Girl Behind the Scandalous Reputation

‘The day of your apprehension at Heathrow. I didn’t believe her at the time.’

Lily placed her hand against her chest with a flourish. ‘Oh, and for a minute there I felt so special.’

She could see her sarcasm had irritated him, but he rubbed a hand across his eyes before piercing her with his gaze again.

‘It’s confession time, Lily. I know my sister hasn’t been the saint I’ve wanted her to be, and I’m tired of the misunderstandings between us.’

Lily thought about arguing—but what was the point? He’d only get his own way in the end.

‘If you remember, you visited our boarding school on a surprise birthday visit for Jo—only she saw you from the rec room. She called me on the internal phone and asked me to hide it. I hadn’t expected you would walk in without knocking.’

‘And the night of Jo’s eighteenth? In my father’s study? No evading the answer this time.’

‘You should ask Jordana.’

‘I’m asking you.’

Lily crossed the floor and sat on the striped Rein occasional chair in the corner. ‘I don’t know how the party in your dad’s study got started. I was tipped off by a mutual friend, and by the time I got there it was in full swing. I felt responsible, because the guy who’d brought the drugs worked for my stepfather’s company, but no one listened when I told them to clean it up. So I decided to step in and do it myself and—’

‘I walked in, put two and two together, and came up with several hundred.’

‘Something like that.’

‘And you didn’t think to defend yourself?’ His tone was accusatory.

‘You didn’t exactly give me much of a chance, remember?’ she felt stung into retorting.

Tristan shook his head and strode over to the window, pushing the heavy curtain aside to stare outside.

Lily shifted and tucked her legs under her on the chair, absently noting how the light from the incoming sun picked up the bronzed highlights in his hair.

Then he turned back, his expression guarded. ‘I’m sorry.’

Did he have to look quite so good-looking?

She cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably on her seat. If he was apologising why did she suddenly feel so nervous? ‘It’s fine; I shouldn’t have invited that guy in the first place.’

He shrugged as if that were inconsequential. ‘I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I…I wasn’t quite myself that night.’

Lily’s mind immediately spun back to the dance floor. The kiss. Had he not been himself then either? How embarrassing.

‘Me either,’ she lied.

He nodded, as if that solved everything, and Lily’s heart sank a little. ‘Was there something else?’

He shook his head and then glanced towards her bed.

‘Actually, yes.’ He pointed to the bed. ‘I’m sorry to say that your premonition about the photos has come true.’

Lily rose and walked over to the bed. ‘Oh.’

‘I said a little more than that myself,’ he acknowledged ruefully.

‘I did too.’ She glanced up briefly. ‘Internally…’

She thought a momentary smile curved his mouth, but it might easily have been a trick of the light given how stiff and remote he seemed.

‘I should go.’