London by Carina Axelsson

Author:Carina Axelsson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2015-11-04T05:00:00+00:00

THURSDAY MORNING

Model Manipulation

“Axelle!” called my mom from downstairs. “Axelle, you need to get down here and take a look at this!”

A few minutes later I was standing in our kitchen in shock. Both of the morning papers my parents read included photos from last night’s La Lune party at Kensington Gardens. And while that in itself wasn’t shocking, the following was: an image of yours truly, cozily ensconced on a bench with Josh Locke. Either the photographer had found an angle that made it seem as if Josh and I were practically joined at the mouth and sitting on each other’s laps, or some photoshopping had been done. Either way, the effect was the same. It definitely looked as if Josh and I were more than just good friends.

Was that why my phone was buzzing with messages this morning? I took it out of my pocket and looked. I had over fifty direct messages on Instagram!

I was starting to feel queasy.

At that moment my mom’s phone rang in her basement office. We listened as the answering machine picked it up. “Hello, Mrs. Anderson? We’re calling from the Daily Sun. We’d just like to confirm that your daughter, fashion model Axelle Anderson, is in a relationship with Josh Locke. We’ll try you again later. In the meantime, if you hear this message, please call us back at…”

I read some of the DMs and sank further into shock. Some of the comments were really nasty; a few even threatened violence.

I hate you!!!

Don’t think it’s gonna last. Josh Locke went out with my friend and…

I’m going to find you, YOU B****!

Josh certainly wouldn’t need to bother hiring bodyguards, I thought. All he had to do was unleash a few fans, and he’d be more than safe.

“Mom, I swear—it was nothing like this! Josh and I sat together on the bench. That much is true, but we weren’t anywhere like this close to each other in real life. We were just talking. Besides, Sebastian was there with me!”

My explanation was cut short by Primrose, who helps in the house in the mornings. Actually, it wasn’t Primrose herself who offered a fresh distraction, but rather what she was carrying. “Axelle, this is for you. It was on the doormat. It’s unmarked—it must have been delivered by hand.”

I took the envelope and looked at it. It was manila, A5-sized, and it had my name handwritten on the front in black ink. I didn’t recognize the handwriting. I hesitated to open it. Was this some kind of threat from yet another crazed Josh Locke fan?

“Shall I open it for you, darling?” Mom asked.

“No, that’s all right, Mom,” I said as I ripped into the envelope.

The contents caught me completely by surprise. “So what is it?” Mom asked, peering at what I was holding.

“Oh, nothing to worry about. It’s just a note about school,” I lied. “I’ll take it upstairs.” All thoughts of Josh were pushed to the back of my mind as I sprang up the stairs two at a time.

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