Page 84 of Save Your Breath

“Mia, I…”

But he doesn’t finish that sentence.

Instead, I feel him brush my hair back from my forehead just enough to press a kiss there, and I feel that kiss like a slap in the face and a branding iron to my soul all at once.

The stupid part of me almost wonders if that kiss is laced with longing.

The smart part of me knows it’s actually pity.

My heart is locked up tight in my chest when Aleks finally leaves. I throw the covers off once he’s gone, flopping onto my back and staring up at the ceiling as tears flood my eyes.

But I don’t let them fall.

And the next morning, I pretend nothing even happened.

Let’s Just Get This Over With

Aleks

Mia felt a thousand miles away.

In reality, she was only standing a few feet from me on the deck of a luxury yacht gliding through the beautiful blue-green water of the bay. Her brown hair was blowing in the breeze, her body close enough to touch if I wanted.

But her eyes were shielded by large sunglasses, her mouth in a tight line as she sipped from her champagne glass and listened attentively to her publicist.

She was right here, and yet, on another planet completely.

I wondered if she was just hungover, if all that tequila from the night before had come back to bite her in the ass.

Or was she feeling the remnants of last night the same way I was, like a sticky residue from an unknown substance that you just can’t quite scrub off?

I couldn’t put a name to the unease in my chest as we prepared to pull off our fake engagement to the world. I laughed when it was appropriate, cracked jokes right on time, and carried my shoulders square and back.

But it was a feigned confidence — one I masked not just for this publicity stunt, but because I had no fucking idea what I was so knotted up about.

It had been a fun night together. I knew she’d needed it — to let loose, to pretend to be a normal human being instead of a popstar. I was still smiling just thinking about her celebrating our yard pong win in that floppy cat mask.

But I was also fighting nausea over something I couldn’t quite place.

A sick longing for something I knew I’d never have, maybe.

“So, the paparazzi has already been snapping photos of the boat. They know you’re on it. But we waited purposefully to drop the tip until all they could photograph was a blurry photo of the yacht.”

Isabella ran through what I imagined was a timeline on her tablet like she was coordinating a concert or gala appearance. She was in business mode, locked in and focused with her pink hair pulled back into a sleek bun and her eyes on the prize.

“We’re heading back in now, and once we’re close enough for them to get a good, clear shot, we’ll have you two go to the bow for your big moment. Aleks, you have the ring?”

I tapped the inside pocket of my sports coat. “Ring pop secured.”

Isabella narrowed her eyes at my joke before getting right back to business. “And Mia, you’re ready to give us the performance of a lifetime?”

Mia snapped out of her daze, turning to Isabella and staring blankly at her for a long moment. Then, she shoved her sunglasses up onto her head, beaming, eyes bright and wide. They glossed with tears as she covered her mouth with her hands, shaking her head.

“Oh, my God! Aleks! I can’t believe this!” She said each word with fake enthusiasm and surprise. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she dropped her hands and the whole act, her smile leveling out as she put her sunglasses back on and folded her arms over her chest.

Isabella blinked at her. “Okay, Moody Pants.”