by Mia Hoddell
What wasn’t usual was the fact nothing had surfaced in any gossip magazines or online about that first encounter. Every morning before class I spent an hour trawling through the websites. I’d even set up a Google alert to notify me if my name was mentioned, but so far nothing.
Every morning had become a struggle. I assumed every day would be the day where I had to face a shitstorm in class. If it wasn’t for Teo staying with me and forcing me to class, I think I would have given up entirely.
“You should stop checking that,” Teo said as he walked into my room with a bowl of cereal. I was hunched over my desk, scrolling through websites.
“Why haven’t they posted it yet? Surely that means it’s going to be thousands of times worse because they’re trying to find another angle.”
“Raine, you need to stop this. There’s nothing you can do to control it, so you’re stressing yourself out for no reason.” Placing his bowl on the nightstand, he draped his arms over my shoulders so they hung over my chest, lowering his head to kiss my neck. I tilted my head to the side to allow him better access until I realised what he was doing.
I pushed him away. “No. You’re not going to distract me. This may be normal for you, Teo, but it’s not for me and I need to be prepared. The last time it felt like I’d walked into class naked. Everyone stared, laughed, and questioned me. I don’t like being the centre of attention and this is how I need to deal with it. It’s this or I say screw it and give up on us.”
“I understand that, Raine. There’s nothing you can do until they print it. Worrying yourself like this isn’t healthy.”
“I can’t be surprised like last time!” I cried stubbornly. I thought if I saw the story first it wouldn’t be such a big deal.
“I know…” he said distractedly, his gaze fixed on the screen over my shoulder.
“What?” I moved to spin on my chair and Teo stopped me. Holding me in place, he leaned over me and clicked around on something.
“Teo, what is it? Let me see.” I struggled against his grip, yet all I could see was his chest. “It’s there, isn’t it? They’ve posted it.”
He looked down at me with a pained expression. “You don’t need to see it, Raine.”
“Yes I do.”
“Please, baby. Trust me and don’t torture yourself by looking at it. You study the media; you know how they spin things.”
“Well now I have to look! That’s like telling someone on a cliff not to look down. The first thing they do is look!”
“If I let you look, will you promise me one thing?” He didn’t look like he’d move unless I agreed, so I did. “Promise me you won’t take it to heart. Read it and then push it to one side. Don’t give Aston or the reporter the satisfaction of hurting you or making you rethink our relationship.”
“Just let me look, Teo.”
With a sigh, he released me and I whipped round on my chair. I had expected Teo to close it, but the headline remained there, big and bold for me to read.
Teo Coates Trades In The High Life
For Charity Case.
Below it was a series of pictures of us outside his house and our outings throughout the week. The main one had been snapped at the precise moment I almost fell over. My eyes were wide with fear, my mouth open in a shriek, and my face ghostly pale. Considering the amount they had taken, it seemed like they’d deliberately chosen the worst photo. And that was without mentioning the messy bun, yesterday’s clothes, and lack of make-up. I scrolled down to read the article.
Renowned playboy and tipped to be the next Formula One World Champion, Teo Coates, was pictured outside his Milton Keynes home in the late hours of the morning with ex-girlfriend Raine Wilkins. Earlier in the month, they were also photographed in the Braxton F1 factory during a heated exchange where our sources told us Wilkins had been stalking Coates for weeks before showing up during a conference to speak to him. A witness described Wilkins’ reaction to Coates’ rejection as “a hysterical breakdown” until a friend pulled her away.
The couple is known to have split last year after two years of dating due to Wilkins’ unstable state over Coates’ rising success in the lucrative position of championship contender.
At the moment the couple have not commented on their relationship, Wilkins’ condition, or health, leaving us to speculate whether Teo Coates is swapping his high life of partying and glamorous grid girls for a more mundane lifestyle, or whether he is simply being charitable to an ex who doesn’t know the meaning of the word no.
I reached the end of the article and snapped my mouth shut, only just realising it hung wide open. How could someone who’d never met me write such a slanderous piece? What had I ever done to deserve it?
“Raine, say something,” Teo said cautiously from behind me.
“What the actual fuck!” I cried.
“I know it sounds bad, but you can’t let it get to you. We know the truth and so does everyone who knows us.”
“Not everyone knows me. They’re all going to think I’m a crazy person! This is the last thing I need before my exam.”
I had to give them credit for their timing. They couldn’t have picked a worse day than the one with my final exam for my course, yet that didn’t surprise me with Aston pulling the strings.
“How am I meant to face everyone in my class after this? And why aren’t you more angry? I know you’re used to all of this crap, but aren’t you furious about what they said about me?”
Though it was unfair to turn on him, he was the only one there to take the brunt of my anger.
Teo spun me around on the chair. Taking my face in his hand once again, he held me in place so I could only look at him. I hadn’t seen his reaction up until now, but his eyes were swirling with a dangerous level of anger and his lips were pressed together in a firm line.
“I am beyond mad, Raine. If you could feel the anger inside me right now, then you wouldn’t be asking me that. However, I didn’t think me ranting would help you.”
