Page 33 of Say It Isn't So

My stomach churned. Everything started to move in slow motion.

The breakup had been as emotionless and dead as our love life had been since we’d moved to New York. It had been on life support and I’d tried saving it, but Rina had pulled the plug, not caring who she hurt in the process.

I closed my eyes, certain they were deceiving me. But once I reopened them, I knew without a doubt that this was actually happening.

I mean, I knew there was a possibility, but standing before me, blowing kisses to the audience was none other than a redhead masquerading as the girl from Minnesota I had grown up with and once loved, Rina Blum—sorry, Levana.

Chapter Ten

Knox

Once the showwas officially over, everyone started getting up and exiting the venue, but Bianca and I stayed behind.

“Maybe we said her name too many times,” I whispered, thinking back to when Bianca thought Rina Levana might’ve been the same Rina we knew.

Bianca clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Knox!” she admonished. “This isn’t a horror movie. That’s not how it works.”

“Are you sure it’s not a horror movie? You didn’t see the breakup unfold.” I ran a hand through my hair and exhaled. “I just can’t believe it. You know, I tried getting an appointment with her, but her press team said she was busy and didn’t have time to squeeze another appointment in.” I shook my head, frustrated. “I bet when she knew it was me, she refused to see me.” That’d be just like her. Not that I could blame her—who wanted to see their ex?

Bianca gave me a fiery look. “Well, I did get one. In fact, we’re having dinner and drinks tonight to talk.”

A sit-down dinner with a designer was the epitome oflet’s-schmooze-so-I-can-get-you-to-hand-over-your-money. Yes, yes, I know, us advertising people were worse than a dog with a bone. But we were a step up from car salesmen, right? That was something.

Bianca shifted her hair from one side to the other, looking around at the practically empty venue now. “We should get going,” I said what I was sure was on her mind, too.

“Agreed.” She placed her purse under her arm. “I don’t have to get to the next show for another thirty minutes. Do you want to walk me there, clear your head? It’s not far and I can ditch my driver for this one.”

I shoved my hands in my pockets. “I’ll be okay. You don’t have to do that. You don’t have to worry about me.”

She arched a brow. “I know, but you’re my friend.” Then she questioned, “Unless you don’t want me to walk with you.”

What I wanted was for my past to not quite literally collide with my present in such a short period of time. And yet here we were. Seeing Bianca at the airport was a nice surprise, but running into Rina? Well, that was a whole other story. Loving Rina had been a tragedy. And yes, I was going to be ridiculous for a second because the best way for me to describe it? Loving her came with a price.

And I’d paid dearly.

It took me a long time to see things clearly.

Like the way she’d never cared about me, treating me like I had been some fool. She’d said when we went to New York that it would be for the both of us to have a fresh start. It would be our chance to better ourselves. But what she’d really meant was that it washerchance and, come to find out, she’d drop me at her first opportunity.

As we walked, Bianca nudged my arm, breaking me from my reverie. “Thinking about her?”

How could I not?I pulled on the back of my neck. “That obvious?”

She grinned and held a finger up to my face. “Your jaw ticks when you’re deep in thought,” she said, pausing. Then she added, “And when you’re annoyed, usually when you’re caught off guard. Some things have changed, but not everything.”

“I wish I wasn’t thinking about her. I wish I could just forget about her.” But it wasn’t that easy. How could you forget about someone who acted like everything you’d shared with them meant nothing? Likeyouhad meant nothing to them?

She put a voice to my thoughts. “But you can’t because she hurt you.”

Yes, she’d hurt me, but it was a long time ago and I hadn’t given it a second thought, hadn’t even considered it or her until now. Until Rina stood in front of me in the crowded space totally unaware that I was in the audience. “I’m over it, though. I’m over her.”

“I know,” she replied simply. “And she doesn’t deserve to live rent-free in your head.”

I looked over at her and stared into her eyes, the brown practically glowing in the sun. Usually she wore huge sunglasses that covered them, but not now.

As though trying to change the topic slightly, she said, “While we’re talking about Rina, that show. . . .” Her eyes widened. “That was a stunner, wasn’t it? She certainly did make her dreams come true and she didn’t waste any time, either. I mean, all that in just two years, I can hardly believe it.”

“Yeah, well, that’s Rina for you.”

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