Page 89 of Without Fault

“Yes,” Jess agrees, and I walk out just as the beat drops. I should be at the end of the stage posing right now, and smoke appears at the spot I should be standing, but as if it was meant to go this way, everyone cheers as I walk down the stage.

I go off script since I’m already a few counts late. I stop in the middle of the stage and turn to the left. Some people are recording, and I give them a show before turning to the right and breaking the stone face I had the entire show, the glare everyone had. I smile.

I smile the rest of the show, and when people look shocked, I remember Vincent Moore’s models don’t smile, but it’s too late, so I work it. If Mr. Moore is going to kill me, I may as well go out with a smile literally on my face.

After giving the middle of the audience my attention, I continue down the stage. When I make it to the end, I don’t even glance at the man who might kill me, and my smile doesn’t falter.

I pose at the end, and when I glance down at the sleeve of my jacket, I notice the model who wore it earlier didn’t pull off the top layer. I pull the sleeve and the jacket is a completely different color. Everyone claps as I drop the top jacket at my feet.

I walk back down the stage, and instead of stopping in the middle, I continue, but I turn right before I leave, pose once, and disappear.

I don’t only hear applause as I head backstage but cheering too, which is weird since it’s not the end of the show yet. The last few girls go out, and a few minutes later, they’re calling the designer on stage.

Everyone is mumbling things, and the room feels thicker as I change behind my curtain. Angie and Florence find me, and I guess someone told them what happened because they start reassuring me that it’s going to be okay, but I don’t think it will be.

It was a dream come true to model for Vincent not once but twice. I doubt he’ll be giving me a chance like this again after what just happened, and it wasn’t even my fault. I shake my head to myself as I slip my after-party dress on although I amsodrained, I’ll be going to my hotel room the minute Vincent is done yelling at me. I sit backstage as he thanks everyone and as he says goodbye I close my eyes.

“Where’s Ms. Hale!”

I take a deep breath and tell myself to wait until I’m alone before I cry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to. When I open my eyes, I see Mr. Moore behind me in the mirror.

“What thehellwas that?”

“She had–”

He puts a hand up and cuts Angie off. I expect her to yell at him, but she doesn’t. No one says anything to help me, but I can’t blame them. I take a deep breath and turn to him.

“There was a problem with the last outfit.”

He says nothing.

“There was a tear on the side. It was my idea to add the jacket, and I take full responsibility for changing the look.”

Nothing at all.

I blink away the stinging in my eyes as I go on. “I was already a few counts late when I went on stage, so I went off script. I’m sorry, but I figured the show needed to go on and–” I decide to just shut up.

He watches me carefully and I have no idea what he’s thinking. “You decided to go over my head and break my one rule.” He looks around the room “What’s my one rule?”

“Don’t change the look,” all of the models say in sync.

“And you did.”

I feel my throat tightening, and I look down at my feet.

“And they loved you.”

My head snaps back up to him. “What?”

He lets out a scoff, but he doesn’t look mad… he looks happy, and I’m so confused.

“You changed the look. You smiled at a Moore show, and they gave you a standing ovation in the middle of the show.” He shakes his head andsmiles.

I look around the room, unsure if this is one of those crazy smiles people give before killing someone.

“You broke every rule in the book, but you’re Sage Loana. You’re a Hale, so you may as well have rewritten them.” He points at me. “Thisis what I like to see.” He looks around the room and claps.

I didn’t notice his team in here, but they clap with him.

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