Private Affair (The Private Series) by Danielle Torella Read Free Book Online Page B

school and how things with her and you were. We got accustomed to sending a message a day on there and one day she offered up her phone number and told me to call any time and I of course returned the offer, for if she ever needed someone to talk to. I started to notice some hurtful things on her wall and I called her asking is she was alright. She was having a hard time with a few people from school, they had been calling her bad names and accusing her of sleeping with a teacher. One night I saw a post that pissed me off and I had been drinking so I lashed out back at the posts and then they attacked back saying that I was probably another older guy she was fucking.” He stops and looks at Tess who had tossed her hand over her mouth.
    “What’s wrong?” Dan asks her.
    “When I was in her room a while back I had seen some of the posts you’re talking about. I couldn’t believe how rude they were being to her.”
    I drop my head and shake it, “You tried to tell me about that too and I just blew it off. All this time she was hurting and she goes to you,” I point to Dan. “But not me.”
    “Ben, I think she has been trying to.” He tells me.
    “What do you mean by that? That I wasn’t listening to her?” Then it finally hits me. I turn to Tess, “This is what you’ve been trying to tell me. I just had horse blinders on. I didn’t want to see it.”
    She only nods.
    Fuck. I am an asshole.
    “Is there anything else I need to know? From either of you?” I look from him to her.
    “I just want you to know that I was only there for her to listen to her. I didn’t do it to hurt you.” Dan explains himself.
    “I know.”

 

     

     
     
    The last couple of days went a little more smoothly. I don’t think I have seen such an intense Christmas in my life.
    Ben and I are in the office, which I have my own little cubical at now! I know it might seem like a silly thing to be excited over, but hey I have a cubical at my dream job. We are called into Ms. Fuller’s office to go over the New Years Eve bash. It is a mash up of local rock bands and a few known indie bands. I look over the list and I have heard a few of them, but I am always eager to hear new music and use my new lens.
    I am at my cubical editing some photos from the last show I did, when my cell buzzes. I look to find its Erin calling me. “Hey girlie!” I answer.
    “Hey yourself, how have you been?” She asks, I was able to sneak away while in the New York hospital to call Erin to let her know what was going on. I needed to confide in my friend, even though she hasn’t admitted a pretty big secret that I know of hers.
    “I am good. Things got intense, but are going to somewhat back to normal. You?”
    I hear her giggling, “Erin? What’s going on?”
    “Oh! Haha sorry, hold on…” She pulls the phone away but fails at muting it and I hear “James stop it I am talking to your sister for Christ’s sakes!”
    Ew! Oh. My. God. Ew!
    She comes back to the phone, “Sorry about that, I was…”
    “Seriously Erin when you’re talking to me! So gross!”
    She starts to laugh hysterically, “Yeah, sorry, what can I say? Your brother can’t keep his hands off of me!”
    “Enough!” I yell a little too loudly and I see a guy across the way look at me.
    Still laughing, “Hey did you know that he has the cutest freckle on his right nut?”
    I hang up. That, right there is too much information. I start to gag and I see Ben come around my corner.
    “You feeling okay?” He asks about my I’m getting ready to barf stance .
    I shiver at the memory, “Ugh, yeah, let’s just say that Erin is not discrete about seeing my brother.
    He laughs and says, “Enough said.”
    My phone beeps with an incoming text, I look to see it’s from Erin and it’s a photo notification. Dear lord, do I dare open it?
    “What?” Ben asks.
    “She sent me a picture and I am kind of afraid to open it now.”
    He holds out his hand and offers, “want me to take a