“Gabriella, you’re brokenhearted, but can’t seem to stay away from Levi.You guys agree to try and make it work one last time, but this time...”She clears her throat and motions for Kim.
“This time it’s permanent.Or at least, that’s what the audience thinks.”She pushes her hand towards our faces, fingers displayed like in Beyoncé’s performance of “Single Ladies.”
“You can’t be serious!”Gabriella chimes in, flabbergasted, and I’m grateful for once it isn’t me doing the complaining.“That is the most beautiful diamond ever!Can I try it on?What carat?”My mouth falls open as Kim passes the ring over to Gabriella and she slips it on her ring finger.“It’s so perfect!”she squeals.“What are the details?”
“It’s a three-caratLorraine Schwartz.”
“STOP IT!”She reaches for her phone and starts snapping picture after picture of her hand.She faces her palm towards me and snaps a pic of me and her hand.I probably look stunned.I feel stunned.
“Not to, um, ruin anyone’s moment...but, Gabriella, you don’t want to marry me...”
She moves her hand out of my face and there’s an audible groan from the three women surrounding me.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but of course not!You have commitment-phobe written all over your face, amongst other things.You have a nice face though, and your body—”
“Okay,” Jan cuts in again.“What Gabriella is trying to say is that this is for the show.Nothing will be ordained, and the ring is on loan.”
“Right...”
“Don’t tell me you grew a moral compass while you were away,” Kim chimes in.It’s not malicious, but it hits like salt to a wound.
“Not a chance,” I say through a tight smile.
Someone in all black takes the stairs three at a time.“Jan, everyone’s ready!”
“Alright, showtime!”
Chapter 37
Tate
“This!This is...great.I’m so...so happy for them,” I say through a clenched smile.My sister looks up at me, a slanted smirk on her face.I look at the magazine again.America’s Sweethearts Levi Johnson and Gabriella Martinez are engaged!Below the headline is a picture of them.They’re on the stairs at the American Icon house.Gabriella is a step down between Levi’s legs, looking up at him with her megawatt smile.Levi’s smiling down at her.And right in the center of it all is the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen.
I throw the tabloid down on the small kitchen countertop, trying to make my motions look normal, controlled, when inside everything is screaming, WHAT HAPPENED!But I know what happened.Things got real.Too real for Levi.
I feel the bus rolling to a stop under my feet.Tonight’s my first time opening for Lasting Crowns, and I can’t wait to get off this bus and get out there.
