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I’m moving before I’ve even decided how I can fix things. It’s just a microphone and a speaker system. How hard can it be?
I’m halfway across the room when I hear a mechanical whirr.
All at once, every light in the ballroom shuts down.
My muscles coil.
My eyes flash through the crowd.
Years of training make me tense. I reach behind me and touch the butt of my gun, certain that the men I stationed around the gala are doing the same.
“Stop it,” a familiar voice explodes through the ballroom.
“Not until you say it,” a man responds.
Wheels creak and a projector awakens behind Island’s head. A video is being thrown on the white screen. It’s clearly Island, her face much younger and dotted with acne scars, her eyes more innocent, and her smile less forced.
She’s lying down in someone’s lap.
“I’m not going to say it.”The Younger Island resists. She might be protesting, but it’s not with conviction. The giant grin on her face makes it hard to think of her as distressed.
The person operating the camera swings it on himself.
My fingers curl into fists when I see a younger version of Taz fill the screen.
“I heard you, but I want evidence. Just in case you think of backing out.”He wiggles his eyebrows.
“Fine.”
The camera swings back to Younger Island.
She leans forward, eyes focused on the screen as if she’s looking right at me.“I, Island Hayes, will only love one man and one man only for the rest of my life.”
Horror thrums through me, vibrating until I’m sure my bones will shatter.
“What else?”
Younger Island sighs.“And if Taz continues to be annoying, I’ll break his nose.”
Younger Taz laughs.
“You could never hurt me, Isle.”
“No, I can’t.”
“Why?”
She reaches out and probably rests her hand on his shoulder. Her face is suddenly closer to the screen.
“Because I love you.”
My muscles tighten. Each of them. Locking into position. Ready to fight. Ready to burn it all down.
“I love you too.”
They kiss. The sound of their lips smacking together mingles with the ‘awws’ breaking out in the crowd.
I turn my face away.