“I don’t want anything from you,” he says quietly. “Just for you to forgive me. Yeah, it took me a while, but after seeing you at the charity gala, I realised just how much I hurt you.”
For an actor, he really is a remarkably bad liar.
Briar considers him. “Will you make a statement? Tell the world that you were lying?”
He hesitates for a long time. “Yeah,” he says eventually. “Yeah. If you want me to.”
Briar holds his gaze for a few beats. Long enough to make him squirm in his seat. Then she snorts, picking up her wine glass. “I’m kidding. I’m not going to mess with your career. Fine. I accept your apology.”
He looks at her with wide, earnest eyes. “You always were a better person than me.”
She rolls her eyes. “What you did was shitty. But you were a kid, too. We were just children. I don’t think we’ll ever be friends again, but I appreciate the apology.”
He nods, relief crossing his face. A few seconds pass.
“Can you go now?” She prompts. “I was trying to give my boyfrienddu joura handjob under the table.”
My mouth drops open, but Thom just laughs, clearly not believing her. He stands, pushing back his chair. “Alright, I’ll leave you to it.” He gives me, Kenta and Matt an awkward smile that none of us return. “Uh. Have a good one.”
We all watch silently as he turns and disappears back through the foliage and tables.
“Well, that was weird,” Briar notes.
Matt stands. “We have to get out of here. I’ll bring the car around.”
Kenta nods. “I’m sorry, Briar. But if the paparazzi have found you, we need to get you away before they attract any unwanted attention. We don’t want anyone following you back to the hotel.”
Briar looks unbothered. “That’s okay. We were finished eating, anyway.” She presses a quick kiss to my lips, stroking a hand down my chest. “I think I’m ready to go back to the room.”
“You’re going to kill me,” I mutter, and she laughs brightly, tossing back the rest of her wine and grabbing her clutch.
“Let’s go.”
As soon as we step onto the street, everything erupts into white light. Hundreds of flashes spark through the night. I swear. The crowd of paparazzi is huge and heaving. I wrap my arm around Briar’s shoulder, and Kenta takes her other side as we hurtle her towards the road. The men’s shouts come in thick and fast.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRIAR!”
“BRIAR! WE JUST SAW THOM COMING OUT, ARE THE TWO OF YOU GETTING BACK TOGETHER? ARE YOU GETTING BACK TOGETHER, BRIAR?”
“ANY NEWS FROM THE STALKER? HAVE THEY CAUGHT HIM YET?”
I shove a couple guys back as they reach for her, trying to grab her attention. “Get back. Get the fuckback,” I repeat, over and over, scanning the men, checking all of their hands. This is damn near impossible. Anyone could be holding a gun, and I wouldn’t even be able toseewith the flashes blinding me. People jostle us on all sides, pressing close as we try to plough through the hot, sweaty bodies. Through it all, Briar’s face stays in the same frozen, cold look that I recognise from the magazines. The one that tabloids always slap the words ‘bitchy’ or ‘stuck-up’ on. As if she can be expected tosmilewhen people mob her in the street.
Ahead of me, a photographer lunges forward and grabs Briar’s arm. “Tell me, Briar. Has Thom finally forgiven you for cheating on him?”
“Don’ttouchher,” I growl, pushing the guy back. He staggers, tripping over his own feet and falling onto the pavement. Instead of getting up, he rolls onto his stomach and stretches out the arm holding his camera. Rage floods through me as I realise he’s trying to take a shot up Briar’s skirt. I start to bend down to grab him, but before I can, Briar kicks the guy’s camera out of his hands and stamps on it, the lens cracking under her stiletto.
“You can’t do that!” He yells at her. “You can’t destroy my property! This is assault! I’ll sue you!”
“Try it,” she says flatly. “See what happens.”
The man looks up at her, slack-jawed. I tighten my grip on her arm and hurry her along.“Bitch!” He hollers after her, and she tosses him the finger over her shoulder.
Matt pulls the car up to the curb, and Kenta yanks the door open, standing in front of it to ward off the press of photographers as I slide inside, tugging Briar along with me. Kenta climbs into the seat on her other side, slamming the door shut behind him. The clamour outside is instantly muffled, and Matt pulls out into the road.
“Are you okay?” I ask Briar, running my hands down her body. She’s dishevelled and out of breath. “Shit, I should’ve gotten that guy further away from you—”
“Shut up,” she says, grabbing my collar and pulling me in for a kiss. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into me.
