you don't kick him out of your life for good after this, there is something seriously wrong with you."

Rage rose in me out of nowhere and I got to my feet, my legs wobbling and tears spilling down my cheeks. 

"You," I began furiously, pointing my finger at her, "know nothing about this! Stop interfering and telling me what I should and shouldn't do! I am so sick of everyone thinking they know what's best for me, and trying to run my life for me! I've got my dad refusing to let Harry sleep in my room with me at my parents' house, Calvin threatening to break Harry's legs every time he breathes the wrong way, Karen flipping her lid every time we so much as look at each other in public, and you making his life miserable every time the pair of you are in the same room as each other!"

"What..?" Callie gaped at me. "Jess - fucking hell - the guy fucked someone else behind your back, cosied up to some model only a couple of months ago while he was supposedly trying to win you back, and now he's flaunting his latest squeeze on some poncey boat in the middle of the sea! How is this my fault? I didn't take the pictures! I didn't strip him down to his underwear and force her to lie on his chest!"

"Callie," Rebecca murmured placatingly.

"What? She's acting like I'm unjustified in thinking he's the scum of the earth!" Callie shouted. "Why can't you see what's right in front of you, Jess? He is cheating on you! And not only that, he's doing it in public! He knows the paparazzi are watching him, and he doesn't even care! How can you still defend him after this?!"

Callie was on her feet now, facing me, her hands on her hips and her whole body trembling. I stared at her, taking in her words as she stared defiantly back.

"You're right," I said softly. "He does know the paparazzi are watching him. So if he were going to be unfaithful, he'd hardly do it on the deck of a boat where everyone can see him!"

Callie's face twisted into an expression of disbelief. "Jess, the photographic evidence is right in front of you. What are you not getting?"

My stomach clenched painfully as I looked down again at my phone in my hand, at the picture of their faces close together, partially concealed by a blue towel. I studied it, using every ounce of strength I had to shelve my emotions and trying to treat this as though it were just some random celebrity hitting the headlines, rather than the love of my life and his so-called friend.