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What the fuck?
It took all my strength not to jump out of my seat, run over there, and put my fist through pretty boy’s face before I dragged Cleo off to my lair like a fucking caveman.
A heavy blanket of disappointment also settled over me as I realized she was nothing like I’d thought. I would never be interested in someone who would cheat. I normally had pretty good judgment about people, and it irritated me that I hadn’t once suspected that she wasn’t as genuine as she’d seemed.
Clenching my fists so hard my knuckles cracked caught Natalie’s attention. She leaned in and whispered, “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head and gritted, “Nothing. Just nervous for you.”
Natalie’s expression turned soft, and she squeezed my arm before returning her gaze to the stage.
Five minutes later, Cleo was momentarily forgotten as I jumped to my feet and clapped like a madman while my sister slowly rose from her seat, her expression dazed. I laughed and caught her elbow, encouraging her to make her way to the aisle and up to the stage.
She accepted her award with humility and grace, but when she returned to her seat and the cameras were focused on the next nominees, she slapped her hands over her mouth and screamed. I chuckled and hugged her again. “Way to go, baby sis. I’m so proud of you.”
The excitement of her win began to ebb, and unfortunately, my mind returned to the pink-haired beauty. I’d already been miserable enough sitting through this fucking show, but then I spent the rest of the night fuming over my poor judgment and the fact that despite knowing Cleo was with another man, I still wanted her.
When the ceremony ended, I took Natalie’s arm, and we walked up the aisle to the back of the room. Her agent came bustling over and grabbed her hand, dragging her away to talk to “influential people.”
I wandered off to the side and leaned against a wall, crossing my ankles and folding my arms over my chest. Ducking my head down, I kept my eyes on the ground. My body language clearly said “fuck off” so nobody would bother me while I waited for my sister to finish.
“Rigby?”
My whole body froze at the sound of the sweet, seductive voice I hadn’t been able to eradicate from my mind. I silently shouted at my cock to stand down, but the traitor didn’t give a shit about what my mind wanted.
Slowly, my eyes located a pair of silver shoes and then traveled up a floor-length, satiny black gown, pausing on the strapless top that showed off more cleavage than I was happy about until they reached sparkling green eyes.
Cleo smiled brightly and took a step closer, only to halt when she clocked the unwelcome expression on my face.
“Hi, neighbor…” she said softly, with a hopeful smile.
My eyes narrowed, and I canted my head to the side. “Neighbor?”
Cleo looked confused for a moment, then her shoulders drooped, and her expression turned sad. “You don’t remember me?”
I’d never been dishonest, and despite how angry I was, I wouldn’t lie to her. “I remember you, Cleo, but I obviously was mistaken about being neighbors. I’d like to think that neighbors would be honest with each other.”
She blinked a few times, her expression puzzled, as if trying to understand my meaning. It pricked my temper even further that she was a good enough actress to make it seem as though she had no idea what I was talking about.
“Cleo,” a masculine voice called, and we both turned our attention to the Brazilian actor who was dangerously close to a broken jaw. I curled my fingers into my palms and tucked my arms tighter against my body to keep from giving in to temptation.
He walked over and put a hand on Cleo’s arm, giving me a perfunctory nod before turning all of his attention to her. “Come. I have people to introduce you to.”
I didn’t wait for her response to the handsome star. I pushed off the wall and dropped my hands to my sides. “Good night,” I growled before stalking off, my eyes darting around the room until I spotted my sister's dark curls and purple dress.
She stood with her agent, a young couple, and two of the male actors from her show. As I approached, their discussion faded and Natalie glanced at me, her mouth curling down into a frown. “Do you think you could tone down the badass glare and try to appear at least a little pleasant?” she sighed.
It was as though she didn’t know me at all…
“Rigby Hunt?” I glanced at the young couple, and my brow furrowed at the excited expression on the man’s face. “I’m a huge fan.”
I grunted in acknowledgment, then focused on my sister. “Are you ready?”
Natalie rolled her eyes and smiled apologetically at the group. “I’m terribly sorry for my brother. He’s kind of a grouch when…” She trailed off, then shrugged. “Well, always.”
