Page 122 of Colliding with Ten

After the video was posted, I tried to ignore it. But this week, I went back and read every comment. Some were vicious. It made me mad that Ayla hadn’t told me how bad it had been. Then I was mad at myself for expecting her to tell me what was there for both of us to see.

She should’ve stayed down when she got hit.

I hadn’t forgotten that one. I almost called her right then but talked myself out of it because I wanted to give her space. If she didn’t want to talk about it, that was her right, but now I would be.

In the interview, I drew a line between what the public had a right to discuss and what was mine. When Zariah pressed about the scrutiny and race implications, I gave her an answer that left no room for debate. Zariah closed it on a solid note.

The camera shut down, and the lights dimmed. Crew chatter filled the space again. Jace arrived before I’d unclipped my mic.

“What was that?” he asked, trying to keep his voice down, but failing.

I smiled and nodded at the people looking at me as I moved with Jace. We walked toward the wardrobe area.

“That little back-and-forth you had with her,” he continued.

I kept walking. “It’s called an interview.”

“Looked like you were feeling her.”

“So, for the entire interview, that’s all you got?”

“I kinda blacked out when I saw you hitting on my girl.”

“She’s your girl now?”

“You know what I mean.”

I stopped and turned to him.

He crossed his arms. “You like her?”

“No.”

“You sure? Because from where I was standing⁠—”

“Jace. Zariah Brooks is a beautiful woman. If you want to pursue her, that’s between you and your courage.”

He bristled.

“But I have zero interest.”

His brows pulled together. “Zero?”

“Zero.”

He searched my face for cracks. There weren’t any.

A beat later, he relaxed. “Alright.”

“Alright.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Now come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“To introduce you properly. No food in your mouth this time.”

He straightened, adjusting his shirt. Then he ran a hand over his head. “How do I look?”

“Like a man who’s about to have a conversation instead of a medical event.”