On the Outside (Caught Inside #3) Read Online Free Page A

ignore it, but curiosity got the best of me. Soon, I found myself opening up the internet app on my phone and googling my name.
     
    Harper Montgomery
     
    Once the results showed up, I immediately dropped my phone. Pictures of Aaron and I graced the web. Some of them were from dinner; others were of us riding in his car and the rest…
    “How the fuck did they follow me to his apartment?” I shut my eyes and lowered myself to the ground, curling up into a fetal position. “Not again. Not again. I can’t do this anymore…”
    Braving another glance at the entertainment websites and blogs, I realized the articles weren’t as accusatory as the ones about Louis. In fact, some of the bloggers were praising my choice in men this time. Little did they know that Aaron was actually my best friend’s ex-fiancé. It wasn’t as if my friendship with Riley was public knowledge.
    Riley!
    Surely Riley couldn’t have seen these photos yet. It was still too early in California, the center of all things celebrity gossip…right?
    I gulped and flipped back to the text message. My heart dropped when I realized the number shared Riley’s area code. Heart beating wildly, I began to type.
     
    Who is this?!?!?!?!?!
     
    It took only about five seconds before my phone went off again.
     
    This is Kacy, Riley’s REAL best friend…and yeah, she knows.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 5
     
     
    Riley knew.
    How she knew I’m not sure, but apparently she did. I tried to engage that bitch, Kacy, in more conversation, trying to get to the bottom of everything, but after those ominous words, yeah, she knows , she fell silent.
     
    Riley, please. It’s not what you think! Call me.
     
    Riley, this is Harper again. I’m so sorry. I just need to talk to you so I can explain everything.
     
    Riley, please call.
     
    I dialed Riley over and over again for the next hour, leaving voice messages and bombarding her with texts, but she never called back and part of me knew she wouldn’t. Why would she? If the tables were turned, I probably wouldn’t either.
    I shut my eyes and closed my fingers around my phone, leaning my forehead against my fist. “It’s all her fault. If I didn’t listen to her and I didn’t go out, this wouldn’t have happened. If anything she’s just as much to blame as I am.”
    Even as those words left my mouth, I knew I was being ridiculous. Nobody was to blame but me. I just hoped I would get the opportunity to apologize to her. One day, at least.
    As if the heavens aligned, my phone began to vibrate. My eyes widened in happiness as I quickly answered. “Riley?”
    “Riley? It’s Robert,” my agent’s snarky voice replied. Remind me again why I hired him?
    I let out a sigh. “Oh, hey…”
    “About time you answered my call,” he snapped.
    “You never called before today,” I replied in confusion.
    “Exactly. It’s because we had no job offers after your little stunt with the Benningtons. No one wanted to get anywhere near you.”
    I rolled my eyes. “What do you want?”
    “To say good job on the whole Aaron Ferguson thing. It sure got people to stop talking about Louis. Bagging one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors is just the good publicity we needed to score you some auditions—which I did, by the way.” I could almost hear the smug smile in his voice.
    “You got me an audition?” Despite the crisis I was experiencing with Riley, I found it in myself to feel one shred of happiness.
    “Auditions—ssss—with an S. Plural.”
    “Wow.”
    “I’m sending a courier over with some scripts. Start studying. You have two pilots, a movie, and a guest spot on Law and Order to prepare for.”
    “How…”
    “No questions. Just don’t screw this up.”
     
    ***
     
    Well, I didn’t need to screw anything up because the casting agents’ minds were already made up for me. It didn’t matter how many hours I slaved over these scripts, learning every line, researching characters,