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An event photographer steps close and snaps a photo of the group beside me, the flash momentarily blinding me.
Bloody brilliant!
I push past him and toss back an apology afterward, and then finally, I spot Logan talking with Darius and a few other guys. They’re standing in a thick group, talking and laughing, and suddenly there’s a lead weight in my stomach, keeping me from going over to him.
It’s the last thing I want to do, confront this issue. I want to run for the hills and lick my wounds in private, but I have to know what wounds I’ve got. I’m still utterly confused about what’s actually going on. Did he really arrive here with her? After telling me I had to come early? What the hell is going on?
With trepidation, I make my way toward him. He doesn’t see me even when I’m right on them because I’m so much shorter than the rest of the group. I bet they’re all professional athletes, the lot of them.
I tap him on his shoulder, and when he turns around to face me, his eyes light up with excitement.
“There you are,” he says with a smile, though he doesn’t reach out to touch me and now I’m not sure why. Is it because he doesn’t want Melody to see? “I was going to get us drinks and I got sidetracked by these guys.”
“Could we speak for a minute?” I ask with a shaky voice, aware that his friends are all looking over at me with curious expressions. Some of them probably remember me as the girl in the pool at his party. How embarrassing. I’ll bet they’re wondering what I’m doing here, and I can’t blame them. After all, I’m doing the same.
Logan frowns and turns to lead me away from the group. “Sure. What’s going on?”
I wait until we’re out of earshot of his friends before turning to him and coming right out with it. “Um, this is sort of awkward. But, well…did you come here tonight with Melody?”
His smile immediately falls and his dark brows furrow. “Crap. I meant to warn you about that. Listen, out on the red carpet, Darius and Liz arrived with Melody. We took pictures as a group and then Darius and Liz stepped away. I was about to step away as well, but Melody put her hand on my shoulder and I didn’t want to cause a scene or anything, so I stood there for a second before walking away. They only took that one photo before I moved away from her.”
Oh okay. So she arrived with his friends, and they had to take photos as a group. And then when Melody wanted to take a photo with him, he didn’t want to embarrass her, so that’s how this all happened. What a perfectly reasonable explanation. I should feel loads better.
I don’t.
“But then why does she think you two are dating?”
He rears back as if utterly confused.
“Dating?”
I point in the direction I just came from. “I just ran into her in the loo. She showed me the red carpet photo and mentioned you were a couple but said you would deny it because you don’t want it getting out. I just… Please be honest with me. Am I being played here? Am I the fool?”
“No. Listen.” He reaches out to touch me, but I jerk back.
I don’t want to be touched right now. I really don’t.
I look around me, at all the faces in the crowd of people who seem to know exactly what I’ve just done and who I am.
Everything suddenly feels tilted out of proportion, like I’m looking at the world through a funhouse mirror. The lights, the music, the crowd—everything is off. I hate it all and I want out. Right now.
“Candace—”
“What the fuck am I doing? Oh my god. What am I doing?” I’ve lost my grip, truly. I can’t stop myself from mumbling. “I just gave you…” I slap my hand over my mouth. “Oh my god. I’m going to be sick.”
I turn away from him and rush toward the front exit of the hall.
“Candace, stop.”
I can’t. Doesn’t he see? I’m the gross one, the loser. He arrived on the red carpet with Melody, and even if it was an accident (Was it?!), the whole internet is probably aflame with how gorgeous they are together, and then here I am…the other woman. The one in the supply closet!
I feel so disgusted with myself, like I’d peel my skin off if I could. I want to run out of this room, but I don’t let myself. I only walk quickly, aware of Logan calling my name, but I don’t bother to stop. It feels like none of this is real, like I might wake up tomorrow and find it’s all been a horrible nightmare.
