Page 82 of Snow Balled

“What?” I yelped.

Tristan’s face was red with anger. “Doesn’t this look as bad for Aiden Hunt as it does for Sierra?”

“No,” Ronnie said, her voice trembling. “Sierra, the way they edited it, Aiden’s not in it at all. It’s just you a random man I’ve never seen before. A few shots are from the actual filming, but mostly they just stole your face and your voice and created a whole new video—as if it’s a leaked sex tape.”

If Tristan’s strong arms hadn’t held me steady, I would’ve fallen to the ground. “That’s sick,” he said. “Can’t they stop the video from being circulated?”

“No. It’s already out there. There’s no way to put the cat back into the bag.”

“Shit. I’m so sorry, Sierra.” Tristan held me close as he stroked my hair. Tears streamed down my face and onto the front of his coat.

“I am, too.”

“How bad is it?” Tristan asked her.

“It’s bad,” she said in her quietest tone yet. “Really bad, because it looks real. It looks like you’re doing those things.” She hesitated, and we could hear her use a tissue. “I only watched because Aiden heard about it, and I wanted to see how bad it was, and… I’m so sorry. It’s really, really bad.”

“Don’t tell her that,” Tristan growled.

“I had to,” Ronnie said. “Because it’s spreading across the internet like wildfire. Call your agent. If the studio’s not going to do anything, maybe your agent can help you come up with a plan.” She paused. “Again… I’m really, really sorry.”

I could barely walk after that. Every few steps I fell to my knees in the snow until Tristan picked me up and carried me.

It was like two steps beyond the worst nightmare I’d ever had. Thousands of people, maybe more, were watching me have sex right now. Or at least the thought it was me. But if it was my face and my voice, what did it matter if the body wasn’t mine? Everyone who watched it would think it was. “Put me down,” I told Tristan.

“We’re almost back, sweetheart.”

I squirmed until he reluctantly set me on my feet.

Then I bent over and threw up.

He held my hair, smoothing it away from my face. When there was nothing left to come out, he gave me a handful of snow, and I wiped my mouth off. Then he picked me right back up and carried me back to the cabin.

Carter and Drew were at the worktable when Tristan pushed open the door, tracking snow inside as he carried me to my bedroom.

“What’s wrong?” Drew cried as he rushed to my side.

“Is she hurt?” Carter demanded.

“Back off until I get her in bed.”

Their questions didn’t abate, but I tuned them out as Tristan laid me gently on the bed. My phone was still in his pocket, and I could hear it ring as he worked my boots and coat off, handing each item to Drew whose worried face was visible over Tristan’s shoulder.

“Is that her phone?” Drew asked anxiously, but Tristan didn’t answer.

It was probably my agent. Or hell, maybe it was a reporter wanting to know how it felt to have my supposed sex tape all over the internet.

“Please tell me what happened,” Drew begged, btu Tristan waved him off. Then Carter was there with a pile of blankets that he tucked gingerly around me.

Tristan bent down to kiss my forehead. “Sleep if you can, sweetheart. Don’t think about it, just give your body and your mind some rest. When you wake up, we’ll come up with a plan.”

That was right. Tristan always had a plan. But in this case, it wouldn’t help. There was nothing to be done. Everyone knew that something posted on the internet couldn’t ever be contained. And how something like this would bring out the ugliest side of human nature.

I sobbed until it felt like I had no more moisture left in my body.

I did eventually fall asleep, but when I woke up, I had a splitting headache. For one long moment, my mind raced, trying to figure out why I felt this bad, and then I remembered.

And despair filled me.

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