Page 29 of The Publicity Stunt

"If this ever happens again, come to me before it gets this bad. Before you're on the verge of a total breakdown."

Her lip quivers. "I'll pay you back. I swear, Bri. Just tell me what you need me to do-"

"What I need you to do is let me get Snickers here with us, and he'll be our touring cat. You'll hang with me on the tour and nurse your broken heart. And maybe tutor me a bit on the subject of hockey because I'm still just a little lost."

"Bri-"

"That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

Tears stream down her face, and she jumps into Bri's arms. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

Pulling back, Tessa wipes her eyes. "Okay, I need a distraction from me and my world. Tell me everything that's going on with Kace. I saw that kiss at the awards show. How was it?"

Bri sighs and sinks back into the couch. "It was amazing. It sounds silly, but I like who I am when I'm with him. How he makes me feel. And it kills me we haven't ripped each other's clothes off yet because I have a feeling he's really, really good at making a woman scream in pure ecstasy."

"Bri!" she says and gasps. "You never talk like that. Even after Easton took your V card."

"Kace told me that Easton's lack of skills in the bedroom is the reason I never fell in love with him. How did he put it? I don't remember exactly, but basically, he said if a man can give it to her good enough, they both fall in love."

Tessa's jaw drops. "You've talked about sex?"

"We've talked about so much. I met his ex. She wants to be my best friend, and I put her in her place. I swear, I have a Tessa channel in my brain I turn to when I need it."

"You were still probably ten times nicer than I would have been. But bitch needs to back off because you already have a best friend."

"Damn right I do," she says with a smirk. "He talked me into going to the awards show when I was hiding."

She giggles. "Under the dressing table?"

"Shut up," she says and laughs. "And then, on the red carpet, Easton and Johanna ended up right behind us. I'm starting to think someone's planning this. Anyway, Kace blocked me from cameras when Johanna asked if we could take a picture together and told me my face was giving me away. Then he turned her down for the picture."

"She... wow, she has balls."

"She's as delusional as Sasha. That's Kace's ex. The kiss was accidental because we'd already talked about not crossing that line, but my God, it was even better than I thought it would be."

Her finger lifts into the air. "Wait, you talked about not crossing that line? What line?"

"We had a moment in the hotel room when I didn't want to go. He told me the only thing that would look better would be my dress on the floor in the morning light."

"Shut up! He did? And you didn't just immediately jump his bones? Because I would have."

"Well, we were running late for the show because of all sorts of things, but I asked him if he was still in love with Sasha. He doesn't know, and until he knows, we decided to keep things fake. But I don't think it's fake for me anymore, Tee. All I think about is him."

"You're falling for him, aren't you?"

Closing her eyes, she leans her head back to rest on the back of the couch. "Yes. And this is more than anything I've ever experienced before. I mean, I've had many crushes. You know that. But this is more than a crush. It scares me, though, because he's so much more experienced."

"You're worried about how you'll compare."

"A little, yeah. I mean, I can be Bri Waters, international superstar on stage, but offstage, I'm just Brianna."

"Don't worry about that. He's going to realize he's not in love with her, and he's going to be panting for you. I believe that."

"He was going to propose to her at the concert he came to," Bri says. "Don't say anything to him, though. I don't think anyone else knows, but it's not just another relationship."

She nods. "Understood. We're probably just about done with the second period. Should we watch your boy on TV?"

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