She shook her head. He had no idea what he was saying. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. “No, you don’t.”
“If I could love someone else, don’t you think I would have already done it? You’re a psychotic bitch most of the time, and you drive me crazy, but I love you.” He threw his hands out and stomped across the room, away from her. “For some unknown fucking reason.”
“You’re just saying that because I’m with someone else now.” God, she hoped that was the case.
“Do you fucking hear yourself? You are out of your goddamn mind. And don’t even bring that fucker into this conversation.”
“Jude?” she asked.
“Yeah. Fuck that guy!”
“What is wrong with you?”
He looked manic.
Where is this all coming from?
He flung his hands up in the air. “Wrong with me? You’re the one who thinks you’re in love with this guy. He’s deluded you with presents and exotic trips, so you think that’s fucking love, but he’s just using you.”
“You don’t even know him!” Bryna cried angrily. How dare he throw all this out at me now!
“I don’t fucking need to. I know how he treats you, and I know what he said to me that night in Vegas. That’s all I need to know about this guy to know he’s a fucking douche.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“See? You don’t even want to know the truth. You don’t care that he only wants you when it’s convenient to have sex with you.”
“Fine!” she spat. “What did he say to you?”
Gates laughed contemptuously and looked away from her. “After I told him I’d just be taking you back to the hotel to sleep, he said that if I laid one finger on you, he’d tear me apart limb from limb. That I needed to do the right thing and stay away from you…for your own good. He asked if I understood that there would be hell to pay if he found out otherwise.”
Bryna paused where she was standing. “He said that?” she asked softly. It sounded really hot…like Jude really wanted her.
“Yes. It’s the most unhinged, controlling, douchey thing to say when I was only trying to help you.”
Should I see that as controlling, or was Jude only looking out for me? “You still stayed the night,” she reminded Gates.
He glared at her. “Would you have rather I left you there to drown in your own vomit?”
“No, but Jude was right.”
Gates looked at her in utter disbelief, as if he was seeing a completely different person. It was an unsettling stare. “I can’t do this, Bryna. I can’t do this with you anymore.”
She eyed at him uneasily. “What do you mean?”
“What do I mean?” He stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time. “I told you that I loved you, and you act like I’m fucking jealous. I’m the one who has been there for you through all the bullshit, Bri, and you thank me for being there for you, but it’s not out of appreciation. It’s an expectation. You were flirting with me on New Year’s before we kissed. You took me away from a girl I was hitting on at Posse and then joked around about how sex with me sounded fun. The mixed signals have pushed me over the edge. You think because you say we’re friends that it’ll magically happen. But that’s not how it fucking works!”
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” she whispered taken aback.
“Nothing. It’s obviously too much for me to expect you to say anything.” He shook his head. “You might think you’re queen bee, but I’m not the same person I was when we first met. I’m a movie star. We’re at my fucking premiere. I could be doing whatever and whoever the fuck I want.”
“Then, do that,” Bryna said harshly. “I’m not fucking stopping you.”
“Good. Because I’m not fucking around anymore.” He brushed past her toward the door and then spoke quietly, facing away from her, “I used to think you were everything, Bri. Now, I realize that you were just a waste of my time. You’re not queen. You’re just another desperate wannabe. And you’re no longer welcome here.”
“What?” she snapped. Her mouth dropped open.
He turned around, and his eyes were icy. “Leave. Before I have to alert security.”
With that, he walked out the door, leaving Bryna standing alone in the empty room with her hands shaking, her breath coming out in shocked sputters, and her mind reeling.
PINK WAS THE COLOR OF THE EVENING.
Rosé champagne in pink-rimmed flutes. Waitresses in baby-pink sequined skirts, carrying pink trays with pink champagne cupcakes. Ornate shimmering pink crystal chandeliers, pink peony bouquets atop waist-high cocktail tables, and already dozens of women wearing gorgeous designer pink dresses.
Bryna was standing at the entrance table in a tight hot-pink Dior dress with the Harry Winston B necklace on, overseeing the idiots she had gotten to replace Avery and Tara. She had given them the guest list Felicity had made and informed them that they had to know every single person who was attending by face. She didn’t want any awkward moments where they would have to ask for a person’s name. Clearly, neither of them had done their homework.
“Lauren, are you completely incompetent?” Bryna snapped. “How could you not recognize Jeremiah Anderson? He’s a very important alumnus and successful producer. I know he was on the list!”
“Sorry, Bri.” Lauren frantically looked around as if she thought the other assistant, Julie, would help her. “I…I guess I just forgot. He didn’t seem to mind—”
“I mind! You should have been more prepared for this.” Bryna shook her head in disgust. “You’d better get the next person right.”
Felicity flitted over to the table with a big smile on her face. She was practically glowing. It was the happiest Bryna had seen the bitch since they started working together.
“Bryna, everything is going so wonderfully. Thank you for all the hard work you’ve put in.”
“I’m so happy I was able to help, Felicity,” Bryna said with a fake smile.
She was shocked she could keep her temper under control, even for this moment.
After her argument with Gates at the premiere, she had left in shock. Part of her had wanted to find the first reporter on the red carpet and let the media know about Gates and Chloe. But she couldn’t. As much as she was humiliated by what had happened, she cared about Gates too much to out him to the press.
But she hated that they weren’t in a good place, and he wasn’t here tonight. She couldn’t believe how judgmental he was regarding Jude. It ate at her more than she wanted to admit. Not to mention, she was freaked out about finally getting to see Jude tonight after the benefit. Her stomach was in knots, and it only increased her irritability.
“Oh, look! Our special guests have arrived!” Felicity said.
Bryna turned around to see who was walking in the door, and her mouth dropped. “Daddy?”
“Hey, sweetheart!” her father said, enveloping her in a hug.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were still in New Zealand!”
“We wrapped up this week. I immediately flew home for my little girl’s big charity event. Celia told me all about it.”
Bryna looked on in surprise. My father flew all the way from New Zealand to be here for me? Her eyes shifted to Celia, who smiled politely, and then to the person standing next to her. Pace. He stared at her as if he knew all her secrets, and she quickly looked away.
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
Her father quirked his head to the side. “Now, Celia told me one other thing. Something about a boyfriend? Where is Gates? We need to have a talk.”
Bryna’s face fell. “Oh, uh…he wasn’t able to make it. The Broken Road premiere was last night.” She hated lying, but telling the truth at this point would be more work.