As everyone drank, I noticed Mathew’s posture shift. He went unnaturally still, and there was something in his expression that reminded me of a predator whose prey had just escaped. When he noticed me looking, he forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
Uh-oh.
I knew him well enough to recognize the signs. It was bad enough to witness us holding hands, showing love. But gushing over Axel? Putting him on a pedestal? Mathew had a big ego—that was for sure—and I could tell it bothered him that this love might be even deeper than anything Mathew and I had shared. More than that though, there was something possessive in the way he was looking at me. Like I was something that had been taken from him.
Mathew set his wine down with deliberate precision, straightening his napkin like he was preparing for war. When he looked up, his smile could have cut glass.
“I’m so happy for you both.” His voice dripped with false sweetness. “Dakota always did deserve someone who could appreciate her … unique qualities.” The way he saiduniquemade it sound like a flaw rather than a compliment. “Let’s just hope Axel can actually make it down the aisle this time, hmm?”
The words hit like a bucket of ice water. The table went dead silent. Even the influencers stopped mid-giggle.
This time?
My blood turned to ice as I looked at Axel, whose face had gone completely pale.
“What the hell does Mathew mean bythis time?”
39
DINNER PARTY RULE: IF YOU STORM OUT, DON’T LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS. #SAFETYTIP
DAKOTA
“You don’t know?” Mathew practically purred, savoring whatever bomb he was about to drop. “When I found out my new company might be investing in Axel, I had a PI look into him. You know, just to be safe. Turns out, Axel’s been engaged before.”
The world tilted.
And Axel did not—I repeat, did not—even try to deny it.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. On your mark. Get set.Explode.
“You’ve been engaged before?” Even I could hear the shriek in my voice. My perfectly controlled public personality would normally never do this, but was he kidding me right now? All thatwe need to know everything about each otherbullshit and he’d omittedthis?
The betrayal hit me like a cannon to the gut. On so many levels. This was the guy who’d asked me the most personal questions ever, including my favorite sexual position,for Christ’s sake, and he left out basic facts, like having been engaged?
How dare he?
I guess I wasn’t special at all. I was just the second one he’d gotten engaged to.
My heartbreak was on full display for everyone to see.
“Excuse me.” My napkin hit the table so hard, I swear I could even hear a soft thud.
“Dakota, wait …” Axel’s voice followed me as I stormed out of the room.
But I couldn’t wait. Tears were threatening to spill, and that pissed me off even more. I did not care that Axel had been engaged. Didn’t. Wouldn’t. If I needed any reminder that all of this was fake—FAKE—this was it.
It just sucked that somewhere between the hand-holding and heated glances tonight, my stupid heart had started to love the idea of us.
“Dakota!”
I made it three steps into the hallway before his hand caught my arm, spinning me around.
“Wait.”
“Leave me alone, Axel.” I jerked away from his touch.
“I can explain.”
