I sat up straight. “Youdidn’ttell me this. You work with this girl, and you go to product launches regularly together?”
“Come on, Tahira. You’re spending all that time with the hot flower guy—”
“Yeah, but I’monlydoing the Bloom with Rowan. Not working with him, and not going to parties and launches or whatever else. And I told you...repeatedly...that I don’t even like the guy. There isnothing going on between me and Rowan. Can you say the same thing about you and this Alyssa?”
His jaw clenched. “I came down to seeyou, didn’t I? I could’ve hung out with her tonight, but I’m with you.”
A chill went up my spine. Neither of us spoke for a few seconds. “Youcan’tsay there’s nothing going on, can you?” I finally said. “You twoaremore than just friends / coworkers / product-launch buddies, aren’t you? What happened at that launch last week? Or after it?”
He didn’t say anything. He didn’t really have to. I could see the answer in his eyes.
I took a breath. “I can’t believe this.”
“You’re the one who bailed on spending the summer with me.”
“I only left a week ago!”
“Yeah, but even before that, we never saw each other! You know you’re my girl, and there’s no one I’d rather be with than you, but you can’t expect me to sit around like a monk while you’re out here having your ‘Hot Girl Summer’ with Gia. I thought we understood each other—we never said this was exclusive.”
My hand clawed and I scraped the worn wood of the picnic table with my fingernails. My heart was hammering loudly in my ears. Matteo wascheatingon me. “Why are you telling me this now?” I asked, my voice drenched in anger. “Why not just hide your sidepiece indefinitely? I mean, you’re right—we don’t see each other much. I wouldn’t have found out.”
He turned away and ran his hand through his hair. “I just...the Flirt launch. I thought you might see pictures on my Insta of me and Alyssa, so I wanted to give you the heads-up that I was going with her.”
That chill up my spine? That was gone. It was replaced by a full-on fire in my chest. “So let me make sure I understand you. You borrowed your brother’s car and drove all the way here—an hour and a half each way. You drag me and your cousin to one of the world’s biggest tourist attractions to get pictures foryourfeed, making me style you with mydesigns, and making her take hundreds of shots. You make me put up with Addison McLaughlin and her jock accomplice, and you join in with them trashing the sweetest, nicest girl I’ve met in this town. You even act all jealous of the hot plant nerd, even though you know I wouldn’t cheat. You do all this while intending to warn me at some point that I was going to see pictures of you and the girl you’re banging on the side on your Instagram soon?”
He exhaled. “I wasn’t going to tell you that Alyssa and I are...you know. Just that we’d be in pictures together. I...I guess I just couldn’t lie to you.”
I couldn’t look at him. I gazed out over the water. The pinks in the sky were dimming now, leaving the sky a dull gray. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” I said quietly.
“Tahira, please. You’re right. I’m sorry. I won’t go to the launch. I won’t see her again if you don’t want me to. We can make this exclusive. Just you and me.”
Unbelievable. “Let me guess. She doesn’t have as many followers as me. You’re realizing that you need me for my fashion platform more than you need this wannabe socialite for her invitations. Who else are you using to get ahead, Matteo?”
He glared at me, nostrils flaring. “Is that really what you think of me? After everything I did for you? All those photo shoots? Sending big influencers your way?”
I turned back to him. “You didnothingbut use me.Nothing.If you honestly think those things are why I’m with you...” I shook my head. “Get away from me. In fact, get the hell out of this town.” I stood and pointed to his car. I was seeing red. I’d never been so angry. But I was at least clearheaded enough to add something else. “And by the way, I’m not giving you any of the pictures from today. And youdon’thave my consent to post any photos of me on your Instagram again. Ever. If you do? I’ll report them. This relationship is over.”
“Jesus, Tahira. C’mon. Let me take you home. We can talk—”
“I’m not getting into a car with you. Get. Thefuck. Out of my town.”
Matteo looked at me for a second like he didn’t want to leave me here. Finally, he shook his head. “You’re not who I thought you were. You’ll never get anywhere if you don’t learn to play the game. I’d be angry, but honestly? I feel sorry for you. What a waste of talent.” He headed down the path toward his car.
He drove away.
And me? I was alone in a park outside of fucking Bakewell. It was almost dark.
I sat back at the table and cried.
12
THE UNLIKELY KNIGHT IN T-SHIRT ARMOR
It took me about three minutes of sitting alone with my tears to regret banishing Matteo from Bakewell. I didn’t regret dumping his cheating ass, but maybe I should have let him take me home first, because now I was stuck here in this damn park in the middle of nowhere. How was I going to get back to town?
Think, think, think ...not about how the person I thought knew me better than anyone had royally betrayed me. Not about how he was nothing but a social-climbing butt wipe willing to suck face with anyone who could kick-start his modeling career. He was cheating on me with someone for her...party invitations.Don’t think about that.Figuring out how to get home was a better use for my brain right now.
There were no Ubers in Bakewell—as far as I knew. I couldn’t call Shar because I didn’t want her telling Mom and Dad about this. They’d lecture me about choosing my friends wisely, and they’d suggest that if relationships were interfering with my ability to work, then maybe I needed to reevaluate my priorities. I didn’t want to call Gia, either, even though she could totally get her boo to pick me up. Gia was Matteo’s cousin, and a tiny part of me worried that she’d be on Matteo’s side since her family meant so much to her. But what worried me more was that Cameron would probably tell everyone I’d been cheated on. It wasmortifying to think of everyone knowing my business, and I didn’t need gossip when I was so new here. I squeezed my eyes shut. If I were in the city, there’d be loads of people who could rescue me.
