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“We should go,” our tour manager, Bruce, says in an urgent tone behind me.
I jump when another person grips my arm to guide me up. Steve? When did he get here?
“What… I don’t…”
“Not here,” Bruce whispers at my ear. “Just smile and follow me.”
“But—”
“Now, Larinda. Please,” Steve says.
I’m not sure what else to do except push up from the table and follow the leader like I always do. My entire life is dictated by other people, so it takes nothing to fall in step with the human sandwich escorting me from the room. Except, something doesn’t feel right this time. I’m missing something. Forgetting… Val!
Bruce has my arm in a polite but firm grip. Steve is on my other side, subtly blocking me in. They’re taking me in the wrong direction! I twist back and wish I hadn’t when I catch Val’s tortured gaze locked on me as they lead me away.
“Wait,” I say, tugging against their hold. “I have to?—”
“Seriously, Larry. We have to go. We just got news from the McKinnley camp,” Steve hisses.
Pretty sure I know what the news is.
I’m engaged? I don’t want to be engaged. At least, not to Jarvis.
When I try another look, Val is out of sight. I’ll explain it all later. I will, just…
Val
She’s engaged? Well, that explains the odd breakfast appearance if she came to tell me in person. But that doesn’t explain what happened beneath the table a minute ago.
My foot still tingles from its collision with hers. For those few seconds, I actually thought…
I’m such an idiot.
Anger mixes with the hurt twisting through my chest. Not at her—at myself for thinking for even a fraction of a second someone like Larinda could be interested in someone like me.
What were you thinking? You are on the cusp of reaching your dream and you were about to blow it with an unrequited crush on your boss.
People wait decades for the break I’ve been given at age twenty-three. I really need to lock this shit down because I’ve suffered way too much to lose everything over a pointless crush. Larinda’s label is already looking for any excuse to get rid of me.
“Pretty wild, right? Do you think they’ll get married on tour? Oh! What if it’s at our stop in Duluth?”
I force my attention to Chad and use every remaining ounce of strength to pretend I’m not gutted.
“What’s in Duluth?” I ask. It’s the only one of his questions I can handle right now.
“Um, an aquarium, for one,” he huffs, clearly offended by my lack of Duluth trivia.
Right.
“Have you really never been?” he asks.
“Have you?”
“That’s beside the point,” he mumbles.
I’m not even sure what he’s offended about now.
I lean forward and rest my pounding head on my fists. Larinda is engaged to Jarvis? Just two days ago she made it seem like she’d be fine if they never spoke again. Was she trying to throw me off? Why? Shit, is it because she suspects I have feelings for her?
