Not So Star-Crossed

Ch 16: Dark red lipstick

Ava's POV

Copeland Residence. Orlando, Florida. Saturday, September 7th. 10:50am

"I feel terrible." Maya ran her hands threw her partially dried hair as she looked at Daxon's empty seat. After she told us what had happened Daxon had disappeared outside saying he needed some air.

That had been 10 minutes ago and now the two of us were sitting in an awkward silence as I stared at my empty wine glass. I was never that close to Maya and due to the circumstances making small talk just seemed strange at this point.

"So, after you hooked up with Collingsworth the threats stopped coming?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

Maya looked at me with a brow raised before reaching down under the cabinet to pull out a bottle of wine. She took the cork out like a champ and started filling up my glass and hers.

"Screw it. It's 5 o'clock somewhere right?" She asked nervously and I shrugged. She really was the cooler Copeland sister.

After taking a big gulp of her alcohol, "To answer your question after hooking up with Collingsworth it only got worse."

I took a sip of my own, "What do you mean?"

"I thought it was over but a couple weeks later I got a text from the same unknown number. It said to hook up with Graham Harrington at Daxon Collingsworth's party or the picture of you goes viral along with the information that I had hooked up with Daxon."

My jaw dropped. This girl's life officially sucked. No wonder she moved down here.

"But you didn't hook up with Graham?" I state more than ask because if it's the night I'm thinking of Kam hooked up with my boyfriend, not Maya.

"I was going to_" Maya paused looked at me apologetically. "I'm so sorry Ava."

I wave it off. I would have done the same thing if I were in her shoes or at least hired some Private Investigator dude to figure out who was blackmailing me in the first place.

"But you didn't?" I ask and she nods slowly.

"I walked into the party that night fully intent on going through with it. I had spotted Graham and everything and then I get a text from a different unknown number. It said don't hook up with Graham. Walk out of the party right now or this video of you goes viral. It was a different video. One of me and Daxon hooking up this time." Maya shook her head then continued. "At the time, I assumed it was the same blackmailer so I left thinking I was okay but not too long after Massie was calling me cussing me out for sleeping with her boyfriend."

"So, two different people were blackmailing you?!"

Maya shrugged. "Looks that way but don't feel too bad. Some people are just unlucky I guess. I mean of all the girls at Rothwell that sent Aiden nudes, I'm the one that gets picked to be someone's lackey. Just my luck."

I looked at the girl before me. Her hair was a light brown color and fell midway down her back in natural waves, she had almond eyes that matched Massie's and porcelain skin. She was beautiful in an innocent type of way. At Rothwell, she thrived. She had friends, was on the cheer squad, had good grades and because someone felt like it, they ruined her life.

"Did you ever try to figure out who was blackmailing you? Maybe go to the police or hire an investigator?" I ask and Maya snorts, wine tumbling out of her mouth.

"Sorry. That was gross. But no way! In order to do any of those things I'd have to admit to the nudes and sleeping with Daxon. Trust me, I'd rather be here then see the look on my dad's face if he really knew what happened."