A Thousand Ways to Love

Misery

KatieI want to cry. It’s a photo. Of me. Wearing nothing but dark purple lacy bra and underwear. Kneeling with my legs spread on my bed. Only one person had this photo and he’s back at Queen’s now. “Devon wouldn’t do this,” I say. Liam and Sierra look at me. “He’s the only one that had this photo. He wouldn’t do this to me.”

“Devon’s an i***t,” Liam says. “He lost the best thing that ever happened to him and now he’s getting back at you by leaking this photo out.”

“No,” I say. “That’s not Devon. Devon would never do this. Something’s wrong.”

“Maybe he sent it to one person?” Sierra said. “It only takes one before it becomes viral.”

“I don’t believe that he would have done that,” I say.

“Well, someone got their hands on that photo and clearly wanted to ruin you,” Liam says.

“Interesting that it happens after you start dating Colin,” Sierra suggests.

“Even more interesting that Devon has a jerk of a brother in our grade that you never give the time of day,” Liam says. “Probably didn’t like finding out that you are now with someone else.”

“He wouldn’t,” I say, not believing that Jared would do something so terrible to me.

“I think he would,” Liam says.

“But Devon never would have given him the photo,” I say.

“They’re brothers, Katie,” Liam says. “It’s a different kind of bond. Love and hate.”

I don’t care if they’re brothers, I know Devon wouldn’t do this to me.

“Lookin’ good!” a guy calls out and then whistles at me as a group of them walk by. I lung at him and grab his shirt. “Whoa, easy there, tiger. All you have to do is ask me,” he says.

“Who sent you that photo?!” I yell at him.

"Multiple people actually," he says with a grin on his face. "A lot of guys must have it." I throw him away from me. "I'm free later if you want to…"

“Back off, bud,” Liam says and then pushes him away.

“There’s no way to track it down,” I say.

“It’s Jared, Katie,” Liam says. “You know it was him.”

“But…” I start.

“Didn’t you say Devon was home this weekend?” Sierra says. “He probably got onto his brother’s phone and took it.”

“No,” I say. “I took Devon’s phone when I broke up with him and made sure to delete all photos of me.”

“Nice photo, Katie,” Tyler says coming up to me. “I’m glad to now have a keepsake of your body.”

“You’re disgusting,” I say, but if Jared did this, Tyler would know. “Who sent it to you? Because we both know that you have never seen me like that in real life no matter what you tell your hockey buddies.”

Tyler glares at me. “I guess you’re still too damaged from Devon cheating on you,” Tyler says.

“What? Who told you…” I start.

“If you don’t want people to know your business, then you shouldn’t be yelling at Devon in the rink parking lot that he’s a cheater,” Tyler says. “Probably some hot chick that didn’t tease him and actually satisfied him.”

“You mother…” I yell at him and lung at him, but he grabs my wrists and holds me back.

“Embarrassing that you sent that photo to Devon and he still cheated on you,” Tyler says to my face. How do you know I sent it to Devon? Tyler reads the question on my face. “Brothers share everything, Katie.”