Feeling ill, I say, “I’ll do it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Sadie findsme in the hall on the way to my final interview.
“Harper,” she says, her eyes full of sympathy. “I’m so sorry about everything that’s happened.”
I shrug. “It’s all right. At least you can stay.”
“Thank you for working it out with Tammy,” she whispers.
“It was Mason’s idea.”
Part of me thinks I should hate this girl. After all, if she hadn’t butted her way into Brandon’s heart, he and I would be together. I would never have fallen for Mason, and I wouldn’t be suffering from the greatest humiliation of my life.
But then there’s the fact that if Sadiehadn’tbutted her way into Brandon’s heart, he and I would be together. I wouldn’t have fallen for Mason, and therefore, I wouldn’t have experienced the most beautiful twenty-four hours of my life.
It’s all in how you look at it.
And no matter what, I wouldn’t give up this time with Mason. Getting to know him has been a life-changing experience. One that I’m afraid has reached its end.
I know he said we could work, but this mess right here shows that there are too many obstacles between us.
Still, I don’t regret our time together. I’llneverregret our time together.
Sadie gives me a hug, and I awkwardly pat her back, trying my very best not to nudge her away.
I’ve grown to like her, but let’s not push it.
“Ready?” Dave asks as soon as I walk into our usual interview room.
I sit on a stool. “Yes.”
He frowns at the list of prompts in his hand. “Do you want to read them first, take a moment to get your thoughts in order before we film?”
Grateful, I accept the list…then I silently curse Tammy. She meant it when she saideverything.She wants all the sad, pathetic details about Brandon; she wants every sweet moment with Mason.
I know what she’s doing. She wants the viewer’s hearts to go out to me, wants me to make it all seem like a magical Cinderella story, just as Riley pegged it.
With a sigh, I hand him back the paper. “All right.”
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Dave says in his adorable accent. “You’re going home anyway.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s for Sadie. Let’s get it over with.”
I answer every question, even the ones that make me want to be sick. I tell the world everything, and I don’t hold anything back. By the end, I’m wiping tears off my cheeks. Too bad I didn’t take a few pointers from Anne on how to cry prettily because I’m sure I’m a blotchy, red mess.
“Mason is everything every girl has ever hoped he was. He’s a gentleman, he’s sweet, he’s handsome, and he’s amazingly talented.” I suck in a shuddering breath. “I was so fortunate to get to know him. I will never regret the time we spent together, and I wish him the best.”
Startled, Dave looks around his camera. “You’re not together?”
I shrug and laugh in a humorless way, probably looking half-insane. “It’s just too painful to string it along. Let’s face it, life isn’t a fairy tale. Normal girls like me don’t end up with famous men like him.”
And I cannot handle this much time in the spotlight. It’s making my hermit approach to life seem quite appealing.
“Does Mason know you’re finished?” Dave asks, forgetting about his assigned questions.
I look at the floor. “Not yet.”
