“Next time then, kiddo.” He patted her shoulder and then introduced himself to Felicity.
Pace walked forward and leered at her. “No Gates tonight, huh? Fake boyfriend didn’t want to make an appearance?”
“Leave me alone, Pace,” she said warningly.
“What about Avery and Tara? No fake friends tonight either?”
“Just go!” she snapped.
He smirked. “Have a good night.”
She glared at his back. She wanted to relish in the fact that her father was here and not worry about Pace. He couldn’t ruin her night. She had worked too hard for this.
Felicity laughed at something Bryna’s father said. He shook her hand and then disappeared into the crowd with Celia.
“Your father is quite the charmer.”
“That he is,” she agreed.
“Well, keep up the good work. I’m going to entertain the guests. I’ll be back to fetch you when your work is done,” Felicity said.
Bryna glumly watched her walk away. She wanted to enjoy the party that she had created. She knew that it wasn’t unreasonable to have her working the front of the event while so many people were showing up, but mingling sounded like so much more fun.
“Bryna! This man isn’t on the list,” Lauren said. “I’m sorry, sir. We’ll get this all cleared up.”
She turned around, and her heart skipped a beat. “Jude?”
His head snapped back. His mouth opened slightly in surprise. His gaze traveled up her legs, over the hot-pink dress, and then to her face. After he soaked her in and seemed to realize that she was real, his eyes darted around the room. “Bri, what are you doing here?”
“This is my event,” she said.
Suddenly, her stomach turned to ice. If he was here, at a Harmony event, then he could find out at any second that she wasn’t here as an alumnus but as a student.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him.
He opened his mouth and then closed it. He didn’t seem to know how to answer the question. His inability to give a logical answer only made her that much more fearful.
“Oh, Jude, you’re here!” Felicity called from behind her, appearing out of the crowd. “Sorry. I forgot to add you to the guest list.”
He stared at Felicity with a tormented look on his face, but she didn’t seem to notice. She walked right up to him and wrapped an arm around his waist.
Bryna couldn’t tear her eyes away. It was like a train wreck. As much as she wanted to avoid the oncoming crash, she couldn’t seem to get out of the way.
“Bryna, this is my husband, Jude.”
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! This couldn’t be happening.
Jude wasn’t here. Felicity wasn’t his wife. Bryna hadn’t been having a raunchy affair with the organizer’s husband.
She was going to blink, and this nightmare would disappear.
“This is Bryna?” Jude asked. Shock was clear in his voice too.
Oh shit! She had only ever told him that her name was Bri.
“The student who has been working with you on the charity event?”
She closed her eyes again, hoping to make this all go away. Please work!
Fuck! It isn’t working!
Jude’s eyes met Bryna’s in disbelief and…horror. She was sure that she mirrored his expression. She wanted to say so much to him in the moment, but what could she say?
Yes, I’m a seventeen-year-old high school student. I’ve been meaning to tell you.
She didn’t think that was going to help anything.
“Yes! Isn’t she wonderful? She’s done the most amazing job,” Felicity said. She smiled brightly at Bryna.
His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed.
Right about now would be a good time for some acting skills to kick in.
“Everything looks…great,” Jude said.
Smooth.
“I think so, too,” Felicity agreed.
“Thanks,” Bryna managed to get out. Her stomach was churning, and she was short on breath. She needed to get out of there, get some air, get her emotions under control. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find the restroom.”
Without a backward glance at Jude, she turned and walked directly into the crowd.
She was horrified, and surely, everyone would notice. But she pushed through the benefit guests, toward the back of the room, anyway. She couldn’t believe what had happened. Tonight was supposed to be the night she and Jude worked out all their issues. They were going to be honest with each other, but she hadn’t expected it to ever happen this way!
And the look on his face when he had found out.
She choked down the pain. He’d been disgusted with her. She had thought that when she finally told him that she was still in high school, it wouldn’t matter because they would be on equal footing…equally in love.
But how could he look at me like that if he was in love with me? How could he love me if he showed up tonight to be with Felicity?
She just needed a minute to think before panic set in. She rushed into the restroom, and the room was mercifully empty. She locked herself into a stall and leaned her head back against the door as she closed her eyes.
What the hell am I going to do?
She could not go back out there with Jude and Felicity.
Yet she couldn’t leave. She wouldn’t leave. This was her event. She had done all the work to get this thing running. She wouldn’t be scared off because he was here. She would simply avoid him at all costs.
That’s possible. Right?
Her hands stopped shaking, and she straightened. After taking a deep breath, she left the stall and stared at herself in the mirror. She was strong. She was the queen. Later, she would figure out what the fuck was happening with Jude and why he had fucking lied to her.
She left the restroom and walked back toward the waiting room of guests. Halfway to her destination, a hand reached out from an open doorway and pulled her inside by the elbow.
“What the—” she cried.
Then, her back hit against a firm body, and a hand covered her mouth. The door was kicked shut, and she let out a muffled scream.
“Bri,” Jude whispered into her ear, silencing her outburst.
She breathed heavily in his embrace. Her body molded to his, and despite everything, she was turned on by his touch. She couldn’t help her body’s reaction to him. It had been too long since she had seen him, and even before she had gotten to know him, his body had set her off. He was still holding her against him, and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing.
How wrong would it be for him to take me right here with his wife in the other room?
God, I’m sick. She was not that person!
He had fucking said they were separated. And she had believed him. She hated that he had lied to her about that, but she hadn’t known. Now that she did though, it changed everything. She would not be the girl on the side. No matter how she felt about him.
She wrenched herself out of his grip and faced him. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“We need to talk. Now.”
“That is the epitome of bad ideas,” she said in frustration. “Your wife is out there! I’m leaving.”
She started for the door, but he grabbed her again.
“Not before you tell me the truth!” he said. His eyes, which had been so beautiful and comforting, stared at her with anger and confusion.