Page 51 of The Spotlight Effect

I pull all my hair into a low ponytail and grab my purse before leaving my room. “When are we leaving?” I ask, standing at Lia’s bedroom door.

“Ten minutes, Marina is almost here,” she says.

“Fine, let’s get this over with,” I say. When Marina's car pulls up, we all say bye to Mom and go outside.

“It’s about time, get in the car, bitches,” Marina says and opens the limo. We all crawl in the limo and Marina and Lia go to talking right away. I tune them out.

It turns out the party is at a young adult club Noah owns. It’s for ages eighteen to twenty-five. As soon as we enter Lia and Marina head off one way toward a group of boys. There’s no way I’m going that way. I look around and spot Emerson and Noah sitting in the VIP area, so I start to walk over there.

“Lex, we didn’t know you’d be here. Let her in,” Emerson says cheerfully. The bouncer in charge of VIP opens the chain for me.

“I didn’t know I’d be here either till an hour ago,” I tell her, sitting on the leather sofa across from Noah and Emerson.

“We’re happy you could make it. Who did you come with?” Noah asks.

“My sister, Astrid and Marina,” I answer.

“Marina? She’s not supposed to be here,” Emerson says, confused and looks over at Noah.

“That’s tomorrow Emerson’s problem,” Noah tells her.

“Why can’t she be here?” I ask.

“We made a deal that with the arising bad press surrounding her, she would stay away from parties and things till things died down, but she’s obviously not listening,” Emerson says, picking up her glass of sparkling whatever.

“Fire her.” I shrug.

“I wish, but she’s a really big actress, and having her along with Noah in my first TV show is big for me,” Emerson says, gulping down the rest of her drink.

“Emmy, go easy on the drinks,” Noah says and kisses Emerson’s cheek.

“What do I do?” Emerson panics.

“Talk to her tomorrow. Show her that just because you’re her age, you’re still her boss, and she can’t disobey you,” I suggest.

“I’ve never been good at confrontation,” Emerson says, taking another drink from the tray, but Noah takes it from him. I decide to try one of the pink bubbly drinks, so I take one from the tray.

“I don’t like confrontation either but talking to her is the least dramatic way to go,” I say. “Will you come with me to tell her tomorrow?” Emerson asks after gulping down some water.

“She’s a nervous drinker but not as in alcohol though,” Noah says.

“Of course,” I reply.

I put the drink up to my lips and taste it. It’s very bubbly and sweet. It tastes almost like cotton candy. I sit the drink down on the table beside me and pick up a water from the ice bucket. As I begin to drink the water and look over the crowd, my eyes latch on to one spot.

The darkened spot beside the stage corner where The Chosen Ones are playing, I see a man. Not just any man.I see him.

As he steps forward, I see my true nightmare’s face, but he’s supposed to be in prison. Heisin prison. I saw him get taken away in the car. My hand flies up to my neck where a chain once was. It's not upon my neck among the others, but it feels like I can still feel it there. “A special necklace," he said.

My breathing starts to get heavier as I lower the water from my lips. I can hear Emerson and Noah asking me if I’m okay, but it all comes out as a faded sound, the room starts to spin, red and white lights sprinkled everywhere as his face peaks into the light. The dizziness kicks in as the last thing I remember in those blurring moments is my face in a white porcelain bowl behind a golden door with Emerson soothing me.

JUST FOR A MOMENT

ALEXIA

I’m going crazy again.

Last night I dreamed about two things: the way Grayson looked at me the other day and Griffin.

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