Page 47 of Butterfly

“I see.” Maggie smiles. “The rumours are true. Bad blood then. What have you done to Rebecca, you naughty boy?”

Everyone laughs, and I roll my eyes. Alex works his jaw and doesn’t answer.

Maggie clears her throat. “Emily, you’ve been quite active as the ambassador of the Animal Ethical Association.” Her expression turns serious. “What projects are you working on?”

“Dog shelters.” Emily shows a row of white teeth. “We’re raising money to help the shelters that need more space, food, and drugs.” She puts a hand over her heart. “It’s a very important cause for me. The shelters need all the help we can provide.”

The round of applause is a deafening noise that makes me wince. While I agree with Emily, her words sound trite and scripted. Maggie asks more boring questions to Emily before refocusing on Alex.

He relaxes when he starts talking about his training to prepare for the role, and the hours he spent rehashing and reading the books again, trying to nail the main character. His deep voice rumbles and fills my flat, but it lacks the same thundering note it has when I listen to him in person.

“And now a question that many of your fans, if not all of them, are eager to know the answer to.” Maggie bends closer. “Are you two dating in real life?”

Emily giggles, giving an unconvincing shake of her head. Alex remains serious, if not cold.

Maggie doesn’t wait for a proper answer. “I’ll take that as an invitation to ask more questions. Anyone special in your life right now, Alex?”

The people in the studio exhibit their appreciation of the question with loud applause and a few hoots, before falling silent. I perch on the sofa. Yeah, I’m one of those fans too.

He waits a few tense moments before staring at Maggie with a straight face. “No, there is no one.”

Cue my heart’s stuttering. What did I expect? That he mentioned me? No, of course not. But my body’s reaction doesn’t want to listen to any logical explanations. A little pang of pain stings me, which is ridiculous. First, Alex and I aren’t a couple. Second, even if we were, he wouldn’t reveal anything about us in front of the cameras. Third, his answer doesn’t mean anything. He might have someone special in his life. Someone who isn’t me. And fourth…I don’t have a fourth. Whatever.

Something wicked curls Maggie’s lips up. A cold glint freezes her gaze. “So, who’s this mysterious girl?”

My mouth drops open when a picture of Alex and me appears on the screen at the back of the studio. It’s slightly blurred, but it’s us, standing in front of each other next to his car. The picture was shot the night we were at Martin’s, right after Dart’s accident. He was tucked in the back seat at that moment while Alex and I were about to climb into the car and race towards the clinic. But what the picture shows to someone who doesn’t know the story behind it might be different. We’re standing very close. My hand is up and seems to be touching his chest, although I didn’t touch him that night. I might have raised my hand for some reason, but from this angle, it looks like my hand was resting on his chest. His head is bent to the side, as if he’s about to kiss me. The frown between his eyebrows—a frown of worry and fear—might be interpreted as lust. Our eyes, wide with what was terror and confusion at that time, can be mistaken for the hungry ones of lovers about to have raw sex in that very car.

At least my hair looks nice, and the little black dress cuts a decent figure.

Who leaked that picture? Martin’s house was full of people. Anyone could have taken a passing shot at us, and I was too distraught to spot anyone with a camera.

The spectators go wild again. A muscle in Alex’s jaw ticks, but it’s such a tiny movement that I would’ve missed it if I weren’t watching him closely. His perfect composure falls back into place, giving nothing away.

“That seems a rather intimate moment a lucky person caught on camera.” Maggie points a finger at the picture as it zooms in on our faces.

Emily claps her hands. “How cute!”

I’m not sure if she’s being sarcastic or something else.

“But you see,” Maggie continues, “we’re a little disappointed. We thought you and Emily were a couple. Have you been lying to us all this time? Instead, we get this lucky picture.”

A crease dents Alex’s brow. “Lucky?” There’s a sharp edge to his voice.

“No one knows who the girl is.” The eagerness in Maggie’s voice is hard to miss. “A new actress? A pop star? A socialite? People are curious and speculating. A lot.” She props her chin on her closed fist. “Why let them speculate when you can tell us the truth?”

Just like that, a mask slides over his face, erasing all emotion again. He shrugs. “No one. I don’t even remember her name.”

Emily turns to him, her lips parting in mute shock. “Come on, Alex.”

“Are you sure?” Maggie insists, her brow hitting her hairline.

He looks bored now. “I don’t remember her. She’s no one.”

“Some say she’s Martin Westermeyer’s new flame,” Maggie says.

I snort. Nope. Martin doesn’t like me in that way.

Another shrug from Alex. “If she is, I don’t care.”

---