Page 68 of Wishing for La Luna
“Yeah,” I reply.
She smiles. “You two…”
My chest squeezes because her thoughts are written all over her face. Just like mine, too. “I…I think so. I don’t know what he thinks.”
“Girl…” she says and outright laughs. “There’s nothing more certain than what he thinks. It’s all over your faces.”
Is it really over his face? I don’t know…
But he’s shown you.
“I’m not going to assume.”
She nods. “I get it. You need the words, and that’s fine. As your publicist, this is both a dream and a panic attack.”
“Does this always happen?”
Her hand waves from side to side. “No. Mostly it’s purely transactional. Sometimes people get confused because the lines are blurred. I don’t think this is the case. I think he’s been attracted to you for a long time. You were too.”
“It was the Adina thing. I couldn’t…”
“I would never touch fire for a client, because I’ve been burned so many times. Fucking Mateo.” She rolls her eyes. “But if there were a moment where I would for Rio, to say he never hit on Adina. He doesn’t lie. Even when he fucks up, he comes clean. She was after him. That’s why her mother wanted me to set them up together, but I wasn’t going to hand that grieving man into Bethany Belmont’s web.”
My mouth falls open. I want to shake my head, but the shock renders me still. “Adina couldn’t have known. She would have told me.”
“No, she wouldn’t, Luna. This is the type of thing that requires an NDA, which they had your mom sign, but not you, after you became of legal age.”
“I wouldn’t have. What kind of friendship requires an NDA?”
She points her hands. “They’re vultures. You were there so she could copy your style and use you. That’s what they do. Remember when you were interning for me, and I told you the things you needed to keep to yourself like details for negotiation and who you’re interviewing with?”
I nod. “And I did.”
“Oh, I know. If you had not, you wouldn’t have gotten the Elevate job, because they would have stepped in front of you. It’s what happened with Bonita. She made a call to them.”
The floor almost gives way beneath me. Bonita Global was one of my dream companies. It promotes a clean lifestyle, and its practices are humane, helping to build small communities in third-world countries. After the interview, and out of pure excitement, I shared with Adina and her mom that I had done a great job. I expected the offer. It never came and that devastated me.
They cut me at the knee and the sting of their betrayal threatens to cave my body.
“Why would they do that to me? I never hurt them in any way.”
Maeven shrugs. “Except, you did a lot. You have all this potential, qualities, and abilities Adina doesn’t. She won’t ever apply herself. Part of that is a testament to you, but the other part is that you were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Your mom worked like crazy for you and taught you to do the same. Shit, you make your own clothes. Beautiful things too.”
Someone brings us the feature drink of the night. I look at it and place it on the holder.
She points her chin at it. “You can drink it. We don’t have people doing fuck-shit here.”
“I’m just…I can’t believe this. How could Adina do this to me?”
“Jealousy. Envy. That’s why we’re building you back. You always had great things going.” She tilts her head to the stage. “When we accomplish that, you need to stand firm and not make the girlie mistakes we all do. Trust only those who have shown they stand behind you one hundred percent and are not threatened by who you are or what you attract. Don’t compromise your career for anyone. If someone loves you, they’ll find a way to support you without being jealous or crazy because you’re winning.”
Before I can reply or thank her, the lights drop and, along with them, so does my heart. A crowd of twenty-five thousand people begin screaming his name.
“Rio. Rio. Rio.” Chants rev the air.
As if triggered by the fans, his name made of thousands of lightbulbs, shines on the stage.
Maeven’s hand latches onto mine. Her fingers are cold.
