Page 75 of The Final Rose

Vera’s hand comes to her mouth as her eyes widen. “Oh, God. How is Callie?”

My mouth opens and closes. I can’t answer because I don’t know.

“She left, Vera. She’s gone.”

“What do you mean, she’s gone?”

I’m back pacing, the weight piercing my chest. “She’s gone for the season. She’s not answering my calls. I don’t know what to do.”

“God, Sebastian, sit down, please. You’re making me dizzy.”

I, for an unfathomable reason, obey her. My body sags into one of the single beds, not sure whose. Vera sits in another, right across from me, and that’s the first time I look at her properly.

She has a frown right in the middle of her forehead, eyes shining with obvious concern. I knew it wasn’t Vera. When she knocked on my door, telling me she knew about Callie, it wasn’t to judge. She came to me as a friend. The conversation we had was about how I found Callie, how we became so close.

“From the beginning. What happened?” she asks in a low voice laced with concern.

“We were called yesterday morning to talk to Anya. She had a video of me and Callie in the plane, our conversation making it obvious something was going on between us.”

“What was the camera angle?”

“What?”

Vera rolls her eyes. “Where was the person who filmed it sitting?”

I stop to think about that for the first time. “From behind, but not right behind us. A little to the side…”

“Callie was sitting close to the bathroom. Maybe it was filmed in that direction?”

I raise an eyebrow. “How do you know where she was?”

“Because you were making it obvious! I noticed something was up on our way to London when you changed your seats. Then, on the way back you found a way to be with her again. It was reckless.”

I squeeze my eyes close. I should have never risked so much just to sit with her for an hour. At the time, that one hour felt so important but now the excuses for my behavior fall flat.

I grew up a Riggs. Mother told me people are always watching. Just quietly watching and waiting for one wrong move. One slip.

And I let them feast, eyes and ears on my biggest secret. I let them feast on Callie’s career while I made promises I couldn’t keep.

“We are done now.”

“Sebastian–”

I shake my head, defeated. “Anya didn’t fire her, but let it be clear others would not see this in a good light. She put into words all of Callie’s fears. She’s afraid people are going to see her badly. Like she seduced me or something.”

“She’s not wrong.” I look at her sharply, and she raises her hands. “You know they are going to put it all on Callie, not you. You’ll be the irresistible man who even the crew is falling for. But Callie?”

“I know!” I can’t help feeling frustrated. “I’m well aware of the stakes for her.”

“I don’t think you are.”

“All due respect, Vera, but I can’t take one more lesson about this.”

A lecture right now will not help. And I need something that will help. I need a magical solution that can bring Callie back to me and make the overlords ofThe Final Rosehappy.

“I wasn’t going to lecture you,” she replies with an arched eyebrow. “But all this… everything is about narrative, right?”

The word stings, and I add. “I’m going to choose you, by the way. You’re the fan favorite.”

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