Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
She followed me around the corner to a spot with relative privacy, partially due to a wall that blocked us from anyone’s view.
I was nervous and excited, like a teenage boy on prom night about to ask his girl if they can go all the way—instead of a badass football player who could get any woman he wanted.
Except, I didn’t want just any woman. Only this one.
Folding my arms over my chest, I leaned back against the wall and raised an eyebrow. “A misunderstanding?”
6
CLEO
My heart felt as though it was about to beat through my chest and my palms were sweaty, but my nerves were a small price to pay for the chance to set things straight with Rigby. I twisted my hands together as I faced him, my gaze trapped by his icy blue eyes as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.
Steeling my spine, I pushed my hood off my head and nodded. “Yes, a horrible misunderstanding.”
He pulled his phone out of the pocket of his jeans, tapped the screen, and turned it my way to show me one of the articles I’d seen before I headed to the stadium. “Not sure what I could be mistaken about when the entire world is talking about you being that asshole’s mystery girlfriend. Let’s also not forget that I saw you two together with my own damn eyes.”
The plan I’d come up with when I was waiting for him flew out of my head and I blurted, “Have you ever heard of seat fillers?”
His brows drew together, and his hand dropped to his side with his phone clenched in his fist so hard that his knuckles were white. “No.”
“Remember how I told you that I’m a student at Tisch?”
He nodded, and I plowed ahead. “Well, one of my friends told me about becoming a seat filler because of the incredible networking opportunities by attending award ceremonies filled with industry professionals. Even if you’re just there to fill an empty seat while someone important steps away for a moment.” I finally forced myself to stop jabbering and waited.
He was quiet for a few heartbeats, but his expression was thoughtful, like he was simply absorbing all I’d said. “So you’re saying you weren’t there for personal reasons? It was just a job?” he eventually clarified.
I could’ve sworn that I spotted the faintest hint of hope in his eyes, and it helped settle my nerves a little. “I didn’t walk the red carpet or even go in through the front door for the event. I was very much there as a member of the staff, not an invited guest.”
His muscles loosened, but he still pointed out, “You looked close to that guy when they caught you on camera.”
I’d thought it had been such good luck to be assigned to one spot for the entire event, but now I wished I’d played musical chairs like usual. Sore feet were much easier to handle than the mess I found myself in. “I am not close to Gustavo Duarte, and I’m certainly not his girlfriend. I’d never even met him until last night. The only time I saw him before I sat down at his table was on the television or in the press.”
“So all those stories about him bringing his new girlfriend were just bullshit made up by the media?” he asked.
I pressed my lips together, frustrated by the fact that I wasn’t supposed to share personal details about anything I had seen or heard last night. “I can’t speak to what’s going on in his life because I don’t really know him except for the short amount of time I spent sitting next to him at the event. But the same people are calling me his girlfriend now without any confirmation, so I’m not sure how much you can trust anything they put out there.”
“That’s a fair point,” he conceded. “They get all sorts of shit wrong about my teammates, too.”
His words send a jolt of hope through my body. “You believe me then?”
He slipped his phone back in his pocket and crossed his arms over his chest again. “You weren’t just at his table, though. You went with him when he came to get you while we were talking.”
I grimaced. “I get how that might look bad, but he had promised to introduce me to some people because I’d helped him out by sitting next to him all evening. That way, he didn’t look bad by having an empty seat by him when everyone was expecting him to have a date. You were completely icing me out, and I didn’t want to make a scene, so it seemed like the right idea at the time.”
“I didn’t like seeing you walk away with him, even though I thought you were playing me,” he admitted.