Page 76 of Crossing Lines

Stella: Right? The photos say everything she’s not.

Since the arcade night, Elodie and Aria keep sending photos to the group chat that they took of Evren and me playing Pac Man. Even I can see the spark between us, and I’ve zoomed in on Evren’s expression more than once since they’ve sent them. It’s in the way he looks at me with a mixture of softness, intensity, and happiness that solidifies how I feel about him. But I haven’t talked about it with my friends yet. I’m not really sure why, maybe because I didn’t believe it was real?

My phone rings, and I glance at it. Mom. Ugh, it’s like she has a sixth sense that today’s important to me. I hit ignore and silence everything before adjusting the dress forms for the millionth time, needing to focus on the upcoming presentation. Even if I’m nervous, I know that my designs are solid.

Redoing the entire line meant revamping over fifty different pieces from game-day wear to lounge wear to everyday wear. The everyday wear was the most fun to create, and the one that needed the most help. It’s what I’m focusing on for today’s presentation in order to win over Glam Pop.

Zeki and Evren helped weave Glam Pop’s mission statements into my presentation, so that they will hopefully see how the brands align with the new line.

Evren opens the conference room door and strides inside with all the confidence in the world. He grins and winks at me, and I’m so relieved he’s here and that I’m not alone right now. Everything will be all right with him by my side.

Zeki walks in next, wearing a large grin and chatting away with who I’m assuming is Ben, Mick’s son. Ben’s a little younger than me and apparently is the brains behind Glam Pop, or at least that’s what Zeki and Evren have told me.

Mick is the last to enter, and when I see him, my world tilts to the side.

Standing before me isn’t Mick, but Miguel.

My father.

The room spins and my vision blurs as a cold sweat breaks out all over my body. No matter how many times I blink, it doesn’t change the fact that Miguel is standing right here in this room, that we’re sharing the same air for the first time in my life. He’s also the man Evren’s trying to impress, whoI’msupposed to impress, with this stupid presentation.

Memories from my childhood assault me the longer I stare at Miguel. The overwhelming feeling of being alone, unwanted. Mom continuously lost in her pills while hunger pains were my constant companion. The kids teasing me for not having a dad, their laughter like daggers piercing my heart. My stupid dream that one day Miguel would find me and save me from the hell that was my life. And every day that didn’t happen, a piece of me died until there was nothing left but the cold, hard reality that he really did abandon me, that he really didn’t care.

And now he’s here with his son, the son he has no hesitation in claiming as his own while I was left to rot in a trailer.

A surge of anger and resentment bubbles inside me,a toxic cocktail that threatens to consume me.I clench my fists and grit my teeth,fighting the urge to either lash out or sob uncontrollably or both.

Before I can figure out which one I should go with, Mick laughs at something Ben says, wearing a genuine smile, one full of love. A wave of nausea hits me, so unexpected and intense, I clutch my stomach. My world spins yet again, and a vise closes around my lungs. My breathsspeed up, but I can’t get enough oxygen inside for it to count.

“Nina?” Evren’s in front of me in a blink, grabbing my shoulders. “Are you okay?”

My gaze finds his for a split second, trying to convey everything that’s happening with just my look, until I push past him and out the door, bending over with my hands on my thighs, trying desperately to drag in a breath.

I don’t think I can do this. I can’t present my designs in front of my father. Mick didn’t seem to recognize me while Zeki gave him water. That might be the thing that hurts the worst. All the hopes I had when I was a child that he was keeping tabs on me bursts into pieces. And it makes me want to pick up one of those pieces, walk back into the room, and hurt Mick. Hurt him as much as his absence has hurt me my entire life.

“Nina, what’s wrong?” Evren asks, crouching in front of me.

“I hate that man in there.” My voice shakes as much as my body does in my fury. “And I hate everything he stands for.”

Evren’s eyebrows rise. “Who? Ben or Mick?”

“Mick.” I spit his name.

“You know him?”

I laugh, and it’s unhinged.

“Do I know him?” I can’t stop laughing at that, and soon tears join in the party. Confusion lines Evren’s face, but I can’t stop. And soon my laughs turn into a sob, but Ican’t fall apart here, with my father just steps away. Stuffing it all down, I reach for the numbness that helped me through my entire life.

I need to pull myself together, and then? I don’t know. I can’t go back in there and continue with the plan as if nothing is wrong. I might’ve judged Evren too harshly when I first met him, assuming he was like my father, and resisting his offer of the franchise deal. But my father? I haven’t misjudged him at all. He’s cruel to have relinquished all his rights before anyone could question it. He’s never cared about me,never even bothered to try.But apparently, he cares about Ben, his son, my brother.

Presenting in front of Miguel is out of the question, for so many reasons. The least of which is the worry that if I try my best and he still doesn’t sign on, it’d be my fault and I refuse to be rejected by him all over again. But the main reason is that if I walk back into that room, I know I’ll purposely ruin this pitch. And if I do that, Evren will suffer the consequences. That’s something I would never do to him.

I care about Evren enough to let him have this part of me, to allow Ben and Mick to make money off me and my designs. Evren gives and gives and gives to everyone, never expecting anything in return. Even if he doesn’t see it now, he’ll eventually understand that me walking away right now is for the best.

Zeki steps into the hallway and frowns when he sees us. “They’re waiting for us.”

“Right.” Evren looks from Zeki to me and back again. “We’ll be there in a minute.”

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