Page 66
“Ow, motherfuck!”
“H-hi, Mr. Callahan,” I stammer as I swallow the treat, licking its sweetness from my lips.
Ryann briefly catches the movement before turning his attention to Carpenter, who’s shaking out his fingers with a grimace. “Are you alright?”
KC snorts. “He’s fine, ignore him. Who’s your date, Ry?”
With a jolt, I notice that someone is standing next to him. A tall someone. With long, luscious auburn curls and an hourglass figure. A very, very feminine figure.
My face twists in confusion as the woman’s perfectly painted smile lights up the room. She extends her hand to KC, her voice dripping with charm. “Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Olivia. Ryann’s girlfriend.”
His…
Wait.
KC’s delicate brows slam together. “I’m sorry, I think I might have misheard. Did you just say that you’re Ryann’s girlfriend?”
Her sparkling blue eyes tighten in uncertainty as she tilts her head. “Yes, that’s what I said.”
A strangled noise escapes the back of my throat like I’ve just been sucker-punched. Whatever they say next is drowned out by the roaring in my ears. I feel someone’s gaze on me, his gaze, but all I can focus on is the sweat gathering on my nape as my vision swims, a suffocating heat surging through me. The hors d’oeuvres in my stomach turn to lead.
Stupid, stupid Shilo. Thrown to the curb again.
“S’cuse me,” I mumble, swallowing bile as I spin on my heel and bolt.
Someone calls after me, but I don’t stop. Shoving through the crowd, I ignore the sting in my eyes as I push toward the courtyard doors. Cold air bites at my skin when I burst outside, the cheerful glow of Christmas lights mocking me. Hunching over, I wrap my arms around myself and fight the urge to vomit. If I had any idea where the bathroom was, I’d probably be there already.
A few people linger nearby, snapping photos in front of a decorated fountain, but none of them spare me a glance when I collapse onto the fountain’s ledge, scowling at my reflection in the water. No matter what I do—no matter how much I change—I still can’t stand the sight of myself.
In the murky depths, another face suddenly joins mine, hazel eyes I know all too well pinched with concern.
“Shilo,” Ryann says quietly. “Let me explain.”
I can’t bring myself to look at him directly, so I glare at his reflection instead. “I thought you were gay.”
He sighs heavily. “I am.”
“Then what the hell?”
He glances over his shoulder before reaching out, his hand brushing my arm. “Let’s talk somewhere quieter.”
“Don’t touch me,” I mutter, shoving his hand away as I stand. Without looking back, I march toward a weeping willow at the courtyard’s edge. Behind me, I hear the soft sound of his suede shoes tapping against the concrete as he follows.
Once beneath the sweeping branches, I cross my arms tightly and put as much space between us as I can, shivering against the biting breeze. It’s dark here, the shadows swallowing Ryann’s face as he watches me with his hands shoved into his pockets. Seething silently, I wait for him to speak.
“You’ve heard of AVA, right?” He asks, the question catching me off guard. I nod slowly, my chest tightening at the thought of how he named it after his mother.
“The program wasn’t originally ours,” he continues. “Another tech company owns it. My father signed a contract with their CEO to acquire the rights.”
“What does this have to do with anything?”
His tone hardens. “Ronin isn’t just trying to buy the rights to AVA. He wants the whole damn company. And to make the merger go smoothly, he expects me to… woo the CEO. Hence, Olivia.”
My nose wrinkles as I squint at him. “Woo?”
“Charm her. Take her on dates. Get into her good graces. Whatever you want to call it.”
“That sounds archaic as hell,” I say slowly, letting his words sink in. “Last I checked, this is the twenty-first century. You can say no.”
