A prize that can’t be mine.
I keep playing that night in my head like it’s a movie I can’t stop rewatching. The way he cleaned the mascara off my face with a warm washcloth. The way he listened—really listened—when I told him about my mom and the letter and all the lies I’d been living inside. The way he asked me to sing, and then looked at me afterward like I’d given him something precious.
Then there was the hug. That stupid, perfect hug that ruined everything and also might have been the best moment of my entire year.
I felt safe in his arms. I felt like I could breathe for the first time in months. And then the camera flashes started, and my whole world collapsed. Sneaking him out the service elevator like he was contraband, I honestly thought I’d never see him again.
“Charlie.”
I blink. Sage is watching me with that knowing look she gets when she’s about to say something I don’t want to hear.
“Where’d you go just now?”
“Nowhere. I’m fine. I heard you.”
“Okay, he’s on his way. We just wait for the knock.”
“Sage.” My voice comes out smaller than I intended. “How did you convince him to do this? To upend his whole life for four months just to play pretend bodyguard for a pop star he barely knows?”
Sage is quiet for a moment. When she answers, her tone is softer than usual. “I didn’t have to convince him.”
“You… What do you mean?”
“I mean I showed up at his apartment ready to threaten him into compliance, and before I could even finish my pitch, he was already volunteering to help. He offered to make a public statement. To take the fall. To do whatever it took to make things easier for you.” She shakes her head slightly, like she’s processing it even now. “He’s a born bodyguard. Willing to sacrifice himself to protect you.”
A gentle warmth blooms in my chest, followed immediately by suspicion that crawls up my throat. “And how much are you paying him?”
Her expression doesn’t change. “Does it matter?”
“Yes. It matters.”
“Why?”
Because I need to know if this is real. Because everyone in my life wants something from me, and I need to know what he wants, but I’m also terrified of finding out. Because if he’s just doing this for money, then that night on the balcony was a transaction, not a connection. And if he’s not? That might be scarier. God, I don’t think I can survive another person turning out to be less than I hoped, but I also don’t know if I can handle someone actually living up to my expectations.
“It just does.”
Sage studies me for a long moment. Then she reaches across the space between us and squeezes my knee. “He cares about you, Charlie. We all do. Just focus on that.”
It’s not an answer. But somehow, it’s enough.
Knock, knock.Two firm thuds announce Taio’s arrival.
My stomach does a backflip. Then a somersault. Then it just goes haywire, like a gymnast on crack.
“Charlie.” Sage clasps my wrist. “Breathe. Smile. This is going to be fine.”
The door handle clicks.
Light floods in, harsh, accompanied by a wall of sound—shouting, clicking, the roar of a crowd that’s been waiting for this moment. I blink against the onslaught, momentarily frozen, my body refusing to cooperate with my brain’s desperate commands to move. They’re already yelling at me, some slurs, some pleas. A medley of “Charlie, you’re beautiful, please look this way,” and “The world is calling you a cheating whore. What do you have to say?” They butter me up before they cut me down. That’s the routine. But this time…
Taio’s here.
His broad, tall frame fills the doorway, blocking out the chaos behind him like a human shield. His hand extends toward me, palm up, steady as a rock. And when our eyes meet, he smiles. Not a professional smile. Not a practiced, publicity-ready smile. A real smile, warm and slightly crooked, like he’s genuinely happy to see me.
“Hey, Tweety Bird. Nice to see you,” he says, low enough that only I can hear. “Ready?”
Did he just nickname me?Oh, this is not the moment to swoon. Not in front of these accosting cameras.
