I sigh, straightening up. “Well… if I’m going down, at least I’m going down legendary.”
It’s simple. Walk the runway, let the models see the change and the film crews pick up my new look. I don’t even have to say anything. It shouldn’t feel like I’m about to climb Mount Everest instead. This is nothing like playing the drums in front of millions. Yet, knowing that Ashlyn’s watching me, judging me…it makes it hard. I still want to impress her.
I step out in front of the camera, trying to channel the confidence I used to feel. The lights hit me, and I walk down the makeshift runway. The blunt heels of my boots click on the floor, and I push my shoulders back. But it doesn’t feel as smooth as it should.
It doesn’t feel likeme.
As I approach the end of the runway and turn back the way I came, I glance up at Ashlyn. She’s staring at me, no expression on her face. But there’s something in her gaze—something that makes me stop mid-step, a strange pull in my chest.
I keep my face neutral, but my pulse is pounding in my ears.
The smile that slips onto my face doesn’t feel like it’s mine. It’s too forced, too practiced.
When I get back to the others, I’m trying to act like I’ve nailed it, like I don’t care.
When Ashlyn appears backstage, I swagger toward her, feeling her eyes on me.
“Not bad, right?” I ask, doing my best to sound casual.
She doesn’t immediately respond, and it makes my stomach drop. When she finally speaks, her voice is quiet. “You look different.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Different? You meanbetter?”
She’s still watching me, her lips curling into something that might be a smile. “I saiddifferent, Xayden. Notbetter.”
I can’t tell if it’s a compliment or a dig, but I don’t want to find out. Not yet.
“So what’s the verdict?” I ask, forcing my voice light. “Do I have your approval?”
Her gaze flickers for a moment. “You never needed my approval.”
For some reason, those words hit me harder than anything else she’s said all day.
I step back, smiling despite the sinking feeling in my chest. “True. Who needs approval when I’m already this damn good?”
But as I head back to my seat, I can’t shake the feeling that maybe Idoneed her to approve.
CHAPTER 11
Ashlyn
The guys continueto joke as Jake steps onto the runway, his black pleather pants creaking slightly as he adjusts the leather jacket over his broad shoulders. A white t-shirt stretches across his chest, tucked in just enough to show off his slim waist. His hair is tousled to perfection, as if he’s rolled out of bed looking like a catalog ad for bad decisions.
He saunters forward, his walk a slow, deliberate swagger. The models whisper among themselves, pens scratching furiously against their notepads. I watch him from backstage, as he nears the end of the runway, where he stops and strikes a casual pose—hands in his pockets, his head tilted just so.
“Looking good, Jake!” Shelley calls from across the room.
He smirks, throwing a wink toward the models. Then he turns back toward me, our eyes meeting. For a second, the room seems to shrink, and it’s just us—his eyes locked on mine, a challenge in their depths.
I hold my tablet tighter, forcing my expression to remain neutral. Butterflies churn in my stomach, but I crush them beneath my will.
“Flirting with the models, Jake?” Todd’s voice cuts through the moment, light and teasing.
Jake’s smirk deepens as he looks at Todd. “Just giving the people what they want.”
“Looks like you're slacking on the charm today,” Todd mutters, adjusting his shirt cuffs as he steps onto the runway. “Watch and learn, pretty boy.”
Jake tosses him the jacket as they pass each other, his grin unrepentant. “Don’t trip, old man.”
