“So?” he asks the moment we’re alone. “Do you think it went well? I feel like it went well. The energy from the audience felt really strong.” His face is flush with post-performance nerves, the words coming out a mile a minute. I place a hand on his arm, steadying him.
“You were incredible,” I assure him. “Seriously, I’m so proud of you.”
“Hewasincredible, wasn’t he?” The saccharine tone ringing out from behind me is unmistakable, considering she’s one of Spotify’s top-streamed artists. Jake and I turn at the same time to see her: Madison St. James. Somehow, I’m not surprised that she’s ten times more stunning in real life than in pictures. Long, thick waves of glossy red hair. Cornflower-blue eyes set against pale, creamy skin. Sexy, hourglass curves swathed in ice-blue fabric. Up until this moment, I’d felt downright glamorous in my dress. But as I watch Madison’s lips brush against Jake’s cheek, I feel like a middle-schooler who’s crashed the senior prom.
“Madison… hi.” Jake’s voice comes out an octave higher than usual. I look up at him, confused by his sudden shift in tone. Madison steps closer, her crimson lips parting.
“I just wanted to extend my congratulations. You didamazingtonight, Jake. This album might be an even bigger hit than your first one,” she drawls, batting her lashes. It’s truly unfair that such insanely attractive people are allowed to walk the earth among us mere mortals. Especially when they look like a real-life version of Jessica Rabbit.
“Anyway, wehaveto get together!” she continues. “I’m dying to hear about your inspiration for the new record.” She still hasn’t even bothered looking in my direction. When she reaches out a perfectly manicured hand to squeeze Jake’s bicep, it takes everything inside me not to slap it away.
“Oh, I’ve got my sources,” Jake replies, pulling me closer toward him. It’s only then that Madison notices the arm she isn’t clutching is looped around my waist. Her energy shifts. For the first time since she began talking to Jake, she realizes I’m Somebody Who Matters. Tilting her head, she fixes her gaze on me, and a tight smile forms on her lips. It doesn’t quite match the cool, appraising look in her eyes. I can only imagine the thoughts runningthrough her mind. Chief among them:Who is this short, lumpy pedestrian, and what on earth is she doing with Jake Taylor?Which means she’s either managed to avoid tabloid gossip about Jake or has elected to completely disregard it.
Matching her smile, I extend a hand.
“Lexi Berman.” My voice miraculously sounds far more confident than I feel. “Jake’s girlfriend.”
Madison’s eyebrows spring up as high as her Botox will allow. A surge of adrenaline shoots through me.Yeah, that’s right,I want to say aloud.
Madison’s eyes lock with mine. If it were possible to freeze someone with a frigid glare, I’d be an ice sculpture right about now. Then she flicks her gaze over Jake’s shoulder, wiggling her fingers at someone in the distance.
“Well, I’d better go mingle,” she purrs, once again focused solely on Jake. “But it was great to see you. Congrats again!” When she slides past in a cloud of perfume, her shoulder bumps hard against mine. Somehow, I don’t think it was entirely accidental.
I watch uneasily as she floats through the crowd. When I turn back to Jake, my stomach is twisted in knots.
“You guys seem… friendly,” I say, searching and ultimately failing to find the right word.
Jake shrugs. “She’s looked out for me from the start. The press has been writing trash about her for years, and it was nice to talk to someone who’s been through it all. She has a great perspective on everything.”
“And you really never had feelings for her?”
Jake’s told me before that nothing ever happened between the two of them, but right now, I need to hear him say it again. I can’t shake Madison’s jealous expression, or the possessive way she clutched his forearm. It may have meant nothing to Jake, but it’s hard for me to believe Madison doesn’t have any feelings for him.
“There’s only one person in this room I’ve ever been interested in.” His lips brush against my ear. “Come on, let’s go home.”
I’M QUIET DURING THEentire car ride, but my brain is racing. I try leaning back against the seat and closing my eyes, but the image of Jake and Madison together is burned into the back of my eyelids. The worst part is how insanely good they look together. She’s the type of woman Jake belongs with, a fellow Beautiful Person. Not some line cook with a hot-oil burn on her wrist, a woman who goes back for seconds on appetizers. Someone who is decidedly not “fugly.”
By the time we step through my apartment door, the wave of insecurity bubbling inside me has grown to a full-blown tsunami. I can tell by his worried glances that Jake senses the tension radiating through my pores.
He collapses on the sofa, knees spreading apart, and reaches out a hand to me. Lacing his fingers through mine, he brings me down to straddle his lap, resting his hands on my hips. He leans forward and makes an admirable effort at distraction. His lips graze my cheekbone, then slowly make their way down to my neck. But I can’t keep my anxieties from spilling out.
“Are you sure it was okay to leave so early tonight? I feel like I’ve stolen you away from all your adoring fans.”
“I’ve got all the adoring fans I need right here,” he murmurs against my skin, slipping one hand beneath the hem of my dress.
“Not Madison St. James.”
He pulls back, his eyes filling with caution.
“Madison is not the person I want to be with. You are,” he says slowly.
I shrug, biting the inside of my cheek as I struggle to keep my expression neutral.
“Lexi, what is this really about?” His dark eyes flit over myface, and I feel too exposed. It’s a level of vulnerability that I am in no way comfortable with. Drawing back, I cross my arms tightly across my chest.
“What are you even doing with someone like me, Jake? You belong with someone famous and glamorous. Someone who’s actually in your league.”
Jake sighs.
