“You didn’t ruin anything,” Lily reprimanded.
“Oh, no? Then why am I sending in my resignation to the university?”
“They didn’t ask it of you. You’re doing that on your own.”
“I have to. I can’t face my students. Or the staff. I’m mortified.”
“Maybe if you gave it some time,” Brooke said. “You love your work, Gianna. It’d be a shame for you to give it all up because of this.”
“And why are you trying to make me feel better, Brooke? I’ve been lying to you for weeks. I hated doing it, not that it makes up for anything.”
“I understand why you did it, Gianna. I’m still your friend. Always will be.”
Her lips pulled into a frown. Her friends were too good to her.
The sound of Regan’s pleading voice rattled through the screen. “You don’t love her. She’s not even your real fiancée.”
“Would you shut that down.” Lily reached over and closed the laptop cover. “No more, please. Gage feels terrible about this. He fired Regan. It turns out she was behind some of Gage’s scandals. She secretly made trouble so she could fix it and keep a tight rein on him. Keep him beholden to her. She finally admitted she was the one who leaked that photo of Leah Marie and Gage to the press. It’s sorta pathetic. She claimed she’s been in love with him for years. And it all finally came to a head.”
“I know, I read about it,” Gianna confessed. “She didn’t think Gage would fall for the mousy bookworm. Yes, even that’s on the internet.” Gianna closed her eyes. Her humiliation ran deep, and with each breath she took, her heart ached even more.
“It only proves that not all of it is Gage’s fault,” Lily said quietly.
“I know that. I promised to do him a favor. It’s on me.”
“It’s not on you,” Brooke said, ever her fierce defender. “But, my God, Gianna. He ran into flames to save you. He had no idea how bad the fire was when he ran backstage for you.”
“I know. I’ll never forget that.” She loved him for that. For trying to save her. She would’ve done the same for him. But it was too late for them. Nothing was right. It was all one big fiasco, and Gianna had given up on the idea of Gage Tremaine.
There was one saving grace—no one had been injured in the fire. While backstage, she’d seen sparks flicker wildly from the pyrotechnic wiring and called 911 immediately. She’d warned everyone behind the scenes to get out, and she’d rushed out, too.
By the time Gage had found her, she was already back with Rose and his family.
She’d never forget the look of relief on his smoke-stained face. It had brought tears to her eyes. He’d grabbed her and hugged her tight, kissing every inch of her face. It was a perfect moment in time, but the before and after would never be perfect, so she’d backed away from Gage.
Letting him go.
Freeing herself, too.
The damage to both their reputations was done.
Their little pretend engagement had gone viral.
* * *
Gage tossed back his second shot of whiskey and paced the parlor floor. He was in a mood. Hell, he’d been in a mood for the past week. He’d blown it with Gianna. She wouldn’t answer his calls. All he’d gotten from her all week was a text thanking him again for running into the flames to save her. How did she put it? It was a noble and heroic gesture.
He didn’t feel like a hero. He felt like shit.
She’d left the ranch. Left him.
His chest hurt. While everything else inside him was numb.
“Would you sit down, son? You’re making me dizzy.”
“Sorry, Mom. I’m not good company. I should go.”
“Where? The turmoil you’re feeling is only going to follow you.”
He nodded. “Things got really messed up, didn’t they?” He sat down on a wing chair and faced his mother.
“Things get messy all the time, but usually there’s a way to straighten them out.”
He shook his head. “Not this time. Lily says Gianna is resigning her position at the university. You know how much she loves that job.” He stared into his empty glass, his gut in a knot.
“I do know that.”
“Have you spoken to her?”
“Every day. She’s struggling, too, Gage.”
“It’s all my fault. No wonder she won’t answer my calls.”
“It’s not hopeless, son.”
“I don’t know, Mom. I was a selfish jerk to her. You said so yourself. When I thought Gianna was in danger, nothing was going to stop me from getting to her. I didn’t even think twice about it. But now it’s maybe too late.”
“So you ran into fire for her. And now you’re giving up? That doesn’t make sense to me. Does she suddenly mean that little to you?”
“Little? How can you say that? I’m not tooting my own horn, but I did risk my life to save her.”
“Exactly. You did. So do it again, son. Do it again.”
Gage blinked and weighed his mother’s words. She was right, of course. She often was. He hadn’t exhausted all possibilities yet.
Gianna was worth saving.
Again.
* * *
“Here, put this on, Gianna,” Lily said, handing her a red baseball cap. “But first put your hair up.”
“And take off your glasses, for once,” Harper said. “Be a big girl and put in your contacts.”
“Geesh. I didn’t know you two were so bossy.”
“Just do it,” Lily said. “You can’t hide out in your apartment forever.”
“It’s only been ten days.”
“But who’s counting?” Harper asked. “Oh, right, you are. And so are we. You need a girls’ night out. And we’re going to have fun tonight, even if it kills us.”
Gianna rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’ll die of boredom with me.” She looked in her bedroom mirror and carefully put in her contacts. She blinked a few dozen times. This was crazy.
