Page 64 of Feel the Rhythm

The cameras all swung around to find the action, and I followed them to see Maritza Sanchez hysterically sobbing. “Brent!” she cried. “Not Brent!”

What on earth?Why was she suddenly acting like she was his best friend? I looked up at the stage, and my parents looked just as confused as I felt.

Maritza ran up to the stage. “Brent, I’ve never forgotten about you. What we had . . . it was so special. I’m so sorry for what I did to you.”

My parents looked at each other, bewildered. I had no doubt this was all for the show, another made-up drama for viewers—adding in a fake prior relationship for the sake of the story. Normally, as an audience member, I’d eat this whole thing up. The long-lost lover finally declaring her hidden feelings for the man who had chosen the simple life and still lost everything. But now this wasmy family, my parents’ lives. And they were stuck in this nightmare only because I had pushed them to be here. My vision started blurring.

“Ivy?” Katy’s voice rang out across the room. Her finger pointed all the way across the banquet hall from the stage to where I stood with Scott.

She found me.

The cameras all swung over in my direction, the flashing lights blinding me. My knees buckled, and Scott slipped his arm around my waist. I turned my head to him.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered to him.

And then everything went black.