a little amused. “But seriously, if you ditch me after twenty minutes again, I’m expecting more than empty words in return.”
“See you then,” I said, purposely not responding.
“See you then.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Casey, you look gorgeous, who are you wearing?”
I smiled at the television host and told her the name of the designer, trying not to squint as the bright, artificial red carpet lights attempted to blind me.
“Your new song, Love’s Not Enough, has become a YouTube sensation — any plans to turn it into a single?”
I smiled at her. “Who knows? It was just an off the cuff moment, but I’ve been amazed at all the attention it’s gotten. If people want to hear more, I hope that I’ll be able to put more out there.”
Her eye glinted like I’d said something juicy. “You? Not you and Blake?”
Lauren and I had prepped for questions like that a hundred times. “Again, who knows? I’m figuring this out as I go.”
She looked a little disappointed. “You’ve been in the tabloids for your love life as often as anything else,” she said, and I felt my stomach cringe at the description. “Care to comment on the love triangle? I know everyone is curious to hear what’s going on… especially straight from you.”
It was an easy trick — trying to lure me into making a statement by making it sound like all I had to do was clear the air. But I knew as well as anyone that words could be twisted, and I wasn’t going there, not tonight.
I smiled, deflecting the question. “Nothing to tell, really,” I smiled sweetly.
Without thinking, I glanced ten feet to my left, where Tanner was talking about Moving Neutral’s new album.
Something flickered across her face, and then she smiled brightly at the camera. “There, guys — you’ve heard from Casey Snow, who looks totally gorgeous in Jenny Packham tonight. Thanks for chatting with us, Casey!”
I smiled, not sure whether to look at her or the came ra, when suddenly the recording light went off and she let out a deep breath.
“Thanks for that,” she said, her voice about half as perky as it had been a moment before. I smiled. “You’re so popular with our teen view ers — everyone loves a Cinderella story, right?”
“I guess,” I said, glancing over to see if Tanner was finished yet. She followed my eyes and smiled conspiratorially.
“So now that we’re off the record,” she leaned in and lowered her voice. “Who’s the mystery girl?”
I looked at her, uncomprehending, and then looked back over at Tanner. “What girl?”
“Oh, not Tanner,” she grinned like it was the juiciest piece of gossip she’d heard all night. “The girl Blake brought.”
My breath stopped short. “Blake brought—” I swallowed, trying to recover some of my composure. “A date?”
She suddenly looked like she regretted telling me, and I thought I saw something sincere in her expression. “Yeah — the girl over there? In black?” She cocked her head across the room, gesturing to where we’d come in. There were several dozen other journalists, publicists and handlers between us and the door, making the room so crowded that I could hardly see.
Finally, I spotted Blake at the end of the red carpet.
I’d never had a heart attack, but I knew the symptoms. First your arms go numb, then it feels like a pickup truck is parked on your chest.
At that moment, I felt them all, like a ton of bricks hitting me at once. L ike I couldn’t even breathe.
Like Blake had finally succeeded in completely breaking my heart.
Blake was standing at the edge of the red carpet, maybe fifty feet away from me. He was facing a camera, his body turned partially away from me, but he was unmistakable.
And he had his arm around another girl.
I could see him talking to the interviewer, looking relaxed and happy, gesturing with one hand while the other rested around the
“See you then,” I said, purposely not responding.
“See you then.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Casey, you look gorgeous, who are you wearing?”
I smiled at the television host and told her the name of the designer, trying not to squint as the bright, artificial red carpet lights attempted to blind me.
“Your new song, Love’s Not Enough, has become a YouTube sensation — any plans to turn it into a single?”
I smiled at her. “Who knows? It was just an off the cuff moment, but I’ve been amazed at all the attention it’s gotten. If people want to hear more, I hope that I’ll be able to put more out there.”
Her eye glinted like I’d said something juicy. “You? Not you and Blake?”
Lauren and I had prepped for questions like that a hundred times. “Again, who knows? I’m figuring this out as I go.”
She looked a little disappointed. “You’ve been in the tabloids for your love life as often as anything else,” she said, and I felt my stomach cringe at the description. “Care to comment on the love triangle? I know everyone is curious to hear what’s going on… especially straight from you.”
It was an easy trick — trying to lure me into making a statement by making it sound like all I had to do was clear the air. But I knew as well as anyone that words could be twisted, and I wasn’t going there, not tonight.
I smiled, deflecting the question. “Nothing to tell, really,” I smiled sweetly.
Without thinking, I glanced ten feet to my left, where Tanner was talking about Moving Neutral’s new album.
Something flickered across her face, and then she smiled brightly at the camera. “There, guys — you’ve heard from Casey Snow, who looks totally gorgeous in Jenny Packham tonight. Thanks for chatting with us, Casey!”
I smiled, not sure whether to look at her or the came ra, when suddenly the recording light went off and she let out a deep breath.
“Thanks for that,” she said, her voice about half as perky as it had been a moment before. I smiled. “You’re so popular with our teen view ers — everyone loves a Cinderella story, right?”
“I guess,” I said, glancing over to see if Tanner was finished yet. She followed my eyes and smiled conspiratorially.
“So now that we’re off the record,” she leaned in and lowered her voice. “Who’s the mystery girl?”
I looked at her, uncomprehending, and then looked back over at Tanner. “What girl?”
“Oh, not Tanner,” she grinned like it was the juiciest piece of gossip she’d heard all night. “The girl Blake brought.”
My breath stopped short. “Blake brought—” I swallowed, trying to recover some of my composure. “A date?”
She suddenly looked like she regretted telling me, and I thought I saw something sincere in her expression. “Yeah — the girl over there? In black?” She cocked her head across the room, gesturing to where we’d come in. There were several dozen other journalists, publicists and handlers between us and the door, making the room so crowded that I could hardly see.
Finally, I spotted Blake at the end of the red carpet.
I’d never had a heart attack, but I knew the symptoms. First your arms go numb, then it feels like a pickup truck is parked on your chest.
At that moment, I felt them all, like a ton of bricks hitting me at once. L ike I couldn’t even breathe.
Like Blake had finally succeeded in completely breaking my heart.
Blake was standing at the edge of the red carpet, maybe fifty feet away from me. He was facing a camera, his body turned partially away from me, but he was unmistakable.
And he had his arm around another girl.
I could see him talking to the interviewer, looking relaxed and happy, gesturing with one hand while the other rested around the
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