Page 47 of I Would Die for You

He strokes his square chin and throws a glance in Cassie’s direction, but it’s too quick for her to grab hold of. Still, she’s sure he knows she’s here; he just has to bide his time and work the floor.

“That’s a tricky one,” he says. “But I guess I’d be prouder to win Best Album, as we worked so hard on it.”

“Michael’s just made quite the entrance with Samantha Redgrave. Is that a serious relationship? Something the fans should be worried about?” Alesha laughs, as if it will make the question seem less incongruous, but Cassie can see Ben’s jaw tense, even if the TV cameras can’t.

“I wouldn’t know about that,” he says, with a saccharine-sweet smile. “You’d have to ask him.”

Alesha tilts her head to the side coquettishly. “And what aboutyourplus-one? Is there someone special you’re having a clandestine meeting with inside?”

Ben laughs, and Cassie half expects him to turn to her and hold out his hand, inviting her to step under the roped cordon. But instead, he places a hand on Alesha’s taffeta-clad behind. “Are you offering?” he asks.

Cassie swallows her contempt at the discourtesy, knowing it’s all a game he has to play, a character he has to portray until they’re on their own again.

The cameras stop rolling straight after Ben’s fake laugh.

“If you want to hook up later…” purrs Alesha, attempting to be seductive. “I’ll be done by ten.”

“Ah, I’d love to,” says Ben. “But I’m not intending to stay around for too long.”

He reaches a hand out behind him and Cassie grabs it, feeling her heart soar as she squeezes tightly.

“Ben,” she sighs, as he turns to look at her.

“Hey,” he says, smiling. “How are you?”

Cassie fights back the happy tears that her nervous energy has spent weeks provoking. “I’m good; I’m so happy to see you.”

“Ah, that’s so sweet,” he says. “Now, can I have my hand back?”

“Oh yeah, sorry,” she says, releasing it as she ducks under the barrier to join him.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” barks a security guard, stepping into action. “You need to stay behind the rope.”

“It’s OK,” says Cassie, holding her hands up as she looks at Ben. “I’m with him.”

The security guard furrows his brow dubiously, as he waits for confirmation and, for a split second, Ben looks as if he might not acknowledge her place by his side. But his rigid jaw suddenly slackens, and his narrowed eyes widen.

“It’s all right,” he says. “I’ve got this.”

Cassie falls into him gratefully and slips her arm through his.

“OK, I’ll tell you what we’re going to do,” he whispers into her ear. “You see that camera up ahead?”

Cassie looks ten feet in front of her to see a camera operator accompanying another earnest woman holding a microphone, ready to pounce.

“I’m going to walk with you until then and then I need to get on.”

“OK,” says Cassie, breathlessly. “Then where doIgo?”

“Back to where you came from,” says Ben, through gritted teeth, at pains to keep up appearances.

“But… but how will we find each other again?”

Ben turns to look at her with a vexed expression. “Why would we need to find each other again?”

An ice-cold hand reaches into Cassie’s chest and tightly squeezes around her heart, but she fights against the remote possibility that she’s got this all wrong.

“Look, it’s been lovely meeting you,” he says, dropping her arm. “But I really do have to be getting on…”

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