Reeve quickly glances around before mouthing “I’m sorry.”
I can barely look at him, let alone speak. Reaching into my purse, I hand him the card I made for him. Our fingers brush in the exchange, and his touch sends tremors shooting up my arm, like always. However, it offers none of the usual comfort. His hand twitches, and while it’s only a subtle gesture, it’s enough to tell me he still feels our connection too.
I wonder if she ignites sparks in him, or if her touch makes his skin crawl like one look at her does to me.
“You look beautiful,” he whispers, glancing around to ensure no one is paying too much attention. “Do you like the earrings?” he adds in another whisper.
I nod. “Thank you. You look hot,” I croak, barely managing to get the words out.
An awkward silence descends, and I hate this. Even strangers would have some polite words to say, but I’ve got nothing. There’s a distance between us for the first time ever, and I have no clue how I can close it. The lump in my throat is so painful I’m almost choking on air.
Cassidy, the studio’s obnoxious PR person, rushes up to Reeve, whispering in his ear.
“I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you at the after-party,” Reeve says, shooting me another apologetic look. I nod tersely, watching him walk away with a horrid ache in my chest.
Mom takes my hand, holding it tight. “You don’t have to deal with this. Just say the word, and we’ll leave.”
I squeeze her hand back. “Thanks, Mom, but I came here for Reeve, and I’m staying to support him.” Whether he deserves it is another matter entirely.
18
I grab another flute when a waiter passes by, depositing my empty glass on the table beside us. “At least there’s free champagne,” I deadpan, taking a healthy glug of the expensive amber-colored liquid as my eyes scan the packed hotel ballroom. My parents are doing the rounds, leaving me and Audrey to our own devices. While Reeve wasn’t able to secure a ticket for my bestie to the premiere, he scored her an invite to the after-party. Thank god, because there’s no way I would have attended without her. “Maybe if I drink enough, I can erase the image of Reeve with that bitch from my mind.” I should probably lower my voice, but I’m beyond the point of caring.
The movie was good, but it’s blatantly obvious Reeve is the star. His performance was utterly magnetic, and I am so proud of him. He nailed it completely, enough to become the latest hot commodity in Hollywood. Directors will be hammering his door down after tonight. Reeve’s performance was so masterful I forgot who he was a lot of the time because he wore Camden Marshall’s skin with effortless ease. However, I couldn’t forget it was Reeve during the sex scenes. I had to close my eyes and not look after the first one almost killed me.
“She truly is shameless.” Audrey glares daggers into Saffron’s back. The bitch hasn’t left Reeve’s side, and my patience is in short supply. We’ve been at the after-party for over an hour, and Reeve hasn’t come near us, apart from a fleeting hello when the main cast members arrived. He’s the man of the moment, and everyone wants to speak to him, but it’s like he’s completely forgotten I’m here, and I’m getting sick of being an afterthought. If you had asked me a year ago if Reeve would ever treat me like this, I’d have laughed in your face.
My loving, attentive, protective boyfriend exists now only in my memory.
And I’m sad.
So sad and lonely.
“Fuck her,” Audrey says, spotting the forlorn expression on my face. “When karma comes for her, we’ll celebrate.”
“Are you going to talk to Alex?” I inquire, needing to stop thinking and talking about Saffron fucking Roberts. Subtly, I jerk my head to the side where Alex is congregated with a couple of guys from our old high school. I’ve watched him sneak longing glances at Audrey when he thinks no one is looking, so I don’t understand why he hasn’t approached her yet.
“Probably not. Our last conversation at Christmas didn’t go too well.”
Alex and Audrey had met for coffee over the Christmas break, and they ended up having a massive argument when Alex confirmed he was sleeping with the blonde. They’re not dating, just fucking, but the distinction doesn’t matter to Audrey. It still hurts that he could move on so fast when they parted out of necessity, not because they had fallen out of love.
For a while, I wondered if Reeve and I should adopt Alex and Audrey’s strategy, but it’s clear it doesn’t matter how you play it when feelings are involved. My bestie thought she could cut ties amicably and maturely and it wouldn’t hurt. Technically, Alex hasn’t done anything wrong, and apparently, guys find it easier to engage in no-strings-attached sex. But I honestly don’t understand how you can switch off your feelings so quickly. You couldn’t convince me Alex no longer loves Audrey. From the way he can’t take his eyes off her tonight, it’s clear she still owns his heart. Yet he wasted little time climbing into bed with another woman.
Men are such confusing bastards.
After a half an hour, and another glass of champagne, I have reached my limit, and I need to get out of here before I do something I regret. “Want to ditch?” I ask my bestie, and she eagerly nods.
“I was ready to ditch the second we got to the hotel.”
“I’m just going to the bathroom. Can you find my parents and tell them we’re leaving?”
She agrees, and I exit the ballroom, heading toward the ladies’ restroom.
After attending to business, I step out of my stall to discover Saffron Roberts waiting for me. “I’m surprised you managed to peel yourself off Reeve. Clinging to his coattails makes you look desperate and pathetic,” I say, my tongue much looser, thanks to the alcohol sluicing through my veins. I know she staged this little meet and greet, and I want to get the first shot in. “It’s clear to everyone he’s the star of the show, and you’re destined to linger in his shadow.”
She laughs, and it’s a haughty, shrill sound that grates on my nerves. I wash my hands in the sink to keep them occupied so I don’t do something reckless—like strangle her.
“The only person slinking into the shadows is you.” She pins me with a smug look I instantly want to wipe off her face.
“I hate to disappoint you, Saff, but I’m going nowhere.”
“It won’t be up to you,” she retorts.
“It sure as fuck won’t be up to you.” I wipe my hands on a paper towel before we face off. Even in her skyscraper heels, I am still taller, and I derive immense satisfaction in towering over her diminutive frame.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to underestimate your enemies?”
“I’m glad you’re openly admitting the truth, and I’m not threatened by you.” That latter part is a semi-lie, but I’ll never admit it to her. I’m not threatened by Saffron, per se. It’s what she represents and how easily she has injected herself between Reeve and me. I’ve begun questioning how strong our relationship really is, if it’s crumbling this fast at the first sign of trouble.
She steps closer, prodding her finger into my chest. “You should be.”
I shove her finger away. “Reeve loves me. He has loved me his entire life. You will never compete with that.”
“He might think he loves you, but it’s only because he’s known no different. I mean, look at me and look at you.” Her scathing gaze roams me from head to toe, obliterating the last of my patience.