Page 26 of How He Got the Girl
Again.
“Idon’tknowabouty’all, but I’m ready for some bonuts.”
The biscuit shop that the four of us girls go to every Sunday morning, when we’re free, makes the best biscuit donut holes. They’re covered in cinnamon sugar and come with a delicious berry compote for dipping. We only order them for breakups, breakdowns, or on my breaks from school.
Now that winter break is here, I can’t wait to dive into an order of them with my besties.
“Me too.” Shayna smiles with her entire face, even though it’s way too early in the morning to be that energetic without caffeine. “Let’s go.”
I slide into my Ugg dupes and open our front door. Immediately, I’m bombarded by a barrage of camera flashes and loud questions shouted in my direction.
“Veronica! Veronica, look over here!”
“Can you confirm the rumors that you’re dating Griffin Reynolds?”
“Veronica, what’s your statement regarding those claiming that you broke up Griffin and Brittany?”
I stand there stunned, unable to move or process what the heck is happening. Not only do the paparazzi knowmy name, but they found my address and are linking me withGriffin. I might’ve considered this lifestyle, living in the spotlight, after my first date with him. But that ship sailed long ago, yet I’m still being thrown overboard and dragged beneath the water’s surface, drowning in a sea of questions I want nothing to do with.
Kelsey steps around me and pushes me back inside before shutting the door and locking it. She presses her full weight against the door, as if her body acts as an extra barricade. “What was that about?”
“Why are they calling you Veronica?” Shayna shakes her head. “I mean, obviously I know that’s your legal first name, but how do thepaparazziknow that?”
“Why are they here?” Alyssa purses her lips. “We know you went on that hot chocolate date with Griffin, but that was years ago. Why are they suddenly interested in that now?”
I’m still internally freaking out that there is a whole swarm of paparazzi in front of our house, but my friends’ questions break me out of my stupor. “We should sit down. I have something to share.” My heart races as I shut the curtains over our front windows and double-check that the front door is locked, even though I watched Kelsey do it.
My besties move to the living room, assuming their usual spots. It’s uncommonly silent as they wait for me to talk.
“I wanted to tell y’all right away, but I needed time to process everything.” I take a deep breath, then blurt out, “I ran into Griffin yesterday.”
Shayna gasps. “Where?”
“Rise & Grind Café. And when I say ‘ran into Griffin,’ I mean that heliterallyran into me.”
“Oh, no.” Kelsey grimaces. “Please tell me he didn’t spill another hot drink on you.”
I nod. “He sure did.”
She narrows her eyes. “We ride at dawn.”
“As much as I like to think the worst of him, it wasn’t intentional. Plus, he bought me a replacement drink.” I shake my head, still trying to wrap my mind around my interaction with him yesterday. “But what are the odds it would happen twice?”
“Little to none.” Kelsey crosses her arms.
“Unless it’s fate.” Shayna tilts her head, always the optimist. A more naïve version of me thought the same thing before, but I know better now.
“Okay, so you ran into him yesterday.” Shayna runs her hands along her floral-print joggers. “But that doesn’t explain why the paparazzi are outside our house.”
Alyssa stares wide-eyed at her phone. “I think I know why.” She passes it to me, and I feel like I’m going to be sick. On the screen is a picture of me wrapped in Griffin’s arms at the coffee shop.
No wonder people think we’re dating. I’m not just wrapped in Griffin’s arms in the photo…he’s dipping me. It looks romantic and intimate, even though I know he was only catching me from falling on my butt. But from the angle the picture was taken, you can’t see my anger. All that’s visible is the lovestruck look on Griffin’s face.
If I didn’t know any better, I would say the two people in the photo were a couple in love.
But, obviously, I do know better.
There’s no love between us. Griffin can say all he wants about how he searched for me. If Griffin wanted to find me that badly, he would have. Besides, his answers in the interview he did with Kelly Parker are just further evidence that our date didn’t mean as much to him as it meant to me. So, no, this photo might tell one story, but I know the truth.
