Page 49 of The Truths We Find

“Thanks, girl. Look at you! You should start dressing up more often.” She grins. “Let’s head downstairs. Don’t want to be late!”

As we ride the elevator down, I check my phone to find no new emails or missed calls from Sam. Our last call was five days ago, and it was really quick. To be honest, I’m a little annoyed. Not about the call being fast or anything. But because he knew the ceremony was tonight and he didn’t even bring it up. I throw my phone in frustration into my clutch. Alexa looks over and, almost like she knows what’s going on in my head, gives me a comforting smile. When we get to the bottom floor, we make our way through the casino to the lobby exit.

“Dani! Alexa!” a voice yells from behind us.

We both turn to see Gavin walking towards us. He’s wearing a slim-fit crushed black velvet tuxedo, complete with a bow tie, and white pocket square. His hair is slicked back, and even though it’s clear he shaved, he kept his signature stubble. As he gets closer, I feel my stomach drop and breathing stagger.

“Holy shit,” Alexa whispers to me.

“I know,” I hush back.

“You ladies look beautiful.” He smiles.

“Thanks!” we reply at the same time.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Alexa adds.

Gavin’s grin widens. “Let’s head outside and find our ride.” He gestures towards the exit.

Alexa walks ahead in excitement, leaving Gavin and me trailing behind. As we follow, Gavin leans in and whispers in my ear, “You are absolutely stunning, Dani.”

His words, combined with the heat of his breath on my skin, send chills down my spine.

“You are making this only-friends thing really hard right now,” he adds.

“I know.” I wink.

He stops dead in his tracks as I keep walking. Did I really just say that? What the hell is wrong with me? Tonight just got really complicated. And for some reason, I’m not totally against it.

Chapter 16

Dani

As soon as our limo pulls up to the front of Caesars Palace, the nerves hit me like a ton of bricks. In just about two hours, we’ll find out if all our hard work paid off.

I know they say it’s an honor just to be nominated, but screw that. Alexa and I worked our asses off on this. Long nights, impossible deadlines, rewriting scripts until our eyes burned. We made something out of nothing. I want to win.

But it’s more than that. It’s not just about the trophy, or the applause, or hearing our names. It’s about what winning would say to the station—to Mr. White.

What does it mean that Gavin got hired from the outside, while I’m still in the background, putting out everyone’s fires, and building up the station’s success from behind the scenes?

Winning would prove I’m not just the one who keeps things from falling apart. I’m not just the girl who wears a ponytail and says she’s fine when she’s not. I’m someone worth seeing.

So yeah, I want to win. Not only to prove them wrong. But to prove me right.

We’ve got this, I think.

“You feeling alright, Dani? You’re looking a little green,” Alexa says as we make our way through the lobby towards the ballroom.

“Mm-hmm. Never better,” I lie.

“Dani, you’ve never been good at hiding things,” Gavin chimes in. “You’re nervous as hell.”

“Fine. I’m freaking out. Happy?” I hiss.

They both laugh.

As we approach the ballroom doors, Alexa takes my hand and gives it a light squeeze.