Page 29 of Runaway Girl
Owen turned bright red, and I couldn’t help but snicker. “Ah, no thanks,” I said.
“Who’s this?”
“Ethan Harris.”
He gave a hasty laugh. “You’ve got to get better AI, bro.” Then he hung up.
Owen watched on with mortification, clearly lost for words.
He needn’t be embarrassed; it was the most entertainment I’d had in a while. I shook my head in amusement, deciding to call back via video instead.
Liam answered immediately. “What do you want, shitface?”
I stared into the camera with my most charming grin—the professional, white-toothed smile manufactured for the masses.
He stuttered. “Bro… what type of voodoo bullshit is this?”
That’s when I shifted so he could see his brother hovering over my shoulder. Owen had recovered, his features morphing into a smug smirk. Then I said, “Nice to meet you, Liam. I’ve heard you’re my biggest fan?”
A stagnant beat passed, followed by a high-pitched squeal. “Oh my—it’s you, reallyyou.ETHAN HARRIS! The man himself. Shit, shit, shit.” Liam fumbled with the phone before correcting. “Can I take a screenshot of us together?” he asked, his speech rushed and panting.
“I’ll do more than that. I’ll personally sign some merch for you and your son, but under one condition.”
“Anything, man.”
I skimmed the paper in my hand, then gave Owen a sarcastic brow.Really, dude?
He just gave a resolute nod in return.Maybe I should have just given him the money.
I sighed, staring back at the screen, relaying the written message with a robotic voice.“Next time you open your big bitch mouth, make sure your mini-me parrot doesn’t overhear your bullshit.”
Liam froze. For a second, I thought the phone malfunctioned. Until his voice carried through, unimpressed. “Nice, Owen.Embarrass me in front of royalty, why don’t you.”
“You did that yourself, you crude Neanderthal!” Owen yelled, laughter coating his words.
I chuckled. “Anyway, we’ve got to go Liam, but I’ll make sure you get that stuff, alright? Thanks for your support! Great meeting you.”
Liam continued to fangirl for a bit, then hung up with the biggest grin. Mine dropped immediately, my cheeks aching from holding the exuberant expression. I loved my fans, but having to beonat all times required a lot of energy.
“Doesn’t it get tiring?” Owen asked.
My eyes swept up to his assessing ones, his gaze probing my features, all too aware.
“Umm, what?”
“The mask you have to slip on. Don’t you get tired?”
And for once, I went with full honesty, with a stranger I had never met.
“You have no idea.”
Chapter 18
ETHAN
Owen blew a long, low whistle after I gave a brief rundown on the many ways I fumbled Alicia.
I didn’t have to go into detail—as soon as I mentioned the video, he caught on quickly.
