I blink around the room.
Tillie Jean is gaping at me, but it’s like a smile-gape.
She knows.
She knows all about my fake boyfriend situation.
She and another of our friends helped me learn to use photo manipulation software. They helped me take the pictures. They egged me on.
And we kept it a secret from the entire town—naturally, because it’s flirting the line of being against the unspoken town rule of being safe for celebrities—which is why Ray’s lip is curled up in confusion.
I mean, Ray’s a sweet guy, young but sweet, so he’d probably be confused no matter what, but this is extra confusing.
Until he starts to grin, like he thinks we’re perfect together.
He’s such a romantic.
He’d totally instantly go to shipping us.
But Nigel?—
Nigel is staring at me like I’ll be covered in a true crime podcast very, very soon.
Yes, her murderer says she had it coming. That saving her from herself was the only way to save her eternal soul.
I risk a glance at Davis.
And it’s official.
I’m fucked.
3
Sloane
I don’t knowhow to silently communicatejust go with it, I’ll explain later, holy shit, was that kiss real?, so I settle for making a face that I hope sayssorry, and I turn to my friends and whatever Nigel is.
And that’s when I see my salvation.
“Oh my god,out!” I shriek at Nigel. “You’re getting glitter all over the museum!”
Nigel’s glittered up like a Christmas snow globe gone wrong. There’s the big spray of glitter on his chest that was my fault, but he also has it all down his arms and pants. In his hair. On his face.
He folds his arms over his overly-glittered chest. “Oh mygod? What’s happened to your language?”
Dammit.
Might as well have saidfuck me sideways, you won’t believe this goddamn shit.
“Nigel, meet Davis. My fiancé. Yes, yes, I lied to Grandma and told her his name was Steve because you know how she is about former musicians who fuck—have carnal relations with sheep, but we’re madly in love and we’re getting married next weekend because the ol’ ovaries aren’t getting any younger, and if we’re going to have six kids, we have to get on it and praysuperhard for triplets.”
Davis stares at me.
Nigel growls.
And Tillie Jean—god bless Tillie Jean, who’s also glittery, though less so—lunges for Davis and smothers him in a hug. “Oh my god, Davis,finally,” she says. “I thought you’d never pop the question. You two are going to be so happy together. Ray, go get Max, anddo notspoil this for Sloane.Do not even tell your boyfriend. She gets to tell the whole town,not you, or I’ll empty every last glitter bomb that the glitter squad collected today and use that glitter to make sure that you fart glitter for the next fifty years.Do you understand me?”
“How does a woman gettwomen that hot in her lifetime?” Ray mutters.
