Page 51 of So Wrong It's Right

“Buzzfeed, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter...my fifteen minutes of fame lasted about a month before something more interesting came along.”

That was Christopher? I’m thinking back to how often I saw it pop up on social media. “I didn’t even recognize you. You had Bieber bangs then.”

“More of a Zach Efron style, I think. At least, that’s what my ex used to say.”

“I’m so sorry. That must have been very painful for you.”

“Well, now you see why I avoid the limelight. It’s not very flattering.”

“So, I take it you two broke up right away.”

He nods. “Yeah. Maybe now you can understand why I’m not...”

He leaves it hanging, but I know what he thinks. That he can’t trust love. That maybe he doesn’t deserve love.

He’s so wrong about that.

“Look, it was a hell of a way to find out she didn’t want to marry you, but you can’t just give up on love and romance entirely because you got rejected once.”

“Stella, I’m not the kind of guy who could go through that twice. I’m a very private person. It took every ounce of courage I could muster to put myself out there like that. To do it so publicly and with a camera crew. I thought she would like it. Find it romantic. Understand how much I sacrificed to do something so against my introverted nature. Instead, she made me the laughingstock of pop culture.” Christopher clutches me harder, but not to get closer. He’s tense, angry. “No, I take that back. It isn’t her fault.Imade myself the laughingstock. I misread everything. It’smyissue that I don’t understand how love works. How people work.”

“Well, as someone who is embarrassed a lot, I can sympathize with you. But you’re a good man. You’ll make a good husband. A good father. But you’ll have to open up more if you want the real thing, Christopher.”Be careful.“With someone. Someday.”

He blows out another breath. A huff really.

Change the subject. The song is almost over.

I need to rip off the Band-Aid, don’t I? “I think we should look like we’re having some kind of argument.”

“What?”

“So our breakup will be more believable. You know...if we have a fight in front of everyone.”

“Stella—”

I pull back. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“Dance?”

The pulse in my ears grows louder.

“You mean...us, don’t you?”

A look steals over his face that reminds me of his face when he told the police some of Mrs. Bain’s cats were going to have to be put down.

My back stiffens. I knew we weren’t going to be a real thing after this, but I thought...might as well be honest. I kind of believed we could be a thing after this. For all my protesting, part of me hoped for something more. But if I want even a shred of dignity left after he leaves town Monday night, I need to make this a clean break.

“I’m going to walk away now. Tell everyone later that we argued. As you know, I’m taking Monday off for family stuff. There are two surgeries scheduled, but that’s it. No appointments. Carlita knows what to do with the charts and my computer.”

“Stella...”

We stop dancing, the song still swirling around us, but he doesn’t stop staring at me. My heart is still trying to lead me into the dark. I know he can see in my eyes that I’m pleading with him to stop me. Change my mind. Say something.Keep me.

It’s not like I didn’t know this was coming.

It’s better this way.

I don’t storm off. I take one step back. Then another. He doesn’t stop me.

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