Page 74 of Fangirl
Ahead, the double doors are wide open, spilling a golden light into the hallway.
Beyond them, a mass of people. A blur of sleek suits, sparkling gowns, and servers balancing champagne flutes on silver trays. Voices overlap—excited chatter, industry small talk, the kind of polished, effortless conversation that only comes with knowing you belong.
I don’t.
At least, not in the way they do.
I slow as I approach the doors, pressing myself against the wall for a second. I just need a moment.
Breathe.
I pull out my phone, my fingers hovering over the screen as I type a message to Eli.
And then?—
“Hi, Fangirl, it’s so good to finally see you. You’re beautiful.”
The words slide through the open doorway, warm and teasing. Eli’s voice.
Relief crashes over me like a wave. A laugh bubbles in my throat, my pulse fluttering in anticipation as I lift my gaze?—
And then my world tilts.
Because the man standing there… isn’t Eli. It’sJake Hollander.
I don’t understand.
I don’tunderstand.
My lungs seize as I take in the man standing before me—taller than I expected, broader, and familiar in ways that shouldn’t make sense. His eyes, those ridiculous lashes, that crooked, nervous smile. A jolt runs through me—recognition and betrayal colliding like thunder and lightning in my chest.
The scent of him hits next, warm cedar and citrus, and I hate that I even notice. That some part of me still catalogs it.
My lips part, but no words come. My body goes cold, a shivering ice that seeps into my bones as I scan the room, my mind scrambling, begging for an answer that makes sense.Where’s Eli?
He wouldn’t do this to me. He wouldn’t?—
I take a step forward, my voice coming out hoarse, barely above a whisper.
“Where is he?”
Jake’s expression flickers. “Amy?—”
No.No!
I shake my head violently, my breath coming too fast. “No. Don’t. Don’t?—”
I force my voice louder, my panic clawing its way up my throat.
“Let me see my Eli. Please.”
Silence.
His hand lifts, reaching hesitantly toward me, but I flinch back, like I'd been struck.
He swallows as his hand falls uselessly to his side, his face crumpling with a grief I can't bear to look at.
I stumble back, my entire body revolting against the truth.
