You signed a contract!he’d yell at her.
I know,she said.But then I met Mandie.
I glanced over to the door. That contract was null and void now, surely. The Dylan that was here, the one whose fingers were clasped so tightly around Cece’s that both their knuckles had gone white, sure as hell didn’t look like he was about to enter a fake relationship with my Dylan.
He’d come for her.
But she hadn’t come for me.
‘Did you know about this?’ Murray demanded, turning on Lily.
Her lips curled upwards in that half-smirk of hers. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to.
‘You knew these two were undermining the whole show and you didn’t say a word to me?’
‘I’m not your servant, Murray,’ Lily said. ‘You know that very well.’
‘They didn’t undermine the show.’
I barely realised I’d spoken until Murray had turned on his heel, directing his fury at me. ‘What?’
Under normal circumstances, I might have quivered, but my anger muscles had got a workout over the last few weeks. ‘They didn’t undermine the show,’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘It’s supposed to be about falling in love, isn’t it? They fell in love.’
I reached my hand out to Cece. ‘I’m happy for you,’ I said. ‘Truly, Cece. You too, Dylan.’
Cece brushed her fingers against mine. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘Yes,’ Romeo-Dylan said. ‘Thank you, Amanda.’
The emotion in their eyes, on their faces, in their voices, was genuine. They were so sincere.
I wasn’t. I hoped they couldn’t tell.
Why you?I wanted to scream at both of them.Why you and not me?
Murray was yelling at Romeo-Dylan about money now. ‘You’ve broken your contract! You’re going to be paying back a shit-ton of money!’
Like that mattered. Romeo-Dylan was rich.
My Dylan wasn’t. She would have had nothing to gain from reneging on the deal. Everything to lose.
She couldn’t do what Romeo-Dylan did. She couldn’t just cut and run. That option just wasn’t on the table for her.
She could have followed him down to the Convent, though. She could have been right on his heels at the French doors.I love you, Cece,he would have said.I love you, Mandie,she would have said. Murray would be yelling at four people now instead of two, and everything would be all right.
But she hadn’t.
Because of me. Because I’d let go.
Because I’d made the fuckingright choice.
Out of nowhere, I wanted to laugh. I’d actually become the person I’d been trying to be all this time. Mandie 2.0, who didn’t just let her impulses run away with her, who made good choices even when they were difficult. I’d put myself first. I’d shown myself some respect.
And this was what I got for it.
If I’d just done what I normally did andwaited. If I’d said goodbye to her first, explained why I had to go, then done what Belinda did and broken up with Romeo-Dylan at the Necklace Ceremony. If I’d been brave enough to speak to her instead of just running away, instead of throwing what we had away without a word, then – maybe – maybe –
‘I’ve got to get back to the Villa,’ Murray said. ‘Kumiko’s already left, so I’m now short a lead forWherefore Art Thou Romeo?and I’m going to be royally fucked if Dylan G doesn’t want the gig.’
