“Of course.”
“Meet you back here?”
I nod and watch her trail away, then turn back to the action. After ten couples go through the booth, though, my stomach starts to knot.
It shouldn’t be taking so long, right? What if she’s not okay?
I spin to face the party, but I don’t see Greer anywhere in the room. The crowd has thickened since she and I arrived, the volume along with it.
“Hey, if Greer comes over, tell her I’ll be right back,” I tell Kevin Yin, the Project Manager who helps on Greer’s bot work. I have to raise my voice to be heard over the crowd.
Kevin nods, and I push back through the tangle of people to head toward the restroom.
A main hallway bisects the event venue, and though the hallway is less crowded, Greer’s not here. I continue on past Eden’s prized Moscow mule room with the ice luge lit up in glitzy purple lights, and walk down the hallway toward the restrooms. No Greer.
Then I hear the low murmur of voices from behind a thick wall to my right. The staging room where brides and grooms using the venue to get married get ready. I forgot the place existed since it’s usually cordoned off during special events.
I turn down a smaller hallway to find the entrance to the room and then freeze at the sight of a guy in a navy blue suit. His back’s turned to me, and he’s bent down to embrace someone I can’t see. But then—lord help me—the guy shifts ever so slightly to reveal the silky skirt of Greer’s emerald green gown.
No.
No.
My heart drops through my chest, and my stomach wrenches with nausea.
Greer’s voice wavers—with longing? With lust? “Damien, I—”
And then his kiss swallows her words and my whole world crumbles to ash.
Damien’s kissing Greer.
They’re kissing.
They’re—fuck.
Is this all she really wanted from me? A chance to make Damien jealous? A chance to win him back?
I was sure about her. I was so sure. But that kiss destroys everything in a single instant.
Pain flares in my chest like a second sun. It’s not a bullet hole or a knife wound—it’s a burn.
I can’t watch.
I’m going to be sick.
I turn on my heel in my suit that suddenly makes me feel like a parody of myself, and I storm out of the room and out of the party, leaving everything and everyone behind.
Me and Greer was just another fake relationship, like me and my dad. All of the lies hit a little too close to home, and I know I should stay and hear her out, but I just can’t. I need to get out of here before I blast to pieces.
It comes down to goddamn self-preservation.
23
Greer
The second Damien’s lips crush against mine, I jerk away. His hands lock on my hips, holding me tight, so I can’t get far. Still, it’s enough for me to lean back, breathing heavy, and demand, “What was that for?”
“Mistletoe.” Damien points at the ceiling above us with a smug grin on his lips. “And everything that’s been happening between us these last few weeks.”
“Nothing’s been happening,” I growl.
“I don’t, for a second, believe that.” He drags me forward and presses his lips to mine again.
One kiss I could have forgiven because of our past. But two? Fuck no.
“Get off of me.” My heart beats a furious tune of survival, and a blaze of outrage consumes my whole body. I brace my palms against Damien’s chest and shove him backward as adrenaline and anger spike through my veins and lend me extra strength.
This time it works.
Caught off guard, Damien stumbles away, and his normally handsome features twist into a scowl. “What the hell, Greer? You got me that wine from our first date. Don’t tell me you weren’t trying to send a message.”
“Excuse me?” I spit. “I got it for you because I knew you liked it. Not to remind you of us.”
He wipes the back of his hand against his lips. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Stupid?” I laugh bitterly. “The only stupid thing I did was be alone with you in this room.”
“Oh, please. You’re only still at this company at all because of me.” Damien’s chest jerks with ragged breath and his words ring harshly in my ears.
I’ve spent most of my career feeling like an imposter, feeling like I don’t deserve the things I have. But tonight, with Locke loving me for exactly who I am, I realize that’s not true anymore. These last few weeks have made me believe in myself and in my strength.
I stand tall and lower my voice with cool, crisp authority. “I’m here on merit, Damien. If you can’t be a decent human, then you’re the one who doesn’t deserve to be here.”
I gather the skirt of my dress in one hand and push toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Damien calls. His eyes crawl over my body, a heavy, invasive gaze that makes my skin itch.
“To find my date,” I bite out.
My heart sinks and hot tears threaten to fall as Locke’s handsome face fills my mind.
How am I going to tell him about this?
Damien’s words catch me at the door. “You don’t want him.”
“Who I want is none of your business, Damien.” My spine stiffens, and I push back my shoulders. I can’t let him see the effect he has on me.
“He’s going to leave you.”
But he wouldn’t. Not Locke. Not after everything he’s shown me, everything we’ve done together.
But when I stumble out into the party, I don’t see Locke standing near the photo booth station where we said we’d meet. As I scan the crowd, I try to draw in a breath, but my lungs won’t inflate. I need to see him. I need to know that everything’s okay. For the last year, Locke’s been the person who makes me feel my best, who comforts me when I’m having a tough day. But he’s not where I left him.
A hand reaches out to
