Page 29 of My Fault

“You know her?” I couldn’t believe it.

“Yeah,” he said like it was no big deal. “My father’s firm handles a lot of Hollywood bigshots’ cases. From the time I was a kid, I’ve known more stars than probably anyone else in LA. Famous people like lawyers—they need them to stay out of jail. You’d be surprised how much it happens.”

I took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter with a nervous feeling in my stomach.

“What about your girlfriend?” I asked to distract myself. “You didn’t just leave her alone after that public display of affection, did you?”

“Do you want the intro or not?” he asked.

“You don’t need to ask. It’s obvious that I do. I’ve been a fan of Johana for as long as I can remember. She wrote the best books of all time,” I said. His attitude amused me. Some way he had of doing someone a favor!

“Come on, then, and don’t start shrieking like a baby, please.”

Oh God… Johana smiled wide when she saw Nick coming over to say hi.

“Nick, you look amazing!” she said, giving him a hug. I was freaking out before. Now I was completely gaga.

“Thanks. You’re stunning as always. Have you seen Dad?” he asked. I analyzed each of Johana’s movements and engraved them in my memory. What I wouldn’t have given to have a camera just then.

“Yeah, I congratulated him,” she laughed. “We need more lawyers like him.”

When the chitchat was over, Nicholas turned to me.

“Johana, I’d like to introduce you to your number one fan: my stepsister Noah. I call her Freckles, though,” he said. He was laughing, but in that moment, I couldn’t care less.

“You’re the greatest. I absolutely love your books,” I said, my voice cracking. Amazing. All those years practicing these phrases in my mind to wind up saying the most cliché thing ever.

Nicholas tried not to smirk, but I could see the sarcasm in his eyes.

“Thanks,” she said and then hugged me.She hugged me!

“You want a photo?” she asked, grabbing me and pulling me over next to her.

“Man, I don’t have a camera,” I said.

“Jesus, Noah. Why do you think God invented cell phones?” said Nicholas.

I smiled, realizing how flummoxed I must be.

Johana put her arm over my shoulders, Nick aimed his iPhone, and the greatest moment of my life was thus immortalized.

“Thank you so much,” I said, still amazed I was actually looking at her.

“No problem, sweetie,” she said before smiling and walking off with a friend.

“You owe me one, little sister,” Nick said, slipping his phone in his pocket before leaning in and continuing in a whisper, “and that means keeping your mouth shut.”

I felt a shiver go up my spine when his hot breath touched my neck. I didn’t care what I was getting myself into anymore. I couldn’t stop smiling.

That was, until my phone buzzed. I opened my messages, expecting to see my photo with Johana. And that was when everything came crashing down. My heart stopped, my hands started to shake, and I felt hot all over. It couldn’t be.

It was a photo all right—a photo of Dan making out with a girl. A girl I knew better than I knew myself.

“I can’t believe it,” I said under my breath. I had a knot in my throat, and if I’d wanted to, I could have shed several years’ worth of tears I’d kept bottled up inside.

“What’s up?” I heard. I realized Nick was there, and he must have seen the photo flash across my screen.

My breathing sped up; I felt betrayed, hurt, deceived. I had to get out of there.