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My eyebrows shoot up. “Oh?”
“There’s something I need to talk to you about, Laila. Something confidential.” Colin places his box lunch on the coffee table in front of us. “I’m breaching my NDA with the show to tell you about this, but, as your friend, I can’t keep it from you. Please, don’t tell the producers I told you. Also, don’t tell Savage. That guy’s a loose cannon.”
I nod and wait, my stomach tight with dread. I’m not sure I won’t tell Savage whatever Colin is about to tell me, but I’m too nervous to speak, one way or the other.
Colin runs an anxious hand through his dark hair. “I found out yesterday the producers want me here to create the potential for a love triangle with you and Savage. They want me to create the impression that I’m your ex during our scenes together. I guess there’s some chatter about that, online, and they don’t want me to dispel it.”
“Well, it’s not true, obviously, so we’ll just be ourselves, and—”
“That’s not the part that made me feel like I needed to talk to you. I’m just giving you background.” He sighs. “The big thing is the bonus they’ve offered me. During a break this afternoon, they want me to lure you to that patio in the back of the studio and make a move on you. They said they’ll pay me a hundred grand if I do it today. Fifty grand if you’re seen leaving my place in the early morning hours over the next two weeks. They didn’t say it, but the implication was they’d arrange a photographer, who’d then ‘leak’ the photo to a click-bait farm. Or maybe they have faith someone out there in the world would organically take a photo of us. I guess that’s pretty realistic, considering how much press you and Savage get. Basically, they want it to look like it’s at least possible you’re cheating on Savage with me. Or that you’re tempted. Or maybe I’m your ex and you’re not totally over me. They hit me with a lot of weird shit, Laila. I don’t even know if they know what they want. All I know is they’re looking to screw you over, and I’m not going to be a party to that or let it happen on my watch.”
I touch his arm, trembling with adrenaline. “I can’t thank you enough for telling me about this, Colin.”
“Of course. I couldn’t believe my ears.”
“Who talked to you about this?”
“Nadine. She’s the mastermind here. And she’s ruthless.”
I exhale. “I should have known this job was too good to be true. They never wanted me here. They wanted their usual three judges for the live shows—the same format they’ve always had. In fact, when that Instagrammer’s video first hit, they only wanted me as Savage’s mentor and fake girlfriend for three episodes. They never wanted me as a judge, but my agent strong-armed them. I guess they’ve figured out a way to make lemonade out of the Laila lemons they never wanted in the first place.”
“They’re idiots,” Colin says. “You’re incredible, Laila. So talented and beautiful. Funny and witty. I watched you guys shooting Draft Day on the monitors while I was waiting in the greenroom, and I was so impressed with how natural and charismatic you’re able to be on-camera. You’re totally yourself, other than pretending you give a shit about Savage.”
My heart pangs sharply. “I’m not pretending anything when it comes to Savage,” I confess. “Our relationship was fake when I first told you about it at Reed’s. But it’s not anymore. It’s as real as it gets.” Colin looks skeptical, so I add, “At least, it’s real for me.”
Colin looks sympathetic. Like he thinks I’m a fool. And that’s all it takes for the image of Savage walking down that hallway in Las Vegas with that groupie, one arm around her shoulders and the other holding a bottle of booze, to pop into my head and make me realize Colin is right: I’m a fool.
Colin assesses me for a long moment. “You’re in love with him?”
My breathing hitches. Savage and I have never labeled what we feel, and I don’t think I’ve admitted the full depths of my feelings for Savage, even to myself. I blink and a tear leaks out of my eye and streaks down my cheek. “Before today, I would have answered that question, yes, without a doubt. But today, he did something that made me realize it’s probably not going to work out between us.” I sniffle and wipe my cheek. “It’s too bad, honestly. I’ve had the time of my life with him. I was feeling pretty swept away.”
“Aw, Laila. Come here. Cry on my shoulder.”
“Thank you.”
Colin opens his muscled arms and I scootch over to him on the couch and let him wrap me in a warm hug, just as soggy tears begin falling down my cheeks.
