Page 154 of Cougar

“I think you made Faith’s year,” he adds.

“Three years,” I retort. I kept my word and wrote Faith a check for $57,000, plus another $50,000 to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Faith had only been working for the blogger bitch for a short time and was never asked to sign an NDA.Amateur.

Chandler found Faith a job answering phones at eighteen dollars an hour. And even though Alex’s story was ready to print in the next issue, Miles Townsend was more than thrilled to re-interview Alex. Especially regarding the latest news about being Marcus’s son.

As much as I wanted to fire Nikki Fox myself, I decided to let Chandler and Jack deal with her. After today, she’ll be looking for a new label and someone else to write her songs. Nothing a blow job won’t fix, but her career will never be the same.

Emerson

Today I watched my baby walk across the stage and accept her diploma. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.

“I never thought I’d see this day,” I gush, my eyes welling up with tears.

Jay’s mouth falls open. “You didn’t think I’d graduate from high school?”

I scoff, wiping the tears from my eyes. “No. I never thought I’d get to see you walk across the stage and accept your diploma with the rest of your class. This is a big moment for me, too.”

Zach walks up behind Jay and wraps his arms around her. “Babe, I have a graduation gift for you,” he says close to her ear.

“It’s gonna have to wait till after the party, horndog.” She giggles.

“I’m standing right here,” I remind them, grimacing.

“Oh.” Jay snorts a laugh and Zach says, “It’s not that. Come with me.”

Elizabeth walks up and hooks her arm around mine. “I can’t believe our babies just graduated high school,” she says. “How are you, Emerson?”

I push out my bottom lip. “Time goes by too fast.”

“He signed with Gulf Coast University because he wants to be close to her.” She jerks her chin toward the balcony.

My phone pings, and I look at the screen to see a text notification from my reporter friend in LA.Thought you’d want to see this,it says, and below it is a link. It takes me to a gossip website calledThe Wall.

Jaybird Is Off The Market

Jayla King, 18, whom we’ve all come to know as Jaybird, is off the market. A source tells us that the rising star married her longtime boyfriend, Zach Easton, 19, last month while vacationing in St. Thomas. The couple exchanged their “I dos” in a private ceremony on the secluded beach near King’s villa. The source claims the two seemed happy and very much in love.

“Oh my God,” Elizabeth gasps in shock. “They didn’t.”

“They better fucking not have,” I growl. “Jaylaaaaa!” I shove through the crowd and storm out onto the balcony. Both are looking at me like deer in headlights, and I know I already have my answer. Elizabeth moves to stand beside me with her arms crossed. Holding my phone in the air, I say, “Tell me this isn’t true.”

Jay straightens her shoulders. “It’s true.”

“Why?” My eyes well up with tears for an entirely different reason than before. “Why would you do that?” My voice cracks.

Regret flashes in her watery eyes. “I’m sorry, Mom. I thought you out of anyone would understand since you eloped with Dad.”

“Well I don’t.” I look over my shoulder to see curious faces on the other side of the glass, blatantly watching our exchange.

“Zach, does your father know about this?” Elizabeth asks.

“No.”

“I hope this doesn’t affect your place on the team.”

Zach scoffs. “They didn’t have a problem with Cole having a kid. Why would they care if I have a wife?” he argues.

Elizabeth shrugs. “The circumstances are different.”

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