“You literally asked me point-blank in the limo if I could sway our audience into believing that I was ‘hopelessly smitten with you.’” She has the audacity to whip out the air quotes. “Well, surprise, Lex. I did.”
“That was not the plan. Not even close. That was so far from the plan, the plan is now lost on a deserted island somewhere in the middle of the Bermuda fucking Triangle.”
“Maybe I improvised a little.” Stevie shrugs, feigning indifference, but the bright red flush on her cheeks tells me she’s equally reeling. “Honestly, you should be thanking me for making this whole thing a lot more convincing.”
“Thanking you.” I scoff a bitter laugh. “Right. Where are my manners?”
“Nobody was going to buy that we were dating. You can barely touch me without dry heaving.”
“I’ve been trying to be respectful, given the fact that you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. I violently dislike you.”
“Thanks for clarifying. But you just put us in a whole different spotlight, and now we have to deal with the fallout. There’s no coming back from this.”
“It’s not a big deal—”
“It is a big deal!” I stalk forward, inches from her face. She freezes, eyes dipping away from me, arms tightening at her chest. “It is a big deal. You announced to the universe that we’re in love. You implied you were going to move here. Was that your brilliant plan, Nicks? Are you moving in with me? I have a spare bedroom. Hell, I have three.”
“Of course I’m not moving in with you. I was on the spot and got carried away after your mother implied I was a talentless idiot.” Moisture pools in her eyes. “You brought me here for publicity, to brainwash the public into thinking we were dating. If you had a different plan in mind, you should have filled me in.”
“I told you the plan. It wasn’t that.”Christ.This is a fucking mess. “I told you to let me lead.”
“Because you thought I was incapable.”
“Clearly!”
Her face falls. A tear slips.
I attempt the breathing exercises again, closing my eyes and counting to one. “I’m just trying to make sense of why the hell you would do that.”
Stevie’s jaw clenches as she tries to keep the emotion at bay. “And I’m trying to make sense of why you would disappear for four years after I put my ass on the line for you.”
“I did that for—”
For you, Stevie. I did it for you.
The words almost slip out. I almost confess that she’s the reason I walked away, the reason my life spiraled and every bit of magic drained from my veins.
“For your career,” she finishes for me. “I know.”
No.
I never wanted this.
I only wanted peace.
“It wasn’t for my career.” I shake my head and step away. “It’s nothing. Forget it.”
“Right. I guess I’ll just go ask my therapist.” She deflates.
A weary sigh leaves me, and I gaze down at the smoky gray porcelain tiles. “We need to fix this.”
“I’m sure your people can make a statement.” She follows my hollow stare, tone defeated. “Just say I embellished things. I’ll take the fall.”
My head pops back up. “No. You’re not doing that again.”
Fuck.
