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“She’s asked for his number, you know that, right?” Felix tilts his head in my view, and his smug smile blocks the two that have held my attention for far too long. “And guess what? Our boy wants some of that.”
Suddenly, Tom, Mandy, and everything fades away. A chill skates up my spine. I could walk out, leave Felix here, but it wouldn’t work. He knows the code. He could call my father. It’s time to deal with him once and for all. The fallout be damned.
“Why are you really here?” I get up and switch seats so I’m now in the one Tom vacated, across from Felix.
I watch as his Hollywood mask fades, the shine to his dark gaze vanishes, and his features tighten.
“Leighton, come on. Do we really have to do this?” He releases an exhausted sigh. “You must know.”
“I wouldn’t be asking if I did.”
“Your father called me.”
A rush of ice courses through my veins and slows the beat of my heart. My father. He doesn’t have the time nor the desire to call his daughter. The one he dumped for work at the last minute and didn’t have the balls to tell in person. But he called Felix.
This shouldn’t sting the way it does. I’ve been in similar situations before, but it hurts.
I’m such a fool. I should’ve figured it out, should have known that Felix wasn’t here to fix things before TIFF because he was worried I’d ruin things after he snubbed me in Los Angeles.
No. Felix wants the best media coverage for him and for movie sales. What better way to do that than to walk the red carpet of the North American premiere of his latest film with the director’s daughter?
That had been the plan all along, but he fucked up and ghosted me in LA. I figured he was here to smooth things over, make sure I would still be at his side. I mean, come on, the optics are fire.
It’s good press. Everybody wins. That is…everyone but me.
“Rupert called me saying you were blowing off the prep of TIFF, taking your time on this drive. He’s worried. He wants you home and figured I could talk to you.”
Just then, Mandy interrupts with the check, and it’s my chance to leave. When I return to the condo, the first thing I do is look for Tom. He isn’t here.
A dark, savage feeling eats at my insides, and it’s more than just jealousy. We left Mandy still working at the restaurant so he can’t be with her, but where is he? I wish he was here.
My anger at Felix and my dad festers and is ready to break free when the door opens. Tom?
I rush to the front entrance, knees near buckling at the sight of Felix staring down at his phone.
“You can’t stay here.” I hold up my phone, ready to squash his protest. “I’ll call the concierge and get you a room.”
“No.” With each step toward me, his expression softens—it’s all an act. “I’m here because I care about you. Your father invited me; I’m staying. Unless you want me to call him right now?”
I choose to ignore his threat, having no doubt he will do it.
“Care? Is that why you never bothered to call me after what happen on our flight to LA? The emergency landing? Because you care about me?”
My stomach twists in knots at the mention of that horrific flight, the nightmares, the therapy. How my fear of flying became crippling after that night. All of it only adds to why I don’t want to be around Felix. It wasn’t his fault, but he never helped the situation either.
“Jesus Christ, Leighton, not this again.” He rolls his eyes. “Get over it, already. It’s old news.”
“Get over it? It was an emergency landing.” I wave my arms in the air as if the motion will make him hear me better. “Or does nothing faze you because you are too wrapped up in yourself? Do you even remember fucking the stewardess with me only feet away?”
He tenses, skin ashen, and I’m under no illusion that he’s suddenly grown a conscience. Felix and I were supposedly dating when he slept with the flight attendant. Up until now, he thought he got away with it. That’s probably why he looks like he’s going to be sick.
“I don’t care that you slept with her. Or the countless other women while we were together. We’re done.” I step back, not liking how close we are. “We were never anything anyway, and I’m no longer going to be part of this charade.”
“I care about you.”
My chest spasms at his lie. “Spare me your performance. The only thing you care about is yourself. I let you and my father talk me into thinking otherwise.”
I can’t bring myself to say it out loud—how foolish I’d been to think Felix could care about me and want to be with me. The fake dating had gone on for too long—for years. And every time I’d see another woman with Felix online or a headline saying he was vacationing with some model, heiress, or actress, Dad always had an explanation.
