“Which is… us.”
“Exactly.”
She exhales shakily. “My aunt will be there.”
“I’m counting on it.”
She turns fully, eyes searching mine. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“No,” I say honestly. “But I’m good at it.”
Her gaze softens with something I don’t expect—sadness. “I hate that you had to become good at things like this.”
I tense.
She looks away quickly.
For a moment, silence stretches between us, thick and full of shadows. I grip the wheel. “You, of all people, don’t get to pity me after all you’ve been through.”
“I wasn’t pitying you,” she says quietly. “I was seeing you.” Her words punch something raw inside me. The only person that ever understood the man behind the mask was my mother. Not even my ex cared to look any deeper than surface level.
Lights.Music. Cameras.
The second we walk in, the room stills. Not a full stop—just a soft ripple of attention, a shifting of posture, champagne flutes pausing midair.
Kamiyah stiffens beside me and I slide a hand to the small of her back — hovering close enough for her to feel my presence. A silent promise.
I’m here.
I’m not letting them eat you alive.
Almost without thinking, she leans the slightest bit into me.
It sends a bolt of heat through my veins.
A reporter spots us. Then another. Before long, murmurs spread like electricity through the crowd.
Then, Priscilla materializes across the room, her eyes going wide.
Kamiyah tenses beside me like she’s preparing for impact. Before her aunt can charge toward us, I lean in, lips grazing the outer shell of Kamiyah’s ear, causing her to shiver. “Smile,” I whisper. “You’re in love with me, remember?”
Her breath stutters—but she lifts her chin and gives the softest, most disarming smile. The effect is immediate.
Camera flashes go off.
People start whispering.
“Your radiant,” I say, offering my arm. “Ready?”
She frowns. “Wait, you’re announcing it now?”
“We have everyone’s attention, better now than when they’re focussed on speeches or too drunk to register our announcement.”
She slips her hand into mine—nervous, trusting—and I face the waiting crowd. “Okay.”
With one steady breath, I give them the truth we’ve chosen. “Kamiyah and I are engaged.”
The room erupts—gasps, cheers, camera flashes exploding like fireworks.
