Chloe opened her eyes to a slit and looked over at Eloy, who was sound asleep next to her. She didn’t know if it was normal for men to fall asleep after sex, but it happened every time with him.
Filled with anxiety and regret, she wondered if she could get Eloy’s phone and delete the photos he’d taken of her.
He stirred a little, and she shut her eyes, hoping he wouldn’t wake. While she listened for signs of him waking, she weighed how much she loved him against his increased pressure to do things she wasn’t comfortable doing.
Eloy settled again, so she slipped from the bed and tiptoed into the bathroom. She closed the door, wincing with the resulting loud squeak of the door hinges.
She stepped in front of the sink and looked into the mirror. Her eyes widened when she saw fear. Why was she afraid?
She’d been dating Eloy for over a month. He was always glad to see her, occasionally he took her to dinner, and once he’d bought her a dozen roses.
Deep in her heart, she knew what the problem was. She was afraid to tell her mom and dad about him. They’d never heard of him, much less met him. She’d never been that way with any of her other boyfriends.
Of course, the fact he was twenty-seven years old was something that would send her parents into a never-ending rant. But there was more to it than that.
She really wasn’t sure what Eloy did for a living. He seemed to have plenty of money, and said he worked in retail, but never told her where he worked, and didn’t go to an office.
But the pictures…if there was one thing her parents had hammered into her, it was to be careful of what photos she allowed to be taken of her.
She’d wanted to run into the night screaming the last time they’d given her the lecture. Her mom had done the warmup, but her dad had been the headliner.
“Now, Chloe, your mother and I understand how much young people want to document their every action on the latest social media platform. But you must remember that the Internet lives forever. Crazy pictures taken of you today could come back to haunt you down the road.”
“Yes, honey,” her mother had said. “Never ever take any photos that could be considered risqué, suggestive, or in poor taste.”
Her father had sat next to her and put his arm around her. “I see it all the time at the studio. We find the perfect fresh face for a new romantic comedy or something, and then we do a little research and see she’s been posting pictures of her…private parts all over social media. Or worse yet, we announce her starring in a new film, and then the tabloids publish internet photos, and we have to find a reason to fire her, or even kill the entire project.”
“I know, Dad,” she’d said, annoyance dripping from her voice. “Why is it so hard for you to trust me? I’m not some dumb kid. I’m almost seventeen.”
“We don’t think you’re stupid,” he’d said. “It’s just so easy to be fooled or caught up in something before you realize it’s not good for you.”
“Can I go now?”
Her father had sighed. “Sure, princess. Just be careful and don’t let anyone force you into doing anything you consider unacceptable.”
Now, standing in Eloy’s bathroom and gazing at herself in the mirror, Chloe realized she was looking at a dumb kid.