Bea
He left.
Simon just left.
No goodbye. No warning.
One minute, he was there, being charming and smiley and a little awkward, and the next, I was finishing helping pick goldfish off the ground and he’d disappeared.
The boys were gone.
His security team was gone.
Even Lana was gone.
It was like they were never there.
So after everything’s picked up, with only a few weird looks aimed my way from the people around us—probably because people know I was walking around with Simon and want to know the gossip, including why he’s no longer with me—I head back to the burger bus to help finish cleaning that up too. Daph and Hudson report that we’ve sold more than any other event this week, even if we didn’t sell out like the rest of the food trucks.
And the way my brother and best friend are looking at each other, I know there’s more.
“What?” I say.
“Don’t—” Daphne starts, but Hudson interrupts her.
“Lucinda Camille was supposedly making the rounds, telling people that she heard from a friend that someone got sick after eating at your bus.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath. “Implying I’ve made people sick when she’d say to my face that she never said I made them sick?”
Hudson nods grimly.
“You’re going to have to fight back eventually, Bea,” Daphne says. “People who are like her—they fight until they win.”
“Jake already got the whole fucking restaurant,” Hudson says.
“You two should go,” I say. “I’ll clean up. Thanks for your help.”
They both look at me like they each want to say something more about the Camilles, but I shoo them away.
I baited Jake last night.
He got terrible press for Simon leaving without eating.
And I spent some of today hanging out with Simon in public again.
Iamfighting back. Even if I don’t likehow.
So it’s good that Simon disappeared.
I need some perspective. Some time to figure out whatIwant.
How I want to continue this battle.
“You want to go cheese shopping?” Daphne asks Hudson. “It’s all on Margot.”
He shakes his head. “I’m staying to help Bea.”
“You don’t—” I start, but he cuts me off.
