“I’m glad you’re having fun, Savannah,” he said, and Rebecca reached over to hold his hand. “I know everything hasn’t been as smooth as you and your sisters would have liked with us getting to know each other, and a lot of that is my fault, but I hope you believe that I only want things between us to get better from here.”
“I know that,” Savannah said, giddy after everything that had happened tonight. “And I’m sure my sisters will, too. But can you guys believe that One Connection Tweeted about my cover of their song? You didn’t force them to do that, did you?”
“We didn’t tell them about your video or ask them to share it online—they must have found it on their own,” Adrian said.
“Really?” She squealed and jumped up and down again. “So they really loved it?”
“They really did,” Rebecca said.
“Wow.” So much energy rushed through her body that she thought she might explode. “Damien’s going to be so excited for me—I have to find him and tell him!”
Everywhere Savannah went, people stopped her to chat, so it took forever to get anywhere. Finally, she spotted Damien in one of the back booths…with Evie practically on top of him. Her hand rested on his arm, their faces inches apart. She whispered something to him, and he laughed as if it were the funniest thing he’d ever heard.
Savannah’s pulse sped up, and she clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. How could they do this to her? Sure, Damien might only see her as a friend, but Evie knew about her feelings for him. She’d promised yesterday she wouldn’t go for him. Why would she betray her like this?
Savannah marched to their table, fire pounding through her veins.
Damien’s eyes met hers, and he pulled his arm away from Evie, as if he knew Savannah would be upset by his flirting with her best friend. “Hey, Savannah,” he said when she approached. “Can you believe One Connection was here? This is going to be so awesome for your channel.”
“Yeah, it will be.” She crossed her arms and glared at them. “I wanted to tell you something, but since you’re having so much fun together, I guess I’ll wait until later.”
Or never.
“We were just talking.” Evie shrugged and pushed her hair behind her ears. She looked at Damien to back her up, but he didn’t notice, because his eyes were locked on Savannah’s.
“Evie?” Damien said softly. “Would you mind giving Savannah and I a few minutes to ourselves?”
“Sure.” Evie stood up and adjusted her dress, pulling the neckline as low as possible. “I wanted to check out the chocolate fountain, anyway.”
Savannah wanted to reach out and strangle her, and she took a few breaths to calm down. “I wanted to try the desserts, too,” she said, even though she wasn’t sure she could eat one more bite. “I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”
“Sure.” Evie ducked her head and hurried to the dessert buffet.
“Want to sit?” Damien motioned to the spot next to him—the place that had just been vacated by Evie.
“Only because these shoes are giving me blisters.” She took the seat, leaving a gap between them.
“So,” he said, his dark eyes watching her intently. “What were you coming over to tell me?”
“Nothing important enough to break up the fun you were having with Evie.” She knew she was pouting, but she didn’t care. This was her party. Evie shouldn’t have flirted with Damien knowing Savannah liked him. She must not have given up on her plan to lose her virginity to Damien, after all.
“I think you’re taking this the wrong way,” he said steadily. “I know you’ve been busy all night with everyone wanting to talk to you and with the cameras following you around, so I don’t blame you for not noticing, but Evie’s been having a rough time tonight. She doesn’t know anyone, and she looked uncomfortable and lost—like how you looked when you walked into Myst on the Fourth of July.”
“I never felt ‘uncomfortable and lost,’” Savannah said. But thinking back on it, she knew that wasn’t true. When she’d first arrived in Vegas, she’d felt like an imposter, like everyone expected her to be someone she wasn’t. She still felt like that sometimes. As if the person she used to be—the wide-eyed, insecure girl who hid behind her assertive best friend—would resurface at any moment. “Well, maybe it took me some time to adjust. But Evie’s not like that at all. She’s the most confident person I know.”
“I’m sure that back in California, where she knows everyone, that’s true,” Damien said. “But she was sitting here by herself, looking like she was about to cry. So because she’s your best friend, and I know you wouldn’t want her sitting miserably in a corner, I came over to see if she was okay. She said she was fine and just needed a break, but it didn’t look like that to me, so I chatted with her to keep her mind off whatever was bothering her. Then she started flirting with me. I was going to let her down easy, but you spotted us before I had a chance.”
“So…you’re not interested in Evie?” Savannah asked hopefully.
“Not romantically,” he said. “I only wanted to help her because I know how important she is to you.”
“Oh.” Savannah’s eyes locked on Damien’s, and her heart raced.
“Anyway, what was it you wanted to tell me?”
“Right…that.” They’d gotten so off-topic that Savannah had nearly forgotten why she’d come over. “I found out that One Connection wasn’t asked by Adrian to Tweet about my cover—they did it on their own. How crazy is that?”
“It would be crazy for them not to see how talented you are.” Damien smiled, which sent her stomach fluttering in a million directions. “Did you know they have over fifteen million followers on their Twitter? And they also each Tweeted about you from their personal accounts, so you’ve reached even more people.”
“Wow,” Savannah said, unable to wrap her mind around how many people might have seen their posts. “This is insane.”