I swallowed hard, trying to dispel the ball of emotions lodged at the back of my throat. It felt like I’d swallowed a handful of needles.
Taking a deep, calming breath, I focused on Teo’s touch and the soothing warmth radiating from his fingers on my shoulders.
This time I wasn’t going to let fear control me.
I didn’t want to be in the spotlight, but I could do nothing about it. As long as Teo stuck by me, I wanted to believe it would all be okay.
I stood and made my way over to the window in the living room that overlooked the street below. Just like for the past few days, the paparazzi were camped outside and waiting for their daily photo opportunity.
“This is going to be a fun morning,” I said dryly. I moved to take a step back and ran into Teo’s hard chest. “What are they even expecting to get a picture of? We do the same thing every morning.”
I pushed Teo away and stormed from the room. They were beyond pissing me off. Always there, watching and waiting for me to slip up.
Angrily, I rummaged through the cupboard I stored my fudge in, hunting for the rum and raisin flavour I felt today called for. All that remained was plain vanilla.
“Dustin!” I shouted, stopping the faint murmurs I could hear from the living room where he was discussing something with Teo.
“Yeah?”
“Where’s my rum and raisin fudge?”
The whispers were back, only hurried this time. When I poked my head through the doorframe and regarded them with suspicion, they both shut up.
“You really shouldn’t be eating fudge at this time in the morning, Raine,” Dustin said. He had deep, dark bags beneath his eyes.
I narrowed my eyes and spoke slowly, taking a step in his direction. “What did you do with it?”
Dustin’s hands flew up in surrender. “Teo took it.”
“Some brother you are,” Teo griped. “Thanks a lot.”
“Hey, she’s your girlfriend, you should know better than to mess with her fudge.
The last thing I need is to get another black eye because she’s missed her fudge fix. I have enough problems of my own.”
Teo shook his head at Dustin then flashed me a smile. It showed his whitened teeth and creased his eyes at the corners. “Sorry, Raindrop. I got hungry. I’ll buy you some more later.”
“Like that’s going to help you,” Dustin muttered under his breath.
“If I fail my exam it’s on your head.”
“Your exam’s not for another hour. I’m sure we can buy some more on the way.”
“I’ll have time?” I screeched in disbelief. “I’m going in so early because I’m going to have a ton of crap to deal with because of you. I need it cleared up before I walk into that exam room, and now I have to do it without a sugar rush.”
“It’s not going to be that bad, baby.”
“When was the last time you were on a university campus, Teo?”
His silence said it all. Teo had worked his way up through the tiered racing system until he reached the position he was in now. He’d never set foot in a university.
“Exactly. You’d think they’d be bored of me, but they’re not. If they aren’t trying to find out the latest gossip then someone has it out for me. I put so much effort into blending in and now all of that is ruined.” My voice turned into a whine towards the end without me meaning it to.
Teo opened his arms. “Come here.”
I went to him and he folded me into his embrace. Holding my head against his chest, he squeezed me tightly so his warmth and scent had all of my frustration draining away. “Do you want me to come with you?”
I pulled back to frown at him. “How would that help? You’ll draw more attention to us.”
“You won’t have to deal with it alone. You can walk in there with your head held high rather than cautiously slinking in. Everyone will know you’re mine and I can deal with anyone who says anything.”
I grumbled, “Why did you have to be the most loved British driver? Why couldn’t it be Zeke? Or couldn’t Aston play nice and win the crowd over?”
Both Teo and Dustin threw their heads back and laughed.
“It’s not funny. The other guys don’t get the attention you do, so why should our private life be invaded?”
Teo sobered instantly. His eyes darkened and his mouth drew into a grim line. “I don’t normally get this attention, Raine. This is Hattersey’s doing. He’s trying to mess with us and fuck up my season again.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
I knew exactly what it had to do with me, yet Teo didn’t know that.
Teo pulled me back against him. “You’re special to me, and he thinks by messing with you it will make me lose it. I have to fight every instinct to lash out at him because that’s what he wants, and I need you to do the same. We need to stand together in this and appear like it doesn’t affect us. Hopefully, when he sees that, he’ll back off.”
Or find another, more dramatic, way to get to you, I thought.
I hummed in agreement, but Dustin gave me a knowing look.
“I’m taking you to campus and I’ll be by your side every step of the way, Raine.”
My phone rang, and I knew Nadine would only ring back repeatedly until I picked up.
“Yes, I’ve seen it,” I answered, assuming she was calling about the article. I tried to sound bored, though my words came out with a sharp bite.
“Are you okay?”
I bit down on my lip, keeping my emotions in check. “I’ll talk to you when I get there.”
“You’re coming in today?” Her voice rose in surprise.
“Of course, we have an exam.”
“All right, I guess I’ll see you soon then.”
I hung up and turned to Teo. “You ready?”
