Page 92 of The Publicity Stunt

Kace runs after her and grabs her hand, turning her around. "Don't go."

"Really?"

"I'm just... I think I'm in shock. And I seem to say stupid shit when I'm in shock. That's not how I meant it to come out."

"I'm sorry you lost."

His father walks up to them, a wide smile on his face. "I'm going to head to the hotel, and I'll talk to you both tomorrow."

"Bye, Dad," Kace says and pulls her into the locker room.

The room smells marginally better than she expected, but not by much. Sweaty equipment and men with a hint of disinfectant cleaner. She's never been inside a real locker room before, but she doesn't have a chance to take in the atmosphere because he beelines it for an office. Shutting the door, his hand releases hers, his eyes staring hard at her.

Looking around the room, she suddenly feels out of place. It feels taboo being in a men's locker room. "Am I allowed in here?"

"Why are you here, Bri?"

"Because your dad came to talk to me a week ago."

A crease forms between his eyebrows, and it makes her more confident in her decision, knowing he had no inkling what happened. "What?"

"He brought me a Christmas present someone bought for me," she says and pulls the sapphire out from under the neckline of her sweater. "Told me you brought it with you for Christmas, hoping I'd show up to talk."

"You don't hate me anymore?"

"I never hated you, Kace. I wished I did. And, believe me, I tried, but I couldn't. I was just hurt. Really hurt. And really confused."

His hand runs through his damp hair, and he lets out a deep breath. "I never should have said anything to Brett about how it all started with us. That was such a stupid move."

"No, it wasn't. I told Tessa. It was weird how it all happened. I honestly questioned Nia's sanity when we left that lunch when they proposed it to us. I do wish, though, that you would've told Brett it wasn't fake anymore. If that's how you felt about it."

"Do you really question that? That it wasn't real for me?"

Her stomach flips. "Sometimes. We discussed it, but when you didn't tell Brett, it's really hard not to feel like there was this elaborate lie happening. You got a lot of really good attention, your jersey sales were the most sold in the nation, and then you told me you still had the engagement ring you bought for Sasha... it all fit in this perfect little box. A box I hate, for the record."

"It was never about the attention," he says and shakes his head. "I thought we'd gotten to know each other enough where you'd know I wouldn't lie about how I feel. When I said it was real, I meant it. It was the most real thing in my world. It still is."

"Then why didn't you tell Brett?" Bri asks. "I've been driving myself crazy not knowing why you'd tell him it was fake but never followed up. I know you were trying to figure out how you felt about Sasha, and the fact you admitted you still have the ring felt like a gut punch, but why didn't you tell him when you figured it out? Because I told Tessa."

"Did you tell her we slept together?"

Flushing, she laughs. "Oh, I told her. And your friends, which I assumed they already knew. Turns out, they didn't."

"My friends?"

"Rudy and Brett. They surprised me backstage after my first concert of the year. It was... it was a whole thing."

Kace stares at her. "You told them we slept together?"

"It kind of just came out. I don't really know how to explain it, but yeah."

"And Tessa knows?"

"She found out on our way to your place for Thanksgiving. I was kind of... I was freaking out. She started asking questions about us, and it all just came out. And it felt really good to be the one with stories instead of just listening to hers. But she only got a few details. Your friends got no details."

"Details?" His eyebrows raise, and he looks almost amused.

"She just asked a few questions. Like if being with you was better than Easton."

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