Page 46 of Botched

And like a good boy, I take it, shaking it. “Kai.”

“Kai’s got a dark match for GRW whenRiseis in New York,” she says.

I hide my annoyance. The last thing I need is Kai to get a job at GRW. Aurora likes him. What if she likes him more than me? What if he comes along and takes my spot? I’m sure he’s a better face for the company than I am. I can’t lose this.

But I can’t verbalize any of that. If people find out you’re insecure, they’ll exploit any opportunity they get. Insecurity is weakness. I can’t be weak.

Choosing not to comment on that fact, I nod along. When I scan the very lacking party again, my gaze lands on the table full of snacks and refreshments. Zoning in on the flamingo cupcakes, I tilt my head. “Did you make the cupcakes, Roo?”

I live for the way her cheeks heat up, and she slowly nods. “Yeah. Alex asked if I could whip something up since the bakerythey were using had to cancel their order for some reason or another.”

“I forgot that you baked,” Kai tacks on, like he’s supposed to be in this conversation. Like anyone wants him here.

But Aurora smiles at him, and I envision pummeling my fist into his stupid face, breaking his glasses. “How could you forget? I made you a birthday cake.” She laughs.

I can imagine how his nose would crack under my knuckles already, blood streaming down his baby face, tears spilling from his brown eyes.

She made him a cake for his birthday. She made me a single fucking cupcake.

I have to remind myself that it would be harder to make a cake in a hotel room, right? And she’s known him longer. Maybe he paid her for a cake.

Kai smiles at her. “Still the best damn cake I ever had. I don’t know how I forgot that.”

Not one to stand around and be left out, I jut in. “I only faintly remember the cupcake you made me last week, baby doll. I got distracted by other things that tasteda lotbetter.”

Her cheeks turn red again as she glares up at me. I can’t help myself; I love how she looks when she’s angry.

Looking between the two of us, Kai shakes his head. “I…think I’m gonna go talk to Alex.” Smart kid. At least he knows when he’s not wanted. “I’ll see ya later, Rory.”

They hug. I see red. Like every time before, I force it down for the sake of not ruining the baby shower and not making Aurora go back on her agreement to give me a chance if I can prove myself.

As Kai makes his exit, she turns to me and hisses, “What the fuck. You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

“When you’re involved? Absolutely not.”

“You’re impossible, Theo.”

“Yet you love every second of it.”

Aurora scoffs and storms off to go chat with the rest of the women. Okay, so…not exactly the home run I was hoping for, and maybe I wasn’t on my mostsparklingbehavior, but I can see it in her eyes—the way she looks over her shoulder at me as she walks away. She’s falling.

I need to hope to god I catch her, and I don’t fuck it all up.

Chapter Thirty-One

AURORA

Rise

Episode 579

Phoenix, Arizona

It’s been a month since I fucked Theo on his birthday. He wants to prove that he’s going to change, and I feel like there’s progress being made, but I haven’t given into him, despite how badly I want to, because I’m still waiting for him to fall back into his usual habits. There have been no reports of Theo hitting the clubs after shows. He hasn’t been seen with any gorgeous women.

It all feels far too good to be true. It feels like at any moment, it’s going to come tumbling down.

His feud with Austin was quickly squashed. The match was pretty damn embarrassing, at least for Austin. Theo wiped the floor with him in record time, and he hasn’t gotten a TV opportunity yet.

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