Page 117 of Puck Love

“Thank you, Grand Forks.”Iwave and walk off stage, removing my earpiece and taking the fresh towel Eddie offers. He reaches for my wires but pauses, glancing between me and Lana forconfirmation.

“No more special encores tonight?” Lanateases.

“Not tonight,” I say with a tight smile. “You can pack it up,Eddie.”

Lana frowns. “You know I only want your happiness,right?”

“Of course.” I walk through the wings and down the corridor to my dressing room with Lana hot on myheels.

“Then just listen tohim.”

“What?”

“Despite how it looks, I actually believe that Van didn’t do this. He’s pretty shaken,Stella.”

“Lana, I . . .” I reach for the handle, and she places her hand overmine.

“He’s inthere.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

“I guess security didn’t get the memo about banninghim.”

“Why didn’t they get the memo?” I clench my jaw and ball my hands intofists.

“Because I never toldthem.”

Betrayal twists like a knife in my gut. The one person in this world who’s supposed to have my back has switched teams? “Why would you dothat?”

“Because I think you need to see him. At least let himexplain.”

“Fine, not that it’s going to change my mind.” I open the door, and Van turns around. He’s as imposing as I remember, but his shoulders are slumped. I trail my gaze up to his face. He has a black eye, and a cut on his lip. My masks slips. I furrow my brows in sympathy, and I swallow hard and resist the urge to go to him. After four long months, he’s standing in front of me, and I forget how tobreathe.

No!I will not fall prey to that pretty lying, cheating face again. I school my features into what I hope looks like a badass bitchexpression.

“Stella, baby. I didn’t doit.”

“So, what? Some bunny Photoshopped you kissing anothergirl?”

“I didn’t kiss her. She kissed me! She swam over and just threw herself atme.”

I frown. It hurts seeing him defeated like this. It hurts even worse knowing that a part of that pain might be because of me. I mean, it’s not like anyone held a gun to his head and forced him to kiss another woman, but I don’t like seeing him this unhappy. I don’t like feeling this way either, so I have no idea where we go from here. “What happened to yourface?”

“I got into it on the ice with that douchebagKarlsson.”

“Why?”

“Because he was talking shit about you. Asked if he could have a turn now that you were done withme.”

“God, what anasshole.”

“Country, baby. I didn’t touch that girl. There wasn’t a photo taken after, but I jumped back so fast she nearly drowned. Eli was there to playdoctor.”

“Of course, he was.” I don’t know why, but I believe him. Maybe it’s because our lives can be whittled down to endless hours, minutes, and seconds of controlled chaos, so it doesn’t make any sense for him to waste precious time with me, a girl he’s bound to see once every four months, when he has so many other women throwing themselves at him. Maybe it’s just because looking into his eyes, seeing his sincerity and how broken up he is, I really do believe him. Perhaps that makes me an idiot, but I still trust this man, probably more than anyone—even Lana, and I trust her a whole lot. I might need to work on my communication skills, though. I feel the ice around my heart melt and I exhale noisily as I take a few steps toward him. “I’m sorry I doubtedyou.”

A beat later I’m engulfed in his arms, my face buried in his chest as he breathes into my hair. “I’m sorry I’m such a screw up. I dropped my phone in the toiletbowl.”

“What?”