“Before I came over here to check on Evie, I looked up your YouTube subscriber count,” he continued. “It was ten times what it was before they Tweeted about you. You’re into the hundred thousands, and I bet it’s higher now. Your Twitter and Facebook pages are blowing up, too. This could make you famous, Savannah.”
“I still can’t believe it.” She glanced at the stage where the magic had happened moments before. “And this is all thanks to you. Without your help, I never would have gone to the recording studio at school, gathered together a band and made more professional videos. I had no idea what I was doing with that stuff. You really helped me get my name out there.”
“And I’ve got more ideas after tonight,” he said. “That is, if someone as famous as you is still willing to take advice from me.”
“Of course I am!” she said.
He leaned closer, and Savannah’s breath caught at the possibility that he might kiss her. But instead, he brushed a piece of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear.
So much for hoping he might see her as more than a friend.
“We’ll sit down soon and talk about ideas,” he said, his eyes not breaking contact with hers. “But for now, Evie’s standing by herself at the dessert bar, watching us. Maybe you should talk to her?”
“Right.” Savannah looked to the dessert area, and sure enough, Evie was alone, staring at them. She turned away, but not soon enough that Savannah didn’t catch the terribly sad look in her eyes. “I’ll see you later?”
“Count on it.” He squeezed her hand, and tingles shot up her arm. Her skin felt warm where he’d touched her, and she tried not to think too much of it as she hurried to meet Evie. She took a deep breath, and the delicious smell of sweets filled her nose, as if she’d stepped inside Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Her mouth watered, and she was tempted to have another chocolate-covered strawberry, even though she was so full she might burst.<
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“I wasn’t sure if you were going to come back here or not,” Evie said, looking down and smoothing out her dress. Damien was right—Evie wasn’t nearly as confident here as she was at parties in California. How had Savannah missed it?
But it didn’t change how she’d gone behind Savannah’s back by trying to flirt with Damien.
“How could you go for Damien when you knew I have feelings for him?” Savannah blurted out. “I told you it would hurt me if you tried, but you did it anyway. Why?”
Evie’s eyes flashed with guilt, and she twisted her watch around her wrist. “I wasn’t planning on it,” she said. “But he was being so nice to me, and you were mingling with everyone and filming for that show. You were barely talking to Damien. So I figured if something happened with me and him, it wouldn’t be a big deal. I mean, you have everything you could ever want, and you could probably get any guy you wanted now, too. Even the boys in One Connection love you! Perry Myles was flirting with you onstage. That’s better than some guy from your school, right?”
“But you know about everything that’s happened with me and Damien,” Savannah said. “You knew it would hurt me if you went for him. But you did anyway. How could you go behind my back like that?”
“Like how you went behind my back last night when you talked to Oliver?”
Savannah froze. “How do you know what I said to Oliver last night?”
“I asked him,” Evie said, as if this were the most obvious response on the planet. “And he told me that you warned him that I was a virgin so he wouldn’t hook up with me.”
“Yeah, I did,” Savannah admitted, since she was clearly caught. “But only because I didn’t want you doing something you would regret.”
“It’s not your place to make that decision for me,” she said. “Besides, I was doing you a favor tonight, too, by flirting with Damien. If he went for me, it would show you where he stood with you, right?”
Savannah’s mouth dropped open—had Evie really compared her feelings for Damien to a stupid one-night stand she was trying to have with Oliver? “Don’t try turning this around by pulling that crap on me,” she said. “I might have believed it back in California, but things are different now.”
“You’re right.” Evie’s voice was full of anger. “I’ve tried pretending everything’s still the same, but it’s not. Ever since you moved to Vegas, you look different, you act different and you think you’re the greatest thing to grace the planet. You’ve turned into a spoiled heiress brat. I barely feel like I know you anymore.”
Savannah took a sharp breath, unable to believe that Evie—her best friend for years—had said that to her. “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said. “I spent every second with you that I could this weekend, and you knew tonight was going to be crazy since I have to talk to everyone who came to the party and film for the show. I’m sorry I didn’t notice you weren’t feeling comfortable, and I’m sorry I ruined your plans for last night, but none of that makes it okay for you to have gone for Damien behind my back.”
“There you go again,” Evie said. “Making this about you, and acting like you’re doing me such a favor by inviting me here and giving me a second of time at your party. You think you’re so much better than me now.”
Savannah clenched her fists—if either of them was acting like a brat, it was Evie. “I get it, you’re upset at me.” She checked to make sure no one was watching them, and lowered her voice. “But can we talk about this later, when we’re in private? I don’t want this caught on camera.”
“Too afraid that your ‘fans’ will see you in a bad light?” Evie’s chin trembled, and she narrowed her eyes. “Why don’t you find the guys from One Connection and talk to them instead? Maybe that’ll be better publicity for your YouTube channel. Which, by the way, I don’t get why it’s such a big deal. You don’t even write your own music—you just sing other people’s songs.”
