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I'm in flight mode. I need to escape.
Holly must sense something is wrong because she calls Ryan over to a group of reporters. He hesitates but then turns and leaves.
Seeing my opportunity for escape, I dash out of the dressing room and around the corner. I lean up against the cool cement walls, eyes closed. I focus on breathing. My mind and my heart are out of sync. One wants to run to Ryan, and the other wants to run from him. I am so confused.
"It's that bad in there, eh?"
The sound of a kind, feminine voice, full of dry humour, shocks me off the wall.
"Lily!"
I throw my arms around Luke's younger sister and squeeze. Luke and his family are huggers. They mean business when they give hugs. They could open a small business and sell comfort. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure some companies do sell hugs and cuddles to strangers at an hourly rate, which is slightly frightening and tempting at the same time. Depending on the arms wrapped around me, I might pay for fifteen minutes of warm hugs.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were finishing up an internship."
"I'm on break for a week." Lily laughs and smiles wide. She's gorgeous like her brother, with curly blond hair pulled back into a ponytail and light blue eyes with just a hint of green. I don't know what's in the Valentine gene pool, but their offspring look like genetically manipulated spawn. "I wanted to surprise Luke and Holly. And I thought you might want a break from their love fest. I'm calling in a girl's night."
"You're brilliant." I grin wide because this is precisely what I need. "I desperately need a girls-night-in. You, me, Riley, and you can finally meet Holly's sister, Taylor! Oh, and we can invite Tyra too!"
"Tyra? As in Tyra Price? I heard you guys are her interim representation. I mean, wow. Just wow. You and Holly are amazing."
"We are only helping her until the shitstorm her agent caused blows over." And what a shitstorm it is. Randy Johnson isn't going quietly. Tyra had to block his number and email. It hasn't gotten to the point where authorities are involved, but that man is unhinged.
"Oh my god, this will be the best girls' night ever! I can't wait." Lily throws her arms around me again and begins giggling and hug-dancing with me. I cannot help but laugh with her until she abruptly pulls away and gives me a delayed once over.
"What's going on with you?" she asks, narrowing her eyes.
"Nothing. Just work stuff. You know how it is."
"I call bullshit. Something's up with you, but I'll give you a pass until we have some wine in our hands and the sisterhood has gathered."
"Since when did we become a sisterhood?"
"Since kindergarten, silly."
"We didn't know each other in kindergarten."
"True, but all girls learn the cardinal rule on day one in kindergarten."
Lily and I grin, and at the same time, we recite, "Boys are stupid."
We laugh just as Chase Wilder rounds the corner. Speaking of stupid boys, we can add Chase to that list. Lily has been in love with him since the beginning of time, and he is either completely oblivious or living by some outdated bro code that states you can't date your best friend's little sister. It's likely a combination of both because anyone with eyes in their head can see he's got the hots for Lily.
Chase stops, looks at Lily, and then does a double-take as if he doesn't believe she's there. He's got a black eye and three stitches in his chin from a high stick he took last game.
"Wow, Wilder." Lily smirks, looking him up and down. "You look like shit."
And with that, Lily waves goodbye and prances off into the dressing room to surprise her brother, completely ignoring Chase. I smother a laugh and silently cheer for Lily.You go, girl!Chase is an idiot if he doesn't see that they're perfect for each other. He needs to figure his shit out.
"You know, she's not going to wait around for you forever, Mr. Wilder," I say as Chase watches Lily leave like he's debating whether to live up to his namesake and "chase" after her.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he grunts. "My face is fucked up enough as it is. I don't need Valentine to rearrange it or any other of my body parts."
Shaking his head, Chase takes one last longing look at the dressing room door before shuffling down the hallway towards the parking garage alone.
I wait a few moments to gather my thoughts outside in the hallway and then watch the video I just posted.
Seven years.
