Page 86 of Claim to Fame

“The girl who took the photos recognized the author in the first photo. That’s why she started taking pictures, and she followed you, Dad, because she says you’re the narrator of the audiobook.”

Ethan’s anger and frustration at the media intrusion paled in comparison to the alarm he felt at those words coming from his daughter. It felt like when he was kid and his mother found out he and Gavin had been skipping Sunday School in favor of playing on the playground on the Town Common across the street from the church. Like being trapped with his shame while someone he loved recalibrated their opinion of him.

Tessa continued, seemingly unaware of her father’s internal crisis. “She didn’t know what she’d gotten until you showed up on the red carpet together two nights ago.”

Hannah, who had been scrolling through her unread messages, gasped. “They’re saying I used Jackson to get ahead, that you and I were sneaking around behind his back for months. They’re saying—”

“Stop reading it.” Ethan stormed across the room and put his hand over hers, lowering the phone. “Don’t read their lies.”

“I have to call Micah. I have to call Jackson.” Hannah pushed past him, disappearing back into the bedroom, the phone already pressed to her ear.

“Dad, what’s going on?” Tessa asked.

She looked so young, standing there with her arms crossed, confusion written all over her face.

“Hannah didn’t cheat on anyone,” he said.

“I know that.” Tessa waved away the comment. “Anyone who’s spent two minutes with her knows that. Were they ever even together?”

Ethan’s jaw clenched. This wasn’t his story to tell, and yet…wasn’t it? Now that the media was hellbent on making him a villain in this story, on makingHannaha villain, wasn’t it his right to set the record straight, at least with his own family?

“No. It was all a show for the press. Something about cleaning up his image.”

“That makes sense.” Tessa paused, frowning. “You’re an audiobook narrator?”

Heat crawled up his throat, his ears blazing with it. But he wouldn’t lie to his daughter. Not anymore than he already had, anyway.

“I am.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I narrate under a pseudonym. It’s not something I tell people.”

“I’m notpeople.I’m your daughter.” He hated the hurt laced in her voice, the betrayal in her eyes. “Does Jamie know?”

Ethan shook his head. “Only Baz, because he does my taxes. And Hannah.” Tessa nodded, but hurt still slashed across her face. “I don’t do it all the time. I only narrate for Angie—AK Wild,” he corrected himself. “These books…they’re not family friendly.”

Tessa snorted. “No shit. Mrs. White and her friends wouldn’t be reading them at book club if they were. Wait, is that why you didn’t tell me?” Ethan cuffed the back of his neck and looked away. “For fuck’s sake, Dad, I’m twenty-eight years old. I’m married to your best friend. I have a child. I think we’re past the point of pretending I don’t know about sex.”

“I didn’t want it to blow back on you, kid,” Ethan said with a sigh. “You’ve already been put through enough because of my choices.”

“I thought you said it didn’t bother you that some people still judge you for being a teenage parent—which says more about them than it does about you, by the way.”

“I don’t give a shit what people judgemefor. I don’t want them to judge you! Or Julie! I don’t want my choices to tarnish the legacy our family has built here any more than they already have.”

“Are you ashamed of these books, Dad?”

He straightened his spine, meeting her eyes directly so she would know he meant it when he said, “I’m not.”

“Then why would you think I would be? Why would you think any of us would be ashamed of your success?”

He didn’t know what to say. She was right, and yet he still couldn’t shake the feeling he should have protected her from the inevitable fall out. “People might say some nasty things,” he said.

Tessa rolled her eyes. “Fuck them. People have said nasty things about our family for years.” She wrapped him in a hug and he felt a lump rise in his throat as he wound his arms around her, accepting the absolution he hadn’t realized he’d been so desperate for. “Now no more secrets.”

∞∞∞

“Why do all my clients end up with pictures of their trysts in Johnny Blue’s column?” Micah sighed on the other end of the phone.

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