Page 94 of Believe it or Knot

I nod to myself once and carefully pat at my cheeks to dry the tears from them, trying not to smear my makeup, but I’m unsuccessful. Which means I need to move now, so I can get touched up before it’s time to go in front of the camera.

I don’t want to. I really don’t want to. It was bad enough before my argument with Gage, but now? Now I’m devastated and tear soaked and heartbroken, and the idea of sitting in front of a camera and pretending to be happy and excited is… painful.

Not that I’m not happy and excited, I am. I’m beyond ecstatic that we’re taking this step, that the Cordova pack wants me enough to announce it to the world. I’m just not in the right frame of mind at the moment.

But it doesn’t matter.

It needs to be done and so I will do it.

I smile at myself in the mirror. It’s shaky and tremulous and not at all convincing.

So I stand there for a few minutes, stretching my lips, plumping my cheeks until it looks more natural, even if it feels fake.

Once that’s done, I toss the paper towel and leave the restroom, not giving myself a chance to second guess this. They want me and I want them. If Gage can’t see that… I cut off the thought as more tears threaten.

Now is not the time.

I let out a breath when I find Gray lingering in the hall outside the doors that lead to the studio where I was told the interview would take place.

“Where’s Liam and Rafe?” I ask, coming to a stop next to Grayson. I expect him to ask about the tears on my face, my red puffy eyes. But he doesn’t, he just stares at me stonily.

“I’m sorry about that,” I say, swiping at my cheeks. “Gage- Um…. nevermind. I think I’m going to need a touch up on my makeup.” I look around for the makeup artist who was so nice to me, and eased my worries, but I don’t see her. In fact, I don’t see anyone except the camera guy who is packing up his equipment. My brow furrows, even as a flicker of relief moves through me. As much as I want to announce my relationship with the Cordova pack to the world, I don’t think I’m in the right frame of mind for it.

Still, I thought this was happening today. It’s not normal for Liam to cancel an interview.

“Gray, is everything okay?” I look up at him uncertainly. “Are we not… Are we not doing the announcement today?”

“You know,” Grayson finally says, his voice hard. “I have to commend you. I’m just really fucking glad this happened now. Before anything permanent happened.”

I blink at him, not sure what the hell he’s talking about. I don’t know why he’s not holding me, giving me the comfort I crave right now, but after the fight with Gage, it’s almost too much.

“What are you talking about?” I choke out, folding my arms around my waist in a mimicry of the hug I want from him.

“You really had us fooled.” I flinch at the acid in his voice, the loathing.

“Fooled?” My brow wrinkles as I try to figure out what he’s talking about. Is he upset I didn’t tell him about being the singer Liam was looking for? I didn’t think it really mattered all that much. Not for him to have this kind of reaction. Maybe I hurt his feelings by not trusting him with it? That’s easily remedied though, I can apologize and explain.

I shake my head. “It was stupid, I know. I just didn’t want you to think I was using you-”

“So you admit it,” he snarls.

I frown, tears filling my eyes again. “Admit what?” He just stares at me for a moment, then he shakes his head, thrusting his phone at me.

“Your mic is on,” is all he says, emotionlessly.

I still don’t understand, other than that whoever is listening to the recording likely heard my fight with Gage, but that doesn’t explain this chilly reception I’m getting. How he’s blocked me out.

My fingers tighten on his phone. “Why are you acting like this? What did I do?” My voice comes out small, so fucking small. I don’t have the strength to be louder. I used it all up with Gage.

With a snarl, he hits the screen of his phone, and my voice flows from it. My voice saying things I never actually said. Bits and pieces of my fight with Gage, broken down and rearranged into me all but admitting that I’m only with them for the fame and prestige, just like Gage accused me. There’s none of the rebuttal, none of me telling my best friend that I need them, that I love them, that I don’t give a shit about what they can give me or do for me, beyond themselves. They are all I need. Not their fame or fortune.

“I don’t really care about them,” my voice says, sounding strange through the phone speaker. “I only want what they can give me. I’m only here for the money.” I can hear the question mark at the end of each of the sentences, but Gray apparently can’t.

Someone did this, sent it to him from an unlisted number and he believed it. No, they believed it. So easily, so readily.

I thought they knew me. I thought they were falling in love with me like I’ve already fallen in love with them. But that can’t be the case if they’d so easily believe this bullshit.

Rafe and Liam are gone. I’m guessing Gray made Rafe hustle Liam out of here real quick after they received the message. Didn’t want to risk me manipulating their omega into believing my innocence.

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