THE SOFT CLICK of the door shutting behind me was the final nail in the coffin of my run as a member on Astor’s school board. I’d just been fired.
Fired…
I had never been fired in my life, and while the phrase those stuffed shirts in there had used was “let go,” their condemnation over my extracurricular activities had definitely leaned more toward a firing. As in, they wanted to tie me to a pillar and bring out the firing squad.
Not exactly the way I’d anticipated starting my week. Especially after the amazing end to my weekend. But it seemed the blissful bubble that Preston and I had enjoyed for the past twenty-four hours had just exploded in the most spectacular way.
I let out a sigh and couldn’t help but feel responsible for the total dumpster fire that was now roaring out of control. That photo was damning evidence if I’d ever seen it, and I had no one to blame but myself.
I’d known there was a chance someone would see me and Preston, that someone might follow us out into that alley. But did that stop me? No. No, it did not. All I’d been thinking about in that moment was making Preston understand whom I wanted, whom I cared about, and now there was proof.
Proof in the form of an explicit photo circulating the halls of the university my daughter attended.
Wow. Parent of the year over here.
I glanced up and down the empty hall, hoping like hell I could get out of there undetected. The last thing I needed was to draw more attention to myself, and I had no doubt the gossip was running rampant.
Poor Preston. This was exactly what he’d been hoping to avoid. It was already going to be hard enough for him to come out to his family, and now he had to deal with this? Everyone in the school staring at him, pointing, believing he’d cheated on his girlfriend with her dad.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was going through right now. Not to mention Serena. I wouldn’t blame her if she publicly disowned me.
I needed to check in on them.
After I’d been called in to the emergency board meeting, I’d sent a text to Sasha that’d I’d be late into the office and switched off my phone. I’d never imagined the emergency had been me. But now that I’d been informed of my “offensive indiscretions,” I had no reason to stick around and cause any more of a scandal.
I reached into my pocket for my cell and switched it on, and it started to buzz with email, text, and voicemail notifications. It seemed the gossip had raged like a wildfire while I was getting my walking papers this morning, as several messages from outraged Elysium members flashed across my screen.
The first email had the subject line: Call for President Carrington’s immediate resignation
The second: Archer Carrington, guilty of conduct unbecoming of the president of the Elysium
The third—and probably the most damning: I know what you did with my son, fucker. You’re done.
That was from Preston’s father.
I had to respond, of course. There was no way I could avoid it. But when I spotted several missed calls from Serena and Preston, I knew where my priorities lay.
I’d already dealt with one angry mob this morning. I’d need more than a coffee to deal with the hypocritical and judgmental opinions of the Upper East Side. It wasn’t as if being president of the Elysium had been a dream job. In all honesty, it took up way too much time, and caused added stress to every day of my life. So if they wanted me gone, no skin off my nose. I’d been doing them a favor by giving them access to my many connections.
It wasn’t as if they could fire me as a member. That was a lifetime gig, no matter whose son I was sleeping with.
I shot off a text to Serena letting her know I was okay and asking how she was doing, and the message I got back made my heart race.
LOVEBUG:
I’m fine. You know me. I LIVE for the drama. But Preston… You need to call him.
I headed down the hall, needing to get back to the office, and called Preston’s number. A second later, he answered, his greeting low, like he wasn’t alone.
“Preston?” The December air was frigid as I stepped out into the courtyard of Astor.
“Yeah, hi, I’m here. One sec.”
A rustling sound told me he was moving somewhere that he could talk, and when I reached my driver and he opened the door for me, Preston’s voice was back in my ear.
“Okay, I’m here.”
“How are you?” It was a stupid question, but one I had to ask, as I slid in the back seat of my car. The warm air was a welcome relief to the distinct chill that had surrounded me all morning.
“I’ve had better Mondays. What about you?” Preston’s voice was quiet but not at all distant, and that was what I’d been most worried about. I hadn’t known what to expect from him after this very loud and public outing.
“I’ve had better myself.”
“Oh God, so you’ve heard, then.”
“Heard?” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I just got let go from Astor’s school board.”
“They fired you?” Preston’s outrage was appreciated, but I’d already accepted my fate. “Archer, this is not okay. I won’t let them do that. Not because of me.”
“Hold on a second. It’s not because of you that they fired me. I was there in that moment with you and take full responsibility for my actions.”
“But you did nothing wrong—”
“And neither did you, and that’s what I want to talk about, not me,” I said. Preston fell quiet. “I saw the photo.”
“You did?”
“I did. It was pretty damning, especially to you.”
“They don’t know what’s really going on.”
“I know that. But do you?”
“Of course I do, but…”
“But what?” I asked.
“I didn’t expect this level of hate. Jesus.” He let out a breath, and I could imagine him running an agitated hand through his hair. “Serena tells me it’ll all blow over the second the next piece of gossip drops. But right now, everyone thinks I slept with her dad.”
“Uh, I’m not sure how much sleeping we did this weekend, but—”
Preston’s soft laugh had my lips tugging up on one side despite the serious nature of this discussion.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do, and I’m sorry they think that. I know it was the last way any of us wanted this to play out.”
“Right, and to think the only thing I was worried about this weekend was telling my parents.”
“About that…” I winced, thinking of the email waiting for me from Preston’s father. “Have you heard from them yet?”
“No, I— Why, have you?”
“I haven’t heard from them, but I saw an email from your father, and I think you should be prepared to have that talk sooner rather than later.”
“Fuck.” He cursed a couple more times. “They know?”
“Yes. I’m pretty sure everyone on the Upper East Side knows. The Elysium is calling for my head as we speak.”
Preston let out a strangled laugh, his horror at the situation unfolding more apparent than ever. “This is all my fault.”
“This is not your fault.”
“If I’d just told my parents the truth instead of all these stupid lies, you’d still have your spot on the school board, Serena wouldn’t be humiliated—”
“Preston.”
“What?”
“You were going to tell them. You are going to tell them. You just needed time.”
“No,” he said softly. “I needed you.”
All of the bullshit I’d gone through that morning suddenly seemed worth it with those three words. “Do you want me to be there when you tell your parents?”
“God no,” he blurted out, then laughed a little. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound so harsh, but—”
“You don’t have to explain. Truth be told, I think it’s best that your father and I keep a bit of distance between us for now. I just wanted to offer, if you needed the support.”
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I love you.”
I heard a soft sigh through the phone. “Say that again. It makes everything I’m going to go through today worth it when I hear that.”
“I love you.” The words came easy, the feeling now such a part of me that it was difficult to remember a moment when I didn’t feel this way.
“Thank God, because I just got a text, and my parents are here.”
I didn’t envy him the conversation he was about to have, but it was one that was needed, and hopefully he would feel lighter once he was on the other side of it.
“Should I pray for you?”
Preston groaned. “Probably. Can I come and see you later?”
“You don’t even have to ask.”
“Will you be at the Elysium?”
I scoffed, thinking that after they kicked me to the curb, it would be a good six months before I was allowed to step back inside.
“Why don’t you just meet me at my place?”
“Okay. Archer?”
“Yeah?”
“I just want you to know, I don’t regret a thing.”
“Me either.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
