Page 14 of Play Fake

Everyone’s discussing what they’re going to eat when my phone pings with a series of texts, and I look down to see they’re from Ally.

“Fuck,” I mutter when I read the contents. I’m simultaneously happy for her, and super stressed out for myself. The last one was the worst.

Ally:Can you come?

I swallowed hard. Could I go to the show? Of course. Would I? Should I? Those were other matters entirely. Because Ally was Ezra’s drummer, which meant he would most definitely be there, and likely the woman he’d replaced me with.

The thought of seeing the two of them together sent a wave of nausea through me. It’s one thing to know your ex has moved on, but it’s another entirely to need to have a front-row seat to the budding romance.

I was pretty sure I’d had enough humiliation in the last week for a lifetime and wasn’t keen on adding to it. But Ally was one of my good friends, even if Ezra no longer enjoyed that title. I wanted to be there to support her at their first big show.

“What? Are you alright?” Olivia frowns across from me.

“Are you free tomorrow night?” I ask her, slightly panicked.

“No, I have a thing I have to go to. Why?”

“Ugh. I’ll text Wren then,” I say as I quickly shoot off a text asking if she has the night off work.

“Why?” Olivia looks more concerned.

“Ally just texted. They have a show at the Cheshire tomorrow,” I say.

“Oh shit,” Olivia winces, understanding the problem.

“You guys gonna fill us in or just keep talking in code?” Liam asks, his eyes darting between us.

My phone buzzes.

Wren: Can’t. Have to work.

“Fuck,” I mutter into my forearm as I lean my head down on my arms on the table.

“Wren busy too?” Olivia asks quietly.

“Yup.”

“Are you going to go?”

“So, code then?” Liam presses.

“I don’t know. I want to support Ally, but…” I trail off as I pull my head back up from the table. Olivia knows the but. The giant one who just cheated on me a few weeks ago.

“Is someone going to fill me in?” Liam sighs loudly and sets his menu down. I can feel Waylon’s eyes on me, too.

Olivia looks to me for permission, and I shrug. It would be awkward not to tell them at this point, even though I have zero interest in either of them knowing my problem.

“Kenzie’s ex and his band are playing a show tomorrow night, and she and the drummer are still really good friends. She wants to support her by going, but…”

“Oof.” Liam grunts, giving me a pained expression.

“You broke up?” Waylon's eyes are on me, and I glance at him, seeing a flicker of something I can’t quite read in them before they soften to something more like pity.

I nod, and then look back at Olivia. The last thing I need is Waylon’s pity.

“You have to go,” Olivia insists. “Don’t let him think he has the upper hand and can scare you off.”

“Why would he have the upper hand?” Waylon asks, far more interested in this than I expected.