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Pride fills his expression. He asks, "Are you ready for your big night?"
Nerves replace some of the sadness I feel. "What if I mess up?"
His face falls. He furrows his eyebrows, declaring, "You won't. They're going to love you. Hell, they already love you. You're number one."
I glance out the window and try to squash the growing anxiety, admitting, "This is big. I've never had such a big opportunity. Colton Linwood isn't just some singer. He's the real deal."
"So are you."
"Not like him."
"Bullshit," Riggs states.
I glance out the window at the runway. A black SUV is waiting, and snow lightly falls.
Riggs restates, "Pet, you're going to be amazing."
I force a smile and move toward the door, but he steps in front of me.
He tilts my chin and locks his eyes with mine. In a stern voice, he asserts, "I mean it. There's nothing to worry about. You're going to be amazing on that stage."
The storm inside me calms a bit. His no-nonsense confidence is everything I love about him. And at this moment, I'm grateful he's here.
Without thinking about the consequences, I admit, "I'm glad you're still in charge of things for me. I can't imagine doing this without you here." Then my cheeks heat, and I blink hard when tears threaten to spill down my cheeks.
Riggs's lips softly curve. He claims, "I would never miss your big night."
I can't blink hard enough to stop the tears from escaping my eyes. I ask, "Why did you do it?"
His face falls.
I take an emotion-filled breath, then question, "How could you send anyone, especially my father, those images and messages about me?"
His chest rises and falls slowly, and he never takes his sad gaze off mine.
His silence both pains and infuriates me. "Tell me!" I demand.
He finally answers. "I wanted to destroy him. I told you that I wanted to destroy him. What he did was unforgivable. He needed to be destroyed in all ways. But it was never my intention that you would find out."
Rage fills me. "So that would make it okay? If you sent all those messages and I never found out, that would make it okay?" I accuse.
"Why would it matter if you didn't know? Your father would be destroyed, and we'd still be happy," he declares.
My stomach pitches. I hold it and seethe, "You aren't sorry for anything. Are you?"
He wrinkles his forehead. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm sorry. I've told you a million times I'm sorry."
I push past him. "Stay away from me, Riggs." I storm through the plane, ignore Noah, and step in front of the doorway. The snowy, cold air hits my face.
Riggs barks, "She needs a coat, Noah!"
"Then why don't you give her one?" he replies.
I spin, tired of it all. "Shut up, both of you! Do your jobs and just shut up!" They freeze, leering at each other.
I climb down the stairs, go straight to the SUV without acknowledging the driver, and climb in. I stare out the window, unsure if I'm more pissed or sad that Riggs hasn't learned one thing.
He never will.
