“Just kidding around here.” He laughed heartily. “You can put away your phones. Nothing to see.”
Sally turned to her fans. “There’s a little misunderstanding with the store,” she said. “Give us just a minute to fix it.”
Sally clamped a hand on my elbow and towed me behind the golden Eiffel Tower where no one could see us.
“You’re Lacey.” Sally pronounced my name like an insult.
“That’s right.” I threw back my shoulders. I may have been four inches shorter than her, but I felt like I could take her. I was ready to fight dirty, and she looked like the type who didn’t want to mess up her manicure or smear her lipstick unless it was on a man’s cheek.
She gave me a pitying look. “Beckett told me about you.”
I lifted my chin. “He told me about you too.”
Sally raised an eyebrow in sympathy. “He got to you, didn’t he?”
My stomach rolled, and I felt dizzy.
“You probably think Beckett is in love with you.” Her voice dripped with false compassion. “I’ve seen so many muses come and go, I’ve lost count.” She made the word muse sound like whore. “Maybe he is in love with you.” She shook her head, making her hair cascade in a waterfall over her shoulder. “That man falls in love every time he writes a new book.” Her mouth thinned. “He falls out of love just as quickly. The only thing that remains the same is me.” She took a step closer to me, pointing at her chest. “I’m here to stay. That little exposé of yours didn’t cost me anything. My readers will eat it up. They love drama. But you? You just wrecked things with Beckett for good.” She whipped out her phone, a snarky smile on her glossy lips as she tapped the screen. “There,” she said. “Congratulations. You just went viral.”
Chapter 38
Over Sally’s shoulder, I saw Xan handling the group of fans who’d been recording our little performance. He looked to have them wrapped around his little finger. The tinkling sound of their laughter floated across the aisle. Xan’s eyes flashed up to mine, full of concern. I shook my head slightly, feeling my stomach churn.
I didn’t have to be an expert on social media to know what Sally was doing. By now, the whole World Wide Web knew Sally wasn’t Miranda Lockhart. I’d spilled the secret Beckett had entrusted to me.
I realized Sally had just outed herself for the sake of ruining my relationship with Beckett.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “You just ruined your career.”
She gestured back toward the table where her fans had circled Xan as if he were one of the cover models. “That’s my face on the cardboard cutout. No one will believe some jealous clerk at a backwoods bookshop over me.”
No one except for the most important person—Beckett.
Sally glanced to her fans, then back at me. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Beckett will probably give you something really nice when he breaks your heart. He’s very generous and has excellent taste in jewelry.” She fingered a sapphire necklace that hung around her neck.
Tears blurred my vision as I watched Sally walk away. Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. Xan came over and put an arm around my waist. He guided me to a private spot between the aisles and pushed me into an armchair. Squatting in front of me, he offered me the handkerchief from his vest pocket.
“Thanks.” I crushed the handkerchief in my fist. I would not cry in public. I pulled in a lungful of air and straightened my back, hoping it would make breathing easier. It didn’t. A lump lodged in my throat, and I couldn’t seem to get enough air.
Xan’s dark eyes searched mine. “What the hell was that all about?”
I cringed, shaking my head. Squeezing the handkerchief, I sucked in fresh tears. How could I have been so thoughtless?
Xan’s phone rang, and he stood to pull it from his back pocket. His brows drew together, and he frowned. “It’s my mom.” He swiped his finger across the screen and held the phone to his ear. “Hey, Ma.”
I could hear the high-pitched squeal from a foot away. “Alexandah!”
Xan winced and held his phone away from his ear. “What’s wrong, Ma?” He paced a few steps and then glanced back at me. “No, she’s not my girlfriend,” he said. “I don’t have to work today.” He rolled his eyes. “No,” he said. “Don’t do that, Ma. Ma?” He sighed and winced again, holding the phone away from his ear. “Ma? I gotta go. Yeah, I’m coming for dinner. No.” He glanced back at me, gave me a quick smile. “I’m hanging up now.” He ended the call and shoved the phone back in his pocket. “You want to explain why my mom just saw a video of me on Facebook?”
I hung my head and pressed the balled-up handkerchief to my eyes.
“I should have never taught my mom how to use Facebook,” Xan said.
Xan’s mom had seen me tell Beckett’s biggest secret to the world. Rage built inside me, pulsing in my head loud enough to make me want to scream. Some of my anger was directed at Sally, but the majority pointed in my own direction.
Xan crouched in front of me and placed his hands on the arms of the chair. “Are you gonna tell me what that was all about?”
“What did your mom say?”
