off. I pressed my lips tightly together as I waited for Eli’s news, bracing myself for the breakup words. I couldn’t blame him, really, not after the weirdness I’d put him through. And now that he had a big chance for stardom, he could have any girl he wanted, so why put up with one who couldn’t stay in her own body?
“You’re going to hear some stuff about me and another competitor named Mila.”
“I saw Mila on TV.” I steeled my heart. “She’s really pretty.”
“Um … some people think so, I guess.”
“You don’t think she’s pretty?”
“What does that matter? She’s totally fake and …
well … she’s not you. So, if you hear anyone saying that Mila and I are having a showmance, it’s crap.”
“Why would they say that?” I asked cautiously.
“For ratings and publicity—not that I even care. When the show’s publicist asked me to say I was going out with Mila, I refused. But Mila thought it was a great idea and acted like we were together when I was being interviewed.”
I sucked in a raw breath, my insides twisting with a complicated mix of joy and jealousy. It was great to hear Eli say he preferred me but hard to get over the image of the girl hanging on him like cheap jewelry.
“I saw the interview,” I admitted.
“Oh, crap.” He groaned. “I’d hoped you weren’t watching. It’s not what you think.”
“What do you think I think?”
“That I’m a lying, cheating jerk.”
“Not even close.” I shifted the phone to my other ear as I curled up on the couch. “I think Mila is trying to use you to improve her career.”
“So you believe me?”
“You’ve believed some pretty outrageous things that I told you. Besides, that look of horror on your face when Mila wrapped around you was priceless.”
“I couldn’t get her off—she was pinching my arm.” He let out a heavy breath. “Did I ever tell you that you’re amazingly cool?”
“No, but feel free to say it often.”
“How about I ditch this freaking contest and say it to you in person? Singing is fun but not worth all the other stuff—photographers, interviews, gossip. I’d rather be there with you.”
“And I’d rather have you here.” I sent my soft words across invisible lines from my heart to his. I imagined Eli, not as I just saw him on TV with makeup and gelled hair, but the way he looked last time we were together—in casual jeans, with his unruly hair falling across his eyes as he leaned close to me.
“If I catch a flight tonight, I can be there before tomorrow. I’m not cut out for this lifestyle—hotels and interviews and wearing clothes picked out by strangers.”
“You’re not cut out to be a quitter, either. If you leave now, you’ll regret it.”
“Yeah,” he said after a long pause. “I would.”
“So do your singing thing and don’t worry about anyone else.”
“I really needed to hear that—thanks, Amber. It’s cool how you don’t freak out over dumb stuff like what happened on TV. The girl my brother was dating last year dumped him just because he gave a golf lesson to another girl.”
From what I knew about Chad, I suspected he deserved to be dumped. He had a history of cheating on his girlfriends—which I’d found out personally when I’d been in the body of one of them. But I liked Eli saying I was cool, so I pushed all negativity aside.
“Trust is really important,” I told him. “Relationships can’t survive without it.”
“Yeah. Trust is, like, huge. It’s cool we’ve got so much between us.”
I started to reply, then heard a beep. “Oh, I’ve got an incoming call … it’s Dustin! I was afraid he wouldn’t call in time.”
“In time for what?” Eli asked curiously.
“Dustin set up a date for Alyce.”
“But you’re Alyce.”
“Exactly. I’m so glad you’re not the jealous type or this could get really awkward.”
“I’m not … um … who are you going out with? You won’t actually do any—”
“I’ll tell
“You’re going to hear some stuff about me and another competitor named Mila.”
“I saw Mila on TV.” I steeled my heart. “She’s really pretty.”
“Um … some people think so, I guess.”
“You don’t think she’s pretty?”
“What does that matter? She’s totally fake and …
well … she’s not you. So, if you hear anyone saying that Mila and I are having a showmance, it’s crap.”
“Why would they say that?” I asked cautiously.
“For ratings and publicity—not that I even care. When the show’s publicist asked me to say I was going out with Mila, I refused. But Mila thought it was a great idea and acted like we were together when I was being interviewed.”
I sucked in a raw breath, my insides twisting with a complicated mix of joy and jealousy. It was great to hear Eli say he preferred me but hard to get over the image of the girl hanging on him like cheap jewelry.
“I saw the interview,” I admitted.
“Oh, crap.” He groaned. “I’d hoped you weren’t watching. It’s not what you think.”
“What do you think I think?”
“That I’m a lying, cheating jerk.”
“Not even close.” I shifted the phone to my other ear as I curled up on the couch. “I think Mila is trying to use you to improve her career.”
“So you believe me?”
“You’ve believed some pretty outrageous things that I told you. Besides, that look of horror on your face when Mila wrapped around you was priceless.”
“I couldn’t get her off—she was pinching my arm.” He let out a heavy breath. “Did I ever tell you that you’re amazingly cool?”
“No, but feel free to say it often.”
“How about I ditch this freaking contest and say it to you in person? Singing is fun but not worth all the other stuff—photographers, interviews, gossip. I’d rather be there with you.”
“And I’d rather have you here.” I sent my soft words across invisible lines from my heart to his. I imagined Eli, not as I just saw him on TV with makeup and gelled hair, but the way he looked last time we were together—in casual jeans, with his unruly hair falling across his eyes as he leaned close to me.
“If I catch a flight tonight, I can be there before tomorrow. I’m not cut out for this lifestyle—hotels and interviews and wearing clothes picked out by strangers.”
“You’re not cut out to be a quitter, either. If you leave now, you’ll regret it.”
“Yeah,” he said after a long pause. “I would.”
“So do your singing thing and don’t worry about anyone else.”
“I really needed to hear that—thanks, Amber. It’s cool how you don’t freak out over dumb stuff like what happened on TV. The girl my brother was dating last year dumped him just because he gave a golf lesson to another girl.”
From what I knew about Chad, I suspected he deserved to be dumped. He had a history of cheating on his girlfriends—which I’d found out personally when I’d been in the body of one of them. But I liked Eli saying I was cool, so I pushed all negativity aside.
“Trust is really important,” I told him. “Relationships can’t survive without it.”
“Yeah. Trust is, like, huge. It’s cool we’ve got so much between us.”
I started to reply, then heard a beep. “Oh, I’ve got an incoming call … it’s Dustin! I was afraid he wouldn’t call in time.”
“In time for what?” Eli asked curiously.
“Dustin set up a date for Alyce.”
“But you’re Alyce.”
“Exactly. I’m so glad you’re not the jealous type or this could get really awkward.”
“I’m not … um … who are you going out with? You won’t actually do any—”
“I’ll tell
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