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“And what aboutmylife, Nick? What about the fact that you used me to get to here, to get to all of this”—she circled her arms with her index fingers pointed up, gesturing at their surroundings—“and never once looked back when you made it? What about that? Not to mention, youliedto my dad about us still being together.”
He blinked at her. Surprise briefly flashed in his eyes, and in that split second, she saw a glimpse of the guy she had fallen for. But just as quickly, whoever he had become chased the old Nick away, and Gemma realized the guy she thought she knew might never have existed at all. He narrowed his gaze. “You of all people should know what it takes to survive in this industry. I did what I had to do.”
Gemma snorted in disgust. “Hell of an apology, thanks.”
He stepped closer and lifted a hand like he might poke her the way he’d poked the event organizer. “Listen, you can’t—”
“I’d thinkverycarefully about the next thing you say, Nick.” Gemma nodded at Lila standing beside her, still streaming.
Lila’s lips peeled into a devious grin like exposing him was even better than shoving him in front of a bus. She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a wave. “Hi, Nick. It’s been a while. Say hi to the internet because we’re live.”
His face paled when he realized their conversation—the whole scene in the hallway—had been broadcast online. Gemma could not fight her satisfied smile. Nick quickly pivoted away from the camera, mortified, and headed for the dressing room.
At the same time, a herd of people rounded the corner and moved quickly up the hallway.
“Oh my god!” Lila said on a dramatic breath. “It’shim.”
Gemma had the same reaction, though she reined it in, having already seen Nigel Black in person that day.
He led the pack with long strides, looking like the legend he was in all black. His boots clicked on the concrete. The entourage behind him wore earpieces and juggled tablets and garment bags and phones. They chattered and hurried while Nigel glided out in front, appearing unfazed by it all.
Everyone in the hall froze as they approached. His presence was nothing short of stunning.
Gemma, Lila, and Nick were still standing in the middle of the hall, blocking the way. Instead of plowing past, Nigel came to a stop when he reached them. The crew behind him halted like a flock of ducklings.
“Gemma, love!” he said when he saw her, his face brightening in a way that made her melt. “So glad you could make it!” He reached for her to kiss her cheek, and the melt turned into a full-body swoon. “And this must be the birthday girl. Hello, love,” he said to Lila.
Never, not once in a decade of friendship, had Gemma seen Lila speechless. She stood with her mouth hanging open. Nothing but a small squeak came out.
“This is my friend Lila,” Gemma said in her silence. “Lila, this is Nigel.”
“Nice to meet you, Lila,” Nigel said. “Happy birthday.”
Lila kept gaping in shock.
Nigel laughed a warm, rough sound that turned Lila a shade of pomegranate. Nick was staring in an equal shade of shock. Gemma was the only one managing to keep her cool.
Nigel made note of the chair on the floor and the dent in the wall. He cocked his head toward Nick and furrowed his brow. “Everything all right here?”
Gemma waited to see what he was going to do. Was he going to fess up to his fit in front of Nigel? His manager had just told him not to piss off powerful people, and if her father was high on the list, Nigel was even above him.
Eventually, Nick heaved a defeated breath and shook his head. “All good. We have to drop out tonight, though. Sorry not to get to share the stage with you, man.”
The fact that Nigel expressed no surprise put a warmth in Gemma’s chest. Perhaps he already knew the reason for the last-minute change. “Tough break, kid. Maybe next time.” He turned back to Gemma. “Glad you’ll get to stick around, though, love.” He leaned in and gave her cheek another kiss. When he pulled back, he winked at her. “You won’t want to miss this show. Happy birthday, Lila.”
They parted so he and his entourage could pass by. It wasn’t until they had rounded the far corner that Lila finally spoke.
“Nigel Black knows it’s my birthday.”
Gemma laughed. “Yes, he does. And however many people are watching your livestream know that he knows too.”
Lila gasped like she suddenly remembered her camera was in her hand. She flipped it around to address her viewers with an important message. Gemma turned to see Nick pick up the chair and walk back into the dressing room. She had nothing else to say to him, so it didn’t matter. He’d revealed his true self to her and to everyone on the other side of Lila’s camera, and that was enough. She realized she would never get an apology because he wasn’t sorry.
But there was someone she wanted to talk to. Someone who had apologized in a roundabout way, and she needed to acknowledge it.
She walked farther down the hall, past where Lila was rambling into her livestream and the dressing room where Nick had closed the door. She pulled out her phone and called a number she so rarely dialed that she could not have entered it by memory.
“Hello?” her father answered.
