The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Chapter 74

ARIA’S POV

I thought I was going to pass out.

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My knees nearly gave out beneath me as I stared at the screen, my entire body trembling so violently I could barely breathe. My chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven gasps while tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

“No…” I whispered again, my voice cracking. “No, no, no…”

Elena stood beside me, her own face pale as she stared at the phone in horror. “Oh my God…” she breathed.

I turned to her so fast my neck hurt. “It’s fake,” I cried desperately. “Elena, it’s fake! I swear to God that isn’t me!”

She looked at me. And for one horrible second, she hesitated. That hesitation shattered me.

Because, if even Elena, my best friend, the person who knew me best, had to pause before believing me, then who else would?

“Oh my God…” I sobbed, backing away from her. “You don’t believe me either.”

“What? No, Aria-”

“You hesitated!” I screamed, tears pouring harder now. “You looked at it and

you

hesitated!”

“Because it looks real!” Elena cried back helplessly. “Aria, look at it! It looks exactly like you!”

My stomach twisted violently. I grabbed my hair with both hands and let out a broken scream, pacing frantically around the apartment. “This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening!”

I was losing my mind. Actually losing my fucking mind. Because the evidence was there. The video looked real. The pictures looked real.

Everything looked so horribly, disgustingly real that even I almost questioned myself for a second.

But I knew. I knew that wasn’t me. “I didn’t do this,” I cried, clutching my chest. “I didn’t do this!”

Elena rushed toward me and grabbed my shoulders. “I know,” she said quickly. “I know. I believe you, okay? I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

But I was already spiraling. Because if Elena struggled to believe me, then no one else would.

No one. My life was over. My reputation was gone.

My future was gone. My college was one of the biggest in the city. Everybody would see this. Everybody. Students. Lecturers. Future employers.

12:16 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 74

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The entire city. “Oh God…” I whimpered. And then rage hit me so hard it made my hands shake. “Serena,” I hissed.

Elena frowned. “What?”

“This is her,” I spat. “It has to be her! It has to be!”

Because who else hated me enough for this? Who else had promised to ruin my life? Who else had looked me dead in the eye and said this was only the beginning?

“That fucking psycho bitch!” I screamed, grabbing the nearest pillow and throwing it across the room. “She did this! She fucking did this!”

My chest heaved violently. My whole body shook.

Then reality hit me again. My job. “Oh my God…” I whispered.

Elena’s face fell.

“They’re going to fire me,” I choked out. “Even if they don’t fire me for this, they’ll fire me for what happened with Mr. Halden…”

I had kicked my manager. Attacked him. Run out in the middle of my shift. There was no recovering from that. I collapsed onto the floor and broke.

I cried so hard my chest physically hurt. Ugly, loud sobs tore from my throat as I clutched my stomach and bent forward, my whole body shaking with grief.

“My life is over!” I wailed. “My life is over, Elena!”

She dropped beside me quickly, trying to calm me down. “Aria, stop…”

“No!” I cried hysterically. “Everything is ruined! Nobody will hire me now! Everybody thinks I’m some disgusting whore!”

“You need to calm down-”

“How can I calm down?!” I screamed. My voice echoed through the apartment. Tears blurred everything. Panic consumed me whole.

Then Elena grabbed my face firmly. “Crying will not fix this.”

I froze. She stared me dead in the eye. “Listen to me carefully, Aria. Tears won’t solve anything. You need to act fast.”

My breathing trembled. “What do I do?” I whispered brokenly.

Her expression hardened. “You need to get it taken down.”

I blinked. “How?” She hesitated. Then said the one name I did not want to hear.

12:17 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 74

“Julian.”

My entire face was drained of color. “No.”

“Yes.”

“No.” I repeated immediately, shaking my head. “Absolutely not.”

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“Aria, be realistic!” Elena snapped. “He’s rich, powerful, connected and he has influence. He can wipe this off the internet faster than anyone else.”

I stood up immediately, backing away. “No. I can’t go to him.”

“You have to.”

“He hates me!”

“Then let him hate you after he helps!”

I laughed bitterly, tears still falling. “You don’t understand. He won’t even listen to me.”

“Then make him listen!” I stared at her helplessly.

Because deep down, I knew she was right. Julian was my only option. And that thought made me feel sick.

Because after everything that happened between us, after the way we ended, after the way he looked at me the last time, I would rather die than stand in front of him like this.

Ashamed. Humiliated. Broken. But I had no choice. “I don’t even know where he is,” I whispered.

Elena grabbed my phone. “Call Blake.” My stomach twisted instantly. I swallowed hard before nodding. My fingers trembled violently as I dialed his number.

He didn’t answer. I tried again. Nothing. Again. Still nothing. Then finally, the call connected.

“What?” Blake answered coldly.

I flinched at his tone. “Blake…” Silence.

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