“Honey, you are anything but boring.”
Ha. They were right. Her escapades with Gage had been the source of entertainment for the mud-slinging gossip-monger crowd lately. And they hadn’t let up.
Her friends meant well, but they’d soon find out she wasn’t in the mood for partying. She wasn’t in the mood for much of anything. For the first time in her life, she had no plan, no sense of direction, and no amount of alcohol consumption was going to change that. “All right, I’ll go for an hour. But that’s all.”
Lily exchanged glances with Harper. “An hour? You are too generous, my friend.”
“After the first thirty minutes, you won’t want to leave. Trust me. Eddie makes this Texas Tumbler that’ll wash all your cares away.”
“Okay, but just one. Gage says I’m a liquor lightweight.”
Lily smiled. Harper smiled. It was the first time she’d referenced Gage to anyone these past few days.
“One might just be enough,” Harper said. “Now, are you ready?”
“I don’t know, did you disguise me enough? What’s one more scandal anyway, if I’m found out?”
“Hey,” Lily said. “We’re going to have fun, not take you to a pity party, so knock it off.”
Gianna chuckled, nodding. Lil was right. She’d allowed herself a nice long pity party, but it had to end. And tonight was the night. “Okay, I’m ready.”
The three of them jumped into Lily’s car, and she drove to downtown Juliet, parking in front of Eddie’s Bar and Grill. It was in the older section of town, where time had stopped and the shops and establishments paid homage to the past.
Luckily, the place hadn’t started jumping yet. It was early, and she was grateful for the lack of customers. They took seats up at the bar, Lily ordering three Texas Tumblers.
The drinks were placed in front of them pretty quickly. Gianna t
ook her first sip, and then another. “This is delicious. What’s in it?”
“What isn’t in it,” Harper said, “is a better question.”
Suddenly, Gage’s face appeared on the flat-screen television nestled between the liquor shelves behind the bar. He was being interviewed by prime-time national host Lucinda Day.
“I’m leaving,” Gianna said, swiveling on the bar stool, ready to get down.
Harper and Lily grabbed her arms, one on each side, stopping her motion.
“Did you set this up?” she asked, feeling their possible betrayal down in her bones.
“I swear I didn’t know a thing about it,” Lily said earnestly.
“Neither did I,” Harper confirmed. “But we’re here, and we’re not going to run away just because Gage is on TV again.”
“Again?”
“Yeah, he’s been on a lot of the talk shows this week.”
“Why bother?” she asked.
“Maybe we should just listen.”
She was trapped. By her friends. By her own curiosity. What on earth did he possibly have to say now?
“Can you turn that up?” Lily asked the bartender.
And then Gage’s voice came through loud and clear. “...yeah, my engagement started out as a publicity stunt. But the rest of it is all true. The two of us have been friends for years. Our families were close. And Gianna and I always had...something special.”
“Rumor has it, she has a nickname for you,” Lucinda said.
He chuckled, his eyes gleaming. “Yeah, she calls me Brickhead.” He leaned back in his chair, the picture of confidence. “It’s pretty obvious why. She’s so intelligent it makes my head spin sometimes.”
“What do you call her?”
“Brainiac. Ever since we were kids.”
Gianna slumped in her seat. Why, oh why, couldn’t Gage let it be?
“The truth is,” Gage went on, “I never thought I’d fall for her. We’ve been family friends for years, but we’d never even liked each other much.”
“What changed?” Lucinda asked.
“I got to know her. Really know her. She’s amazing. Smart, beautiful, sassy. She was never afraid to tell me no.”
“And you liked that?”
“I loved that.”
Lily squeezed her hand, and Gianna closed her eyes. It hurt to hear him talk about her this way. They were done. D-O-N-E. And there was no getting around it.
“Some say you’re only here giving this interview to repair your reputation.”
“My reputation will survive. It’s Gianna’s reputation I’m concerned about. She’s worked superhard to get to where she is today. She’s dauntless in her pursuit of education. None of this was her doing. It’s all on me. I take full responsibility.”
“So why come clean now?”
Gage gave her his world-class grin. “Why now? Because I have a newfound relationship with the truth. Gianna taught me that.”
Gianna slugged back the rest of her drink.
“Wow,” Harper whispered.
“I know, right?” Lily said.
“So what is your truth, Gage Tremaine?” the interviewer asked.
“My truth? That’s for Gianna’s ears only.”
“I think we can guess. We’ve all seen the footage of you running into flames to save her.”
“Yeah, and I’d do it again and again.”
“Seems to me, your fans think you’re a hero. Maybe you’re right. Your reputation will survive all this. We’re almost out of time, but there’s one more question I need to ask. You’re thirty-two years old. And you’ve never made a commitment to a woman. Have you ever been in love?”
Gage shook his head. “No, never. Not until now.”
Not until now? Gianna’s heart trembled. “Bartender!”
