Page 121 of Wingwoman
But I was nothing if not a cool cucumber. I prided myself on it. So instead of exploding like most jealous girlfriends would, I put a tight smile on my face. “I’m going to go get dressed for tonight,” I managed to say, then turned to make my way up the stairs.
“Hope, wait. It’s not what it looks like.” Josh ran to follow me, taking the stairs two at a time. As I turned to face him, Matt and Nina ushered the woman outside. But her glare stayed on me until the front door shut in her face.
“It looks like one of your obsessed exes forced her way in to see you. I’m guessing since Nina is here, it’s the ex your first album is about… Jenn?”
Josh gulped. “Okay. So it’s exactly what it looks like. I’m sorry you walked in on that. But I promise, she and I are nothing—”
“It’s okay, Josh,” I said, hoping my tone didn’t betray me. It was okay because he wasn’t mine. That much was blaringly true. “We all have exes, right?”
His gaze hardened as it dropped to my phone in my hand. “I just want to be clear thatI’mnot trying to get back with her or any of my exes.”
“Noted.”
I believed him, but also there was something going on there. I simply didn’t know what yet. And since he didn’t offer any more, all I did in response was nod. “I really do need to get ready now.”
When he didn’t say anything more, I turned and headed for my room.
The rest of the world believed I, Hope Marcoux-Evans was datingtheJosh Gabriel. When in reality, we were… what, exactly?
It wasn’t exactly a ruse anymore.
But we weren’t officially together either.
It took me about an hour to do my hair and makeup. All the while, my phone blew up with text messages, one after the other, ever since those photos were released as a result.
People I barely knew were coming out of the woodwork to touch base with me even though on our best days, I’d have barely called them friends.
But to have an ex show up at his freakinghousewas next level. Stalker material.
It was pure, dumb luck that I walked up when I did. Originally the plan was to get ready with Carrow and Maxie, but I hadn’t seen Josh much the last few days and I knew how much this rodeo meant to him. So when the photos went live? I knew where I wanted to be.
Here. With him.Forhim.
Now I was realizing how stupid that might have been.
Maybe he also had ulterior motives? More than just needing to write this album. Maybe he was also trying to make his ex jealous.
The thought soured in my stomach just as a text came through, right on cue.
Brent:
To say I’m surprised would be an understatement.
That was all it said.
He gave me nothing more. No mention of Josh by name. Or why it was so surprising.
Hope:
Why’s that?
Three little dots appeared after I texted him back. Then vanished. Then appeared again.
It took several minutes before his next text came through and I used the time to get my outfit on.
Brent:
You hated living in the spotlight.
