Page 95 of Romance Is Dead

I watched her go, guilt eating into my stomach. Getting swept up in Teddy and the mystery might have cost me one of the people I loved the most. I had lied to her, and worse, I hadn’t been there for her when she needed me. When she’d always been there for me. But I told myself that once we got back home, I could explain and everything would go back to normal. Once she understood why I couldn’t be honest—that I was trying to protect her—she would forgive me.

Wouldn’t she?

As I continued to wait, I distracted myself by scrolling through the usual tabloid sites. I supposed that now there was no point in staying up to date with industry gossip, but old habits and all. I was about to put my phone away when I came across a story that made me freeze. It was an article from TMZ with the headline “Scream Queen Quinn Prescott Cozies Up with Reality Hunk Co-star.”

Trembling, I clicked it open. There at the top was a dark photo of me and Teddy at the baseball field, me straddling him as we made out in the grass. Someone had hidden nearby, spying, and taken a fucking picture. Next to it was another snapshot, this one with me smiling as Teddy stared at me adoringly. I recognized it instantly.

It was the selfie that Teddy had taken of us in the baseball field.

I’m pretty sure I blacked out, my rage bending the physics of time and memory, because the next thing I remember, I was stomping back into Teddy’s room and throwing my phone at the back of his head. It missed, crashing into the wall instead and falling behind the nightstand.

“What the hell?” He lifted his head, a crease from the pillow leaving a red streak across one cheek.

“Read it.”

“Your phone?”

“Yes.” My voice was clipped. “Read it.”

Stretching out an arm, he fished it out from behind the stand. He pressed the power button and looked up blankly. “I need your password.”

Ugh. I reached over and tapped it in before once again retreating away to a safe distance, crossing my arms over my chest. I waited for the screen to turn on and for its contents to register.

Teddy’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit.”

“What the fuck, Teddy? Why would you do this?” All the things he’d said, last night and this morning, scrolled through my head like ticker tape. All lines, all things he’d known would make me trust him. And I’d swallowed them down like a sucker, while all along he was just trying to boost his career. Willing to sell us out for more fame and a couple extra bucks.

“I told you how much I hate being scrutinized in the tabloids, how all I wanted was to be done with this entire God-forsaken industry, and you still did this.”

“Wait, you think I sent them the photo?” He sat up, crawling out from under the sheets. “You think I did this?”

“Who the hell else could? It was on your phone! And did you call up your paparazzi friends to let them know we’d be at the field? Is that why you kissed me?”

“What? No! Even if I knew any paparazzi, I doubt they’d just be hanging around rural Virginia.”

“What about the selfie?” I tipped my chin up defiantly.

“I did not send that photo to anyone, I swear. Let alone to some pathetic gossip website.”

“Why should I believe that? You didn’t mind when they published those pictures of you and all those models.” I knew it was a low blow as soon as I said it. But I couldn’t take it back once it left my mouth, and it wasn’t a lie anyway.

“Wow.” He ran a hand down his jaw. “That’s what you think of me, huh?”

“Who else could have done it? I’m willing to believe you didn’t have anything to do with the first photo, but I’d love to hear about this magic technology that lets people summon pictures from your phone like magic.”

Teddy sat up, eyes darting like he was running through the possibilities. “I honestly don’t know. My photos don’t automatically upload anywhere else—it all lives on my phone.”

I laughed. “So you’re not even going to pretend you were hacked? You’re not exactly helping your case, you know.”

“No, because I’m not going to lie to you.” He shrugged helplessly. “I didn’t do it.”

Tears burned in my eyes. I’d been so stupid. I’d known this whole time, had told myself on day one of this production, that I couldn’t get involved with anyone. Anyone, but especially not Teddy. Guys like Teddy are only out for themselves. To promote themselves, to do anything for more fame. They use people when they’re useful and throw them away later.

I’d known it was a bad idea, and I’d done it anyway.

“Look at me,” Teddy said. “I told you last night how much you meant to me. Why the fuck would I ruin that to make a few bucks from the fucking paparazzi?” He ran a hand through his hair, that curl in the front flopping over his forehead, and my heart ached with such force I could have collapsed. But I didn’t. I locked my knees, holding my ground.

“Are you planning to be onLove by the Stars?” I jutted my chin toward the ceiling.

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