Something told me it mattered immensely, but I didn’t press, fearing a deeper connection between us. Even thoughit was all I wanted. Maybe I couldn’t unlock her heart, but in a cruel twist of fate, she had touched mine in a way no one ever had.
“Roman,” she said, voice trembling. “I’m sorry I’m wrecking your show. But please don’t ask me to lead these men on. Don’t ask me to lie. I feel like too much of my life has been that—a lie. And soon, if nothing changes, I probably won’t know who I am or who I was ever supposed to be. So please, for the next several weeks while I have to be on your ridiculous show and this pointless quest, let me try to be a good person. Let me help these people. I just want to fix what I broke.”
She took a deep, shaky breath.
“Maybe if I can do that, my great-grandfather will have some mercy on me and at least let me remember my name and my mother.”
Demi’s voice pitched unnaturally.
“Maybe”—her eyes glistened with moisture—“I’ll get to be a gymnastics teacher. And if I’m really lucky . . . I’ll forget to miss my heart.”
Her words were a sucker punch to the gut. I felt awful about the situation she was in. Now more than ever, I wanted to help her. And I would, but . . .
“Demi, I’ll do my best, but I have to answer to the studio. To my staff and crew, who depend on this show. Ratings matter.”
“People matter more,” she said with no malice, but it landed hard all the same. “I’m sorry, Roman. I don’t want to ruin your show, but maybe I’m not the only one who forgot about what love really is.”
She paused for a beat while I let that sink in. Was she right?
“And. Oh. Um.” She blushed. “I can tell you want to know what I thought about the kiss.”
I blinked.
She smirked.
“Even for someone with her heart locked, it was amazing. Definitely a top-three kiss.”
With that, she slammed her window shut. Once again, she’d dismissed me on her terms.
Meanwhile, I was left standing there with my mouth hanging open, far from finished with our conversation, thoroughly wrecked. And all I could think was how I wanted to kiss her again. And next time, I wanted to make it to her number one spot.
But I knew I would never get that chance.
Unfortunately, I needed to help her find the man who would.
I already hated him.
Chapter XXVI
Demi
“Soalltheguyswant to do a barbecue after the softball game,” Brinley said, twirling her golden locks as if she didn’t have a care in the world as she walked out of her first round of dating interviews with Roman.
The softball game was an event planned by the show. Another “cutesy” activity they said was for bonding but was really for ratings. At this point, though, they were probably hoping for a brawl and for us all to beat each other with bats.
While Brinley was all calm, cool, and collected, I’d been pacing the floor outside the “Blueprint Room.” A better name would have been the torture chamber. Not as cheesy, and more accurate.
I was not remotely looking forward to meeting with Roman for my interview. Even though he’d been pretty much all I could think about for the last few days. Ever since I’d kissed him.
It was foolish, but I had to know if he really was my soulmate—if there was a reason the gods kept throwing us together that had nothing to do with him helping me find love.
I had confirmation now that there wasn’t more to it. Surely a kiss like that from my supposedtrue loveshould have done the trick. It had my heart on the verge of feeling something. But it never quite got there.
Granted, Cassie didn’t think that was a deal-breaker. She said this wasn’t like aSleeping Beautysituation where true love’s kiss would wake up my heart. Especially after just one kiss. She thought I should keep kissing him to see what would happen. That maybe my heart just needed to rev up after being dormant for so long.
Yeah, that was a no-go. Mainly because I wanted to. And because it was obvious that while Roman had more than liked it, he also felt extremely guilty about it. It didn’t feel right under those circumstances, even though the kiss was amazing. Besides, it would just make everything more awkward.
I still couldn’t believe I’d kissed him. It hadn’t been on my summer bingo card. There had been squares for existential dread and poking my own eyes out, but kissing Roman Archer? Definitely not on there. Who would have ever thought that we would stop hating each other long enough to kiss? I mean, besides my lying divine half?