She needed another drink. She needed sustenance. She needed strength. Of course, her friends would say Gage was telling the truth. But how could she know for sure? How could she ever believe in him again? He’d said he had a newfound relationship with the truth. That line really got to her. “He stands to gain from this interview. By admitting what happened he’s getting sympathy and...and...”
“He’s telling the truth, Gia. I know my brother,” Lily said.
“Cade tells me Gage is crazy about you,” Harper added.
The bartender slid another drink her way, and she downed half of it in one huge gulp. “Can we please not talk about Gage anymore? We’re supposed to be having fun.”
Lily shook her head. “Girl, you might be a brainiac, but, right now, brickhead is a better description of you.”
“Fine, fine. Call me whatever you want, just keep the drinks coming.”
* * *
After his interview with Lucinda Day, which went better than he imagined—and he’d imagined it going pretty badly—he picked up a sandwich at the diner down the street from the television station to eat at home. Usually he’d have dinner with Regan after something like this, but that ship had sailed. Her claims of love didn’t persuade him. She’d been sabotaging his relationships and making herself shine in the aftermath, and he’d been too blind to figure it out.
He’d been pretty dense about a few other things, too. And he was doing what he could to remedy them.
His phone rang, and Lily’s image appeared on the screen. It was after ten. Usually she didn’t call so late. “Hi, sis.”
“Gage, thank goodness I got a hold of you.”
There was panic in her voice. “Why, what’s wrong?”
“God, Gianna’s gonna kill me for calling you, but we’re at Eddie’s in town. We, uh, we took her here for a girls’ night out. She didn’t want to come, and now she’s refusing to leave. She’s had quite a bit to drink.”
“Crap, Lily. You know she’s not a drinker.”
“I know that now. We’ve been trying to get her to leave. But Harper and I can’t very well drag her out of here.”
“I’m just down the street a ways. I’m coming. Be there in five.”
Gage floored the engine and pulled up at Eddie’s, his heart racing. He had no clue what to expect when he entered the bar. It was smoky and dark, the scents of hot wings and fries permeating the room. He found Gianna sitting at the bar, giggling with no one in particular.
Lily spotted him and ran over to him. “Thank goodness you’re here.”
“How many has she had?” he asked, keeping his eyes on her from behind.
“Four,” Lily squeaked.
“Beers?”
“Texas Tumblers.”
“Oh, man, Lily. Are you nuts?”
“I know. We just wanted to cheer her up.”
“Why don’t you and Harper go on home? I’ve got this.”
“You sure? She’s not gonna to be happy to see you?”
“That’s too bad. She’s gonna see me, and I’m not leaving here without her.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Lily rose on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “And, bro, don’t waste this opportunity with her. Tell her how you feel.”
He scowled. “Right now, she doesn’t want to know how I feel.”
Lily patted his shoulder. “When did you get to be such a freaking hero all of a sudden?”
“Just go, little sis.”
After Harper and Lily left, Gage walked over to the long oak bar and sidled up next to Gianna. He leaned his elbow on the bar and faced her. “Hi.”
Gianna stopped with her glass halfway to her mouth. Gage took the glass from her hand and set it down. Her lack of reaction said it all. Well, she did blink a few times.
“Wh-what are you d-doing here?”
“I felt like having a drink.”
“Have o-one with H-harper and Lily,” she said.
“They left.”
“Party p-poops.” She gi
ggled her head off. Apparently she thought that was funny.
“You know you’re gonna be sick tomorrow.”
“But th-there’s always r-right now.” More giggles.
Gage sensed eyes on them. He’d been recognized, and pretty soon everyone in the place would be whispering behind their backs. “We have to go, Gianna. Don’t fight me on this, okay?”
“I d-don’t want to go r-right now.”
“We’re leaving. Now, either you come with me, or I pick you up and carry you out of this place. Your decision. Make it quick.”
She surprised him by swiveling around immediately. She put her feet on the ground and stood. But the rest of her swayed off-kilter, and he caught her just before she face-planted. “I d-don’t feel so g-good.”
“Hang on, sweetheart.” He picked her up and carried her out of Eddie’s.
“Is th-this kidnapping?” she mumbled.
“It kinda is,” he said. “You can have me arrested tomorrow.”
Gage maneuvered her into his car and buckled her in. By the time he climbed into his seat and turned on the ignition, she was fast asleep. Man, her head was going to feel like lead in the morning. She’d be lucky not to toss her cookies tonight.
He should take her to her apartment, but instead he steered the car toward the Tremaine estate. She belonged there, and he was going to make her see that, one way or another.
At the guesthouse, he tucked Gianna into bed and slid in beside her. She moaned a little bit, holding her stomach. “It’s gonna be okay, Gia,” he murmured, trying to ease her discomfort. It wrecked him that she was in pain. He’d certainly been there, done that, so he knew the kind of cramping she was having.
After a time, she slipped into a quiet slumber and Gage removed himself from her bed. He hated leaving her, but this had to be her decision. He set a glass of water and two aspirins on the nightstand for her. She’d know what to do with them. Then he took up a spot on the sofa and hoped for the best when morning came.
* * *
The Fake Engagement Favor Page 16