After a few seconds of searching blindly, my fingers brushed against the familiar worn material. In junior high, there was a bejeweled designer messenger bag that was all the rage. Every girl in my grade had one instead of a backpack, but Mom couldn’t afford it. Instead, she bought me a simple canvas one, and I dressed it up by beading a sun on the front flap in yellow, orange, and red beads. The girls at school asked me where I got it, and I just smiled and told them it was custom made.
I stuffed my clutch inside before lifting the strap over my head. Then I hesitated, wondering if I should take off my mask and put it away too. I didn’t need it anymore, but reappearing without it felt weird somehow. Aaron and I had yet to see each other withoutmasks on. I wasn’t nervous for him to finally see me, but I felt like once my butterfly was taken off, the night would truly be over, and that made me a little sad.
“Miss, did you find your bag?” the custodian called.
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
Before I could overthink it, I pulled off my mask and tucked it on top of my bag where it wouldn’t get crushed. Then I hurried out of the room and thanked the man before surveying the lobby for Aaron. He was standing beside the valet counter, headphones in as he waited for me. His head bobbed to the beat of whatever song was playing, and when he saw me coming toward him, he stiffened.
“What’s wrong?” I asked when I reached him.
“Nothing,” he said, yanking out the earbuds. He stood straighter and nodded at me, but his response was too quick and I didn’t believe him.
“No, really. What’s up?” Reaching up, I self-consciously brushed a strand of my hair away from my eyes.
“It’s just that, well…you took off your mask.”
Oh man, that’s a bad thing?
My cheeks caught fire. Okay, so maybe my bottom teeth could be a little straighter, and I hated the number of freckles I had, but it wasn’t like my face was repulsive or anything. At least, I’d never thought so.
Aaron instantly backtracked, waving his hands in defense. “Crap, I didn’t mean it like that. You have a very lovely face…er…I mean, you’re really pretty.”
“Um, thanks?”
“I’m sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “That came out all wrong. What I meant was… Now that you took off yours, I feel obligated to as well.”
“And you don’t want to?”
“No, it’s not that, but…” He trailed off, shaking his head, and took a big breath. “There’s something I haven’t told you.” He paused. “About myself.”
“Okay?” I said, my voice rising slightly. Did he not want to give me a ride home anymore? If so, I was totally screwed. I’d probably missed the bus, and there was no way Asha was home from picking up Riya yet, which meant I’d have to call my mom and interrupt her date. She wouldnotbe happy. “Are you some crazy serial killer?” I joked, voicing my earlier concern. “Aaron the ax murderer?”
“No,” he said, “but my name isn’t Aaron.”
My entire body tensed. “What?”
Why would he lie about his name?
“I’m sorry,” he said, slowly untying the ribbon that held his mask in place. “It’s just…I didn’t want you to think of me any differently.” He pulled the wolf away, and somehow I kept my mouth from falling open. I knew his face, but my mind couldn’t accept that he was the person looking down at me. “My real name is Alec.”
Holy. Freaking. Shit.
“Alec,” I repeated. I tried to swallow my shock. “As in AlecWilliams.” Son of Sebastian Williams, CEO of Mongo Records—one of the largest labels in the music industry—and bass player for the Heartbreakers.
He stood there blushing, hands clasped behind his back.
I couldn’t wrap my mind around this impossibility, and I thought if I said the truth out loud, then maybe I would actually believe it. Because I hadn’t spent my time at the ball with some random cute guy. No, Alec Williams and his bandmates were some of the most famous guys in the whole flipping universe. Even more famous than Gabe Grant and Violet James.
It wasn’t like I was crazy obsessed with the Heartbreakers like Asha was. Sure, I liked their music. Heck, I’d even bought one of their albums, but I’d never been to a Heartbreakers concert, and I didn’t stalk their lives like a crazy fangirl. But the revelation that I’d unknowingly spent the past hour with an actualcelebritywas overwhelming. Suddenly, all those embarrassing moments rushed back to me, and I blushed so deeply that my face probably turned the color of my hair.
Alec watched me with a guarded expression as I tried not to freak out. And then I remembered what he’d said only moments ago: he lied because he didn’t want me to think of him any differently.
Right now, I was doing just that.
He’s just a regular guy, I tried to convince myself.Pretend he’s still Aaron.
I flexed my fingers and pasted on a smile, but before I could say anything, a woman in a navy ball gown stepped in front of me.
