CHAPTER THREE

The hotel room was quiet, too quiet. I groaned, rubbing my head as the pounding in my head made it impossible for me to think straight. My mouth was dry, my body sore, and then it hit me; Yesterday.

Glovanni.

Reed.

I turned my head slowly. He was still asleep, his breathing steady, his face was calm. My heart raced, I looked my phone buzzing on the nightstand. I grabbed it, my eyes widened at the screen.

There were dozens of missed calls, from Michelle and my dad.

I panicked. I barely had time to think. My wedding disaster was probably all over the news, they must be worried sick. My fingers trembled as I clutched the phone. I couldn’t deal with this right now. I needed to go.

I glanced at Reed one last time. He had given me an escape, a moment to breathe. I owed him at least a thank you. Grabbing a hotel notepad, I scribbled a quick note:

Thank you for last night.

I hesitated, then added, Take care.

Setting the note on the nightstand, my eyes landed on his shirt placed a chair. It was oversized, soft. Without thinking, I grabbed it, slipping it over my bare skin. It smelled like him clean, warm, safe.

I needed to leave before he woke up.

Moving as quietly as possible, I gathered my things, took one last look at the stranger who had unknowingly saved me, and slipped out of the hotel room.

The hallway was empty. My bare feet moved quickly across the carpet as I made my way to the elevator. My heart pounded, my mind racing. What was I going to say to my dad? To Michelle?

I reached the lobby, pulling the shirt lower over my legs as I stepped outside. The morning air was hot, biting my skin. I flagged down a taxi, sliding into the backseat.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

I swallowed hard, gripping the hem of Reed’s shirt. “Home.”

As the car pulled away from the hotel, I stared out the window, my reflection staring back at me. My wedding was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Instead, it had turned into a nightmare.

I had no idea what would happen next.

I pushed open the door to my house. The moment I stepped inside, all eyes turned to me. My dad, Mitchell, stood in the middle of the living room. My aunt, cousins, and Michelle were there too. Their faces were a mix of worry.

“Angie!” Michelle rushed toward me, wrapping her arms around me. “Where have you been? We were so scared!”

I didn’t answer. The weight of everything hit me all at once, and before I could stop myself, I burst into tears. The betrayal, the humiliation, the pain. It all crashed over me like a tidal wave.

My dad pulled me into his arms. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re home now.”

I sobbed against his chest, my body weak from everything that had happened. “I don’t know what to do, Dad. I feel so lost.”

He kissed the top of my head. “You’ll be fine. I promise you. You’re stronger than this.”

I nodded, wiping my face. But the pain didn’t go away. It clung to me, heavy and suffocating.

Then my dad pulled back slightly, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at me. “We need to talk.”

I frowned. “About what?”

Michelle sighed, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. The screen filled with images from last night; me on stage, the betrayal, and then the kiss. The one I had shared with a complete stranger.

The headlines were brutal.

“Popstar Angie Harper Moves On Instantly? Kisses Mystery Man After Public Betrayal!”

“Love Triangle? Giovanni’s Fiancée Finds Comfort in Another Man’s Arms.”

“Who Is the Man Who Stole Angie Harper’s Heart?”

I groaned, covering my face. “Oh my God.”

Dad sat down beside me. “We have a situation.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, no kidding.”

“No, listen,” Michelle cut in. “The media is having a field day. Giovanni’s team is spinning this to make you look bad. Saying you and Giovanni were in an open relationship, and that you’ve been seeing this mystery man for a while.”

“What?” I stood up. “That’s a lie!”

Dad sighed. “We know. But people love a scandal. The only way to get ahead of this is to control the narrative.”

I folded my arms. “And how exactly do I do that?”

Dad and Michelle exchanged a look. Then Dad said, “You confirm it.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You confirm that you and this guy, whoever he is, are together. That Giovanni’s betrayal wasn’t shocking because you were in an open relationship. That you meant the kiss. That this is real.”

My mouth fell open. “You want me to lie?”

“It’s not a lie if you make it real,” Michelle pointed out. “The guy kissed you back, didn’t he?”

I thought back to the moment, how he hadn’t pulled away, how he had held me steady when I was falling apart. “Yeah…”

“Then maybe he’ll go along with it,” Dad said. “Find him. Talk to him. Convince him to play along until this all blows over.”

I ran a hand through my hair. This was insane. Completely insane. I still loved Glovanni, my heart was still broken “And what if he says no?”

Dad’s expression hardened. “Then we will have do deal with the media, and it might affect your career as a musician.”

My hands trembled. This wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. The media could ruin me if I didn’t get ahead of the story.

I exhaled sharply. “Fine. I’ll find him.”

Michelle grinned. “I knew you’d see reason.”

I didn’t feel reasonable. I felt trapped. But there was only one thing to do now, track down Reed, the stranger who had saved me, and ask him to pretend to be my boyfriend.