“Yeah, well,” I mutter, twirling my fork. “It gets frustrating. I love him. I really do. But sometimes I want to be just… me. Not perceived as someone’s accessory.”
“I get that,” he says easily. “I used to date a popstar. Same thing. People constantly asked what she saw in me. I knew I was punching above my weight, but hearing it nonstop? It sucked.”
I pause, mid-chew. “You’re joking.”
He shakes his head, a faint flush creeping up his neck. “Nope.”
I blink. “You dated a popstar. You?”
He shrugs, eyes dropping. “We went to high school together. I knew her before she was famous. Her name’s Bailey Hill. Or that’s what she goes by now.”
I nearly choke on my own spit. “Wait. Bailey Hill? As in Bailey Hill? The superstar, five-time Grammy nominee, on a sold-out world tour?”
“Yeah.” His smile fades. “She was really sweet back in high school. I took her to every prom, and every dance. We had this plan. We were going to go to college together, get married once we graduated, and move back home.”
“Aww.”
He takes in a sharp breath. “Sadly, she went viral senior year, and that’s when everything changed. She moved to LA and just… stopped calling.”
He laughs, but it’s dry and bitter. “Technically, I’m still her boyfriend since we never broke up.”
My chest tugs at the unexpected heartbreak. The way he says it, the way his gaze sinks to the table like he’s still trying to makesense of it. Without thinking, I reach over and touch his arm. “I’m really sorry, Chris. But honestly? Knowing you? There’s no way she just ghosted you. Maybe she broke her phone, or forgot your number—”
“It’s sweet you think that,” he cuts in, quiet but certain. “But I’m still on her private socials. If she wanted to reach out, she could.”
“Oh.”
“It’s fine,” Chris says with a quiet shrug. “I just think she got tired of the normal life and wanted something flashier. Something that looked better next to all that new money.”
“Well, then she didn’t deserve you,” I say, giving Chris’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “One day, she’ll look back and realize she screwed up.”
He glances at me, that hint of a smile returning. “You think?”
“I know, and then she’ll realize what she missed out on. You and Jenni might still be early days, but you’re super cute together. I can tell she really likes you.”
“Me and Jenni?” There’s a slight crack in his voice before his shoulders drop, just slightly. “We aren’t dating. We’re just friends. I only met her a few days before I met you.”
My brows furrow. That—doesn’t track.
“Really? But you want to date her, right?”
“No. I’ve got my eye on someone else,” he says, taking me in. “But apparently, she has a boyfriend.”
A boyfriend?
Oh.
Right.Bailey.She just went public with some baseball player. Sam Brennon, I think. The internet practically imploded at the news, and the world discovered Carolina Catfish baseball overnight.
“Well, you never know how true the tabloids are.”
“Mhm. Yeah.” He flicks his gaze upwards, then freezes. “Um, Honey, there’s some man in a suit looking at you. When I say looking, I mean glaring. At first, I thought maybe he forgot his glasses or had resting murder face, but no, he’s definitely plotting someone’s death. Possibly mine.”
“Why would Zach be in a suit?”
Chris tilts his chin toward the science building. I follow his line of sight and immediately go still.
Oh, no.