Savannah’s chest heated, and she glared at Evie. “Why are you acting like this?” she asked. “You know that I’m a singer, not a songwriter. I’ve never claimed to want to be anything else. Maybe someday I’ll write songs, but singing is what I love. And that’s what I’m doing. Before tonight, I thought you were happy for me about the success of my YouTube channel. I didn’t realize that you were so…resentful. About everything.”
“Whatever.” Evie stared blankly at the chocolate fountain, as if she hadn’t heard a word Savannah had said.
“Okay.” Savannah blew out a frustrated breath. “We obviously aren’t getting anywhere with this right now. And tonight’s my birthday, so I don’t want to fight. So, yeah, I’ll go talk to the guys in One Connection, to thank them for everything they did for me. Do you want to come with me or not?”
“I’m going to stay here and have dessert,” Evie said. “Go have fun with them.”
“I will.” Savannah turned away and rejoined the party. Maybe she should have tried harder, and offered to introduce Evie to the One Connection guys. But as awful as she felt for leaving Evie like that, she was also glad she wouldn’t have to risk her best friend making a scene.
She would work things out with Evie tomorrow. For now, this was her night, and she was going to enjoy her party.
Chapter 34: Courtney
Courtney watched Savannah talking with the guys from One Connection, glad that the night had been a success. Adrian and Rebecca were smiling and laughing, Peyton was having a blast partying and dancing, and from where she sat at the “phone case bedazzling station,” it seemed like Perry Myles was flirting with Savannah. Even though she doubted the international heartthrob was truly interested in her sister, since nothing real could ever come of that, it was kind of him to make her feel special for the night.
“I didn’t realize bedazzled phone cases were your style,” Brett said, situating himself in the seat next to hers.
Courtney glued another crystal into place, trying to ignore the way her stomach swooped from being so close to Brett. “I didn’t think they would be,” she said. “But I needed a break from chatting with everyone, and I figured this was a socially acceptable thing to do instead. I’m actually liking how it’s turning out, so I think I’ll use it.”
He examined the swirling blue-and-silver design. “It looks nice,” he said. “If the whole going-to-college-to-someday-work-in-publishing thing doesn’t work out for you, there’s always cell-phone-case bedazzling.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” She pressed another crystal into place and yawned, even though there was an hour left of the party and she shouldn’t be tired yet.
“You seem beat,” Brett said.
“Between everyone here wanting to chat with me and having to act for the cameras for the show, I’m exhausted,” she said. “I’m just glad my sixteenth birthday party’s already past, so no one could try talking me into a blowout like this. Savannah might love the spotlight, but I could never do what she’s been doing all night.”
“You prefer sitting on the sidelines, bedazzling iPhone cases.” Brett laughed.
“Hey!” she said. “It’s relaxing.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he said. “So, since big parties aren’t your thing, what’d you do for your Sweet Sixteen?”
“Went to school.” She took a deep breath, preparing to rehash the day. “Then worked at Starbucks for a few hours. Some of my coworkers stuck a candle in a cupcake and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. When I got home, Mom was already so drunk that she’d broken a lamp and gotten sick on the living room floor, so my sisters and I spent the rest of the night cleaning up and taking care of her until she passed out.”
Brett reached for her hand and gave it a small squeeze, pulling away before she could wonder if it was friendly or meant more. “You deserve better than that,” he said. “I’ll make sure your next birthday is special
.”
Courtney’s throat tightened. “My mom always managed to do something to celebrate Savannah and Peyton’s birthdays, but on mine she was always a mess,” she said, swallowing away tears. “At least now I know why. It’s because it was Britney’s birthday, too.”
“Of course.” Brett nodded, his eyes serious. “This year, we’ll celebrate for Britney, too.”
“Thanks,” she said. “That means a lot.”
He glanced over at the pool, where the guys from One Connection were hanging out, and raised an eyebrow. “Is it just me, or is Perry Myles taking a liking to Savannah?”
The two of them were in the same spot near the pool, still talking. Savannah handed her phone to him, he typed something into it, and gave it back to her. Then he took his phone from his pocket, tapped the screen, and Savannah broke into a huge grin.
“Did they just exchange numbers?” Courtney asked.
“It looked that way to me.”
“Hmm.” She refocused on bedazzling. “I hope she doesn’t get her hopes up that anything could happen with him.”
“Maybe he likes her,” Brett said. “He did Tweet about her to his millions of fans. And now he’s ignoring everyone else to talk to her.”
“Come on.” She shook her head, watching Perry and Savannah take a selfie together on his phone. “He’s an international superstar. Practically every teen girl in the world is obsessed with him.”
“So?” Brett shrugged.
Courtney sighed. Brett was pretty down-to-earth—how was he not getting this? “It’s nice of Perry to make Savannah happy on her birthday,” she said. “But let’s be realistic. Adrian is paying him and the rest of the band a lot of money to make sure she has the best night ever. And on the off chance that he is interested in her, what could come from it after tonight? Celebrities date other celebrities, not normal teens trying to make it through their sophomore year of high school.”
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