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All he gives me is a light kiss on the forehead. It’s all we have time for, before his phone pings. When he pulls it out, I let out a short breath. It’s a message from Tristan—a video.
With a sigh, Xander leans his forehead against mine. “Is this what I think it is?”
“He tricked me,” I whisper.
“I know, sweetheart. I know. Now go outside, and stand with Brooke and the guys. And get ready to perform. Okay?”
When he kisses me, it’s with such longing that I have no doubt Xander and I are on the same page. We belong together, like the moon belongs to the sun. And nothing will stop us from chasing after each other.
He finally releases me with a low groan. I have no desire to leave him, but the gentle nudge he gives me sends me outside.
Brooke is standing uncomfortably next to Blaze. Her eyes dart anywhere except him and the redhead he’s holding in his arms. When she sees me, relief floods her expression.
“Hey.” I wrap her up in my arms, frowning at the tension in her body as she hugs me back. “How are you doing?”
She shrugs. “Mostly better. Just a dull headache. Oh, and trying to get to sleep is a nightmare. I don’t even trust my own house anymore.”
“I thought Blaze is staying with you.” I give him a glance, and he grins at me. Turning back to Brooke, I say quietly, “And I could’ve sworn he had a thing for you.”
“He’s engaged,” she says, turning back to face the rest of the guys.
Raising an eyebrow, I take in the beauty standing on the other side of Blaze. She’s tall, and much fuller than Brooke. Her hair flows past her shoulders in perfect waves, kissing her bare back.
I can’t deny that she’s sexy as hell. But she doesn’t strike me as Blaze’s type. He’s always gone for the softer girls—the ones who are more into books and art and sweaters. Not the ones who’re into fashion and makeup and social status.
Maybe she’s into both, I tell myself. A woman can be however many things she fucking wants to be.
Still, I hate how uncomfortable Brooke is. I’m about to ask her if she wants to find some place to hide, but Xander storming down the steps catches my eye.
“What the fuck is this?” he yells, fury in his eyes. It takes him mere seconds to get to me and yank me away from the group. Shoving his phone in my face, he grips my arm and forces me to watch.
It’s the video of Tristan and I kissing, edited so the part where he forced me has been cut out.
Looking up at Xander in horror, I step back. So this is what he meant when he told me to get ready to perform. In front of all these people—including Tristan.
“Xan, please don’t do this. I can explain.”
“You can explain? There’s no way to explain this, Soph. You cheated on me. Have you been the entire time? We’re over. Done.”
I open my mouth, but no words come out. Instead I let my eyes blur over, tears flooding from the embarrassment. Everyone is watching.
Turning to Dominic, Xander mutters, “I’ll bring her things over later.”
“Tristan?” Brooke hisses next to me. Her eyes are burning with a mixture of hatred and disbelief.
“It’s not what it looks like, I promise.”
Everly appears next to Xander, slipping her arm through his. The smile on her face makes me sick. “Are you all right, Alex?”
He shakes her off, glaring at me. “I’ll be fine once she’s out of my sight.”
I’m so caught up in the terrifyingly-convincing ice in Xander’s eyes that I almost don’t see them. But their black uniforms catch my attention as they move in on us.
Or, more accurately, Xander.
“Alexander Hendricks?” one of the police officer says, standing behind him. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Francis Hendricks.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
