Theminutewe’re alone, I’m ditching this prick.
Except no one leaves us. Nope. My parents stick to my side. Talon’s parents greet us, hovering around with bright smiles. His mother hugs me tightly like she’s never letting me go. His father shakes my dad’s hand.
Mom takes my free arm and walks with Talon and me around the party, introducing us as “my youngest daughter, Ashlyn, and her boyfriend, Talon.”
It’s not even worth correcting. This is what they do. My life has been like this. Because he was my beard. My ruse. To hide the truth that was Aiden Cardell, so they wouldn’t hurt him or his family.
But as time approaches midnight, my throat tightens. My gut aches. Something feels…off.
In my evening bag, I pull out my phone. It’s been days, but finally, a breath of relief hits me, as does a rolling nervousness when I spy a text from Aiden:
AIC
Hi, baby.
Warmth surges through my chest. Maybe there is hope after all. What if…
“Come on,” Talon spits out as he tugs on my arm. “We need to get to the stage.”
“What?” I ask. “No. I’m not going there.”
My mom brushes my arm. “I think you’ll like it.”
“No. No, I won’t. Don’t make me do this.”
But I’m pulled through the crowd, not gently, with murmurs of: “White Wolf Lodge selling Power Puffz exclusively for their fighters…”
I attempt to find Dad, but he’s talking with Mr. Moretti like they’re old friends. And when they shake hands for a second time, doom strikes my soul. I’ve been set up. This is…not good.
My heels skid on the marble. Flashes pop like gunfire. Every face I pass feels staged—like a show I was never meant to survive.
Talon leans in and hisses in a serrated whisper, “Told you we weren’t over.”
He drops to a knee and opens a ring box as everyone gasps.
“I love you, and there’s no one else for me. We’ve been together for years now. It’s time to move forward and get married.”
Cameras rise and flash. Someone actuallyclaps.
And I slap that ring clean out of his hand. It arcs through the air, scattering diamonds like glitter. “Fuck. No.” With both hands, I shove Talon until he falls over.
Lifting the pounds of beads on my train, I hurry in tiny steps to the back room, the private lounge, to get away.
My entire body steams with fury.
Talon rushes in after me, slamming the door behind him. “Ourparentsarranged this, Ashlyn! Now you’ve embarrassed me in front of our families! The entirety of the Morettis is out there. Did you know that?” With rage rippling off his muscles, he strides forward. Tux jacket tight. Vein in his temple popping.
I grab a champagne from the side bar and shrug as I tilt the entire thing back. “So.”
“So?” He spits onto the ground, hands on his hips. Tall body blocking me in without much room to maneuver. “So?”
“Yeah. I don’t give a shit, Talon. I told you we were over. I said we were done, and you aren’t taking it well. We aren’t getting married. I’ll never agree to it.So…leave. I’m calling a rideshare and going home.”
“No, you’re not. You’re coming out there and putting that ring on your finger.” His hands swipe through his greasy hair and tug on it until it sticks up in wild directions.
When I turn to grab the bottle of champagne, he snatches it first and fires it against the wall until it shatters. I flinch, whipping around to face him.
But I don’t stutter when I repeat, “I’m not marrying you.”