Both guys looked at me worriedly, although Dustin threw his glance over his shoulder since he was walking back to his room. I made a mental note to pressure him into talking when I got home, because he hadn’t been the same since Elora stopped by. He’d been retreating into himself, only showing a glimpse of how he used to be on rare occasions.
Teo spun his car keys around his finger as he waited. I grabbed my bag off the sofa and joined him near the door. Taking his hand in mine, I squeezed it tightly as we made our way down to the mob of press all eager to snap our picture.
* * *
When I stepped from the car with Teo, all eyes in the car park were on me.
Well, not really, but I felt like they were.
There were a lot of people who noticed Teo, yet no one seemed that bothered by our arrival. When Teo took my hand, it actually helped to block them out. His thumb tracing over the back of my hand soothed and allowed me to refrain from becoming too self-conscious because all I could focus on was his touch. I was sure he knew the effect he had on me too. His smug grin gave him away.
I hadn’t expected him to follow me all of the way around campus, but I should have known better. By the time we reached the exam hall, I was thankful of his presence and reluctant to give it up. Considering all of my classmates were there, and they had no doubt seen the magazines, I knew it would be the worst moment of the day for sure.
Teo let go of my hand to wrap an arm around my shoulder, no doubt sensing my hesitation to approach anyone. He pulled me close to his side and kissed the top of my head.
“It’ll be fine. I’m here.”
It still shocked me how well he could read me considering I’d changed so much in the year we were apart. He was still able to follow my every cue and interpret what I needed before I could voice my desires.
Wrapping an arm around his waist, I squeezed him tightly, pressing myself as close as possible when heads began turning our way. Of course, the first one to notice me was David, quickly followed by Nadine, who blocked my view of him when she sashayed over.
“How are you holding up?” She hugged me awkwardly around Teo’s grip. Neither of us wanted to be separated.
“Okay, so far. This is the part I’m dreading. What have people been saying?”
Teo made a sound of disapproval. “I thought we were going to ignore it, baby.”
I kept my gaze focused on Nadine, urging her to answer the question.
“It’s mostly David stirring things. Everyone’s seen it, but it’s not a big deal,” she lied. The slight twitch beneath her right eye gave her away every single time.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw David approaching, and suddenly everyone became a lot more interested in us. The hushed whispers grew in volume and heads turned to us. It took all of my focus to stop myself recoiling into Teo and hiding behind him.
“So the magazines got it right this time? I guess your stalking paid off,” he said, his voice not concealing the pleasure he was getting from my discomfort. He held out his hand as if he expected Teo to shake it. “David Hennington. My father owns Hennington Media.”
I glanced up at Teo. His eyes were calculative, boring into David with a fierce intensity. “You mean the Hennington Media that owns the magazines that have been printing so much shit about us?”
David dropped his hand slowly, realising Teo wasn’t about to shake it. “That would be the one. Although, we do extensive checks on everything we print and have reliable sources, so there must be some truth to the stories.”
“None whatsoever.”
“So she’s never stalked you and she doesn’t have an unbalanced personality? Because I’ve seen her run from campus numerous times looking like a demented person.”
“Fuck off, David. What have you got against Raine?” Nadine spat at him, angling her body between the two of us so I was mostly blocked from view.
Beside me Teo stiffened, his muscles coiled as if prepared to strike. His grip tightened painfully around my shoulder, but it was a pain that made me feel safe.
“I don’t have a problem with Raine.”
“Bullshit.”
I reached out and placed a hand lightly on Nadine’s back, signalling for her to let it go
. David had hated me ever since I started getting better grades than him and supposedly “stole” an internship he was meant to take up in our second year. I never stole anything—I earned my position, and it wasn’t my fault he thought he could slack off and get by on his family name.
“Is there a point to this conversation? Because if there isn’t, I’d like to talk to my girlfriend alone before her exam.”
David snorted. “Girlfriend? How long’s that going to last? If none of those grid girls were special enough to hold your interest, I can guarantee she’s not.”
Teo’s gaze hardened. He took a step forward, dropping his arm but keeping hold of my hand. “You obviously missed it the first time, but that was my polite way of telling you to fuck off.”
“I don’t think you want to cause a scene with me, Coates. My father can ruin you quicker than he built you up. You’re the nation’s favourite driver because of him. Without Hennington Media, you’d be like all of the others.”
I tugged on Teo’s hand, urging him back to my side. Whether David was right or wrong, a brawl wasn’t going to help either of us. Teo, however, didn’t move.
“Really?” he said. “Because from where I’m standing it seems I’m the one who can ruin you. If I make a few calls right now and refuse to promote Hennington Media, who is your father going to blame when there’s a blank spot on my car at Silverstone in a few weeks where your logo should be? I know the type of man he is—business comes first over family. He’ll cut you off, refuse you any responsibility if I do. One mistake is all it takes with men like your father, even if you’re his son. Isn’t that right, David?”
David paled. When Teo pulled out his phone, he became even whiter.
“Do you want me to do it?”
“How about I give you the opportunity to tell your story and set the public straight?” David hurried to offer. “You give Hennington Media an exclusive on what’s really happening.”
