James looked like he wanted to hit him. ‘And what exactly happened with Georgia?’
Declan snorted. ‘You’re an idiot.’ James took a step towards him, but Declan held up a hand. ‘Nothing happened.’
James scoffed. ‘Why should I believe you? I saw you two together; I know how close you were. You tried to make a fool out of me.’
Declan shook his head. ‘You did that yourself. Why would I lie to you now?’
‘To mess with my head before the finale,’ James said testily. ‘I know how much you like to win, King.’
Declan tried to figure out how to convince him, and settled for the truth, or at least part of it. ‘It was for publicity,’ he said simply. ‘I had lost my last three fights and people were saying I’d lost my touch, that my career was stalling. Georgia thought we could distract everyone by giving them something more interesting to talk about. It was all a big joke, but she never meant for it to be on you.’
He said it knowing the conversation would be aired to millions of viewers. He couldn’t find it within himself to care. It was one less lie he’d have to live with.
James was incredulous. ‘So, what, it was just a stunt?’
Declan nodded.
‘But she never said—’
‘Because I asked her not to,’ Declan said. ‘I mean, come on, a fake relationship? It was embarrassing.’
James’s lips parted slightly as he blew out a breath. It was a small movement, but it was enough to know he had got through.
‘She should – she should’ve told me,’ James stammered.
‘You should’ve trusted her,’ Declan said. ‘But you couldn’t let yourself be hurt, so you pushed her away.’
He tried to focus on Georgia, but instead he thought of Oliver’s smile that first day on the plane; he thought of the dazed look on his face when they were in bed together. He thought of his eyes flashing after their first kiss. Declan squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the memories.
‘That’s on you.’ He blinked back tears. ‘And if you’re miserable now without her, that’s on you too.’
For the first time since Declan had met him, James looked ashamed. ‘I’m sorry.’ It looked like he wanted to say more, but Declan didn’t wait, turning on his heel and nearly running into Paige in the doorway.
‘Was that enough for you?’ Declan asked, wiping at his face. ‘Good shit, right? Hope that plays well with the audience.’
‘I—’ Paige started, but Declan didn’t let her finish, walking away.
Chapter 24
Paige
Fifteen Hours Until Finale
Neil Steel: Well, folks, the summer is coming to an end… and for those of you living under a rock, here’s whatcha missed!
Declan fancied Zoë but Zoë dumped him for James, now Declan’s with Imogen, who used to date Oliver, who was dating Eavie, who’s now dating Elliot, because Oliver was still hung up on Maeve, who’s with Jack, who used to date Holly, who’s now dating some fellow named Liam, I guess.
I’ve got a rhyme to keep them all straight:
James and Zoë are the couple to beat, Jack and Maeve come off so sweet, Declan and Imogen have been through the ringer, Elliot and Eavie have no chance, and in case you forgot, James is a singer!
Paige jolted awake, scrambling to turn her alarm off as she squinted at the bright light of her phone’s lock screen. She rolled over and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, her eyes feeling heavier with each blink. Just as her breathing slowed, the sharp horn blasted again, this time louder. She groaned. Groggily, she sat up and flicked on her bedside lamp, casting her room in a soft glow.
The place was a mess. Clothes exploded from a suitcase still sitting exactly where she’d first put it down eight weeks before. Old dishes caked with food were piled precariously next to herlaptop, symmetrical to the stack of notepads on the other side of her desk.
She rummaged for clothes, grabbing a pair of black jeans and a black blouse and pulling them on.
She stumbled into the bathroom to brush her teeth and tease her hair into a presentable bun, using concealer on the dark circles that had begun to form when she’d come across that audio from the bathroom after James had tipped her off about what he’d seen on the hike.
