Free Rockstar by Lexi Adair

least a dozen times. They'd interviewed her ex-boyfriends, her childhood friends. Hell, even that asshole Spencer had given them a quote. He'd called her a “story-whore", willing to do whatever it took to get the details. Summer groaned aloud at that. Damn him—her mother would read that.
    She'd finally flipped off her cell phone. In the three days since the Stripped article had dropped her phone rang non-stop. The callers ranged from nosey reporters fishing for a quote, to old friends she hadn't seen or spoken to in ten years wanting to know if she had really slept with the Anthony Phoenix. That story, that fucking story that should have never left the privacy of her mind, had made her a celebrity overnight—and a prisoner in her own home.
    If she dared to step foot outside her apartment building she was bombarded by reporters. They pressed up against her and shoved microphones in her face. They screamed questions at her as they climbed over each other trying to inch closer. Flashes from the cameras blinded her. The world spun about her and she was forced to retreat back into the sanctuary of her apartment building.
    It was unnerving. It was as if she'd been stripped naked and shoved out into a crowd. Everyone turned to stare and point and laugh. Snapping pictures, spinning falsehoods, exposing every secret she had ever held within the glossy pages of their magazines. She hated it. Hated feeling like her life was not her own.
    Was that how Anthony had felt? Was that what he thought of her? It was certainly what she thought of herself now. She huffed out a breath and took some small comfort in knowing that he at least was used to it. He could use this to drive record sales, feed his shows. But for Summer it had ruined her career.
    Stripped had printed a retraction. A note of apology to Anthony, his family and fans declaring that Summer and Spencer had exploited the star for their own personal gain and that the magazine had no prior knowledge, thus sealing her fate and making sure no other media outlet would touch either of them again.
    "Anthony Phoenix has cancelled the rest of his fall tour,” a television host declared, drawing Summer's attention to the screen. She grabbed for the remote and turned up the volume as she watched pictures of Anthony snapped by an invading paparazzi flicker across the screen. “Representatives have stated that the singer has fallen ill and will be unable to finish out the tour which still had several dates to run including British Columbia, Las Vegas and Los Angeles."
    Summer ran her fingers over the buttons on the remote as she watched the correspondent shuffle papers on her desk. In the upper right corner of the screen they showed video of Anthony trying to push his way past a mob and slip into an awaiting car. Strangely, her heart went out to him.
    "But insider sources say,” the correspondent continued, “that the tour was cancelled for more personal reasons directly related to the article that appeared in Stripped Magazine earlier this week. The very personal article written by former Stripped journalist, Summer Staite, shocked the entertainment industry with its erotic bedtime story. The scandal came to a head in a skirmish between Phoenix and magazine personnel."
    In the upper right hand corner the imagery flickered, shifting from the video clip of Anthony to a photo of herself. It had been taken outside her apartment the day before. She was turned away from the camera. Her hair fell down to shield her face as she pressed her hand outward as if the simple gesture could stop the invading cameras.
    Summer's stomach churned as she stared at the picture of her on the television. “Sources say the article's author seduced Phoenix to get the story even after he'd refused to be interviewed for the magazine.” Much to her horror the correspondent continued. “Phoenix's representatives will neither deny nor confirm the allegations about the controversial story, but one member of his