into the hallway, I saw that the girl wasn’t looking my way. I snuck across the hall to another bedroom. It was the same layout. The bathroom was attached to the next room.
I’d have to wait till the hallway was clear.
The guy returned. His voice drifted through the door. “Trent said he didn’t lock it, but we can go this way.”
“Oh, good. Oh. Hi!”
A guarded response came next. “Hello.”
It was Jordan. I held still. She was here. She was within reach. We could sneak out and head back to the car.
“You’re Jake’s girlfriend, right?”
I reached for the handle but paused.
“Uh…well…it’s complicated.”
The girl laughed. “Well, good on you. Seriously, I’m sick of the Susan-and-Tara show.”
“The Susan-and-Tara show?” Jordan didn’t sound impressed.
“The two think they run the campus. Susan keeps bragging that she’s going straight to a big network ’cause of that interview, but I heard the guy only interviewed here because of the other chick. What’s her name?”
“Erica.” Jordan sounded even less amused.
“Yeah, her. She’s a scrappy little thing, isn’t she? Wait, I saw her with Jake downstairs. Are you guys all friends?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, whatever.”
“Gabby,” the guy groaned, “we were in the middle of something.”
“Chill, Rob. I want to give this girl my support. You have it, you know,” she said the last part to Jordan. “Tara and Susan are not liked by everyone. They think they are, but they aren’t. I know they’re both trying to sabotage you and Jake, but you have friends. Just reach out. My girls and I will have your back.”
“Oh. Well, thank you. When the showdown happens, I’ll holler for you.”
The girl laughed. “You do that. My name is Gabby.”
“Come on, Gab.”
“Okay, okay.”
“That sounds lovely. Uh, the bathroom’s this way?”
“Are you supposed to be up here?” His voice dipped low. The guy was suspicious. “The upstairs area is off-limits.”
“Some guy told me I could come up here.”
“Who?”
“Not Trent but some other guy. Blond hair. His shirt said…I don’t know…Mass U?”
“Oh. That’s Erik. He’s a good guy. Yeah, the bathroom’s at the end of the hallway.”
“Thanks.”
I wanted to grab her, but the couple was still in the hallway. They would see me if I opened the door. Her shadow passed the door as she went to the bathroom. I heard a door open and close, followed by a second door, and then there were no voices in the hallway. Everyone was in a room, so the hallway was clear. I leaned against the door.
I’d have to wait until she came back out, and then I’d grab her.
Minutes Earlier
I had no clue why Jake insisted on going to the party, but so had Erica. She’d wanted to celebrate because she’d finished her piece on Kian’s interview. Wanker had come along for the ride—or that was what I’d assumed until we got to the house that was packed to the brim, and Wanker was the first to get a drink. He’d downed three shots before the rest of us could get our own beers.
Wanting to slip away, I nudged Erica’s arm. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
She followed me from the kitchen. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just have to go to the bathroom.”
Her eyebrows were high. “No…sickness…of any kind? None at all?” She felt my forehead and frowned. “You do seem a little sweaty. Are you sure? You know, about the no-kid thing?”
I removed her hand. “Erica.”
“Yes?” Excited anticipation filled her eyes, and she leaned even closer.
“I would have to have sex to get pregnant.”
“Oh.” Her eyebrows dipped down. “But—”
“Seven months ago. That was it.” I patted my flat stomach. “And you would have definitely seen a bump by now if I were about to pop in two months.”
“I suppose.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. You’ve just been distant lately. You’re quieter and always leaving.” She shrugged to herself. “Then again, I’ve not been around too much either. We should do a roommate dinner or a roommate weekend. Wait.” She latched on to my arm. “What about a roommate slumber party? We’ll drink wine, watch ’80s movies, and eat lots of pizza. We can sleep out in the living room—or in our rooms. Maybe we should get a nice hotel suite, and do that? Yeah, let’s do that.”
She was still concocting new ideas, but I saw the wistfulness in her eyes. She was missing the old camaraderie we’d had, and so was I. Too much of Kian. Too much of Susan. Too much about interviews. Even too much of Jake, whatever was going on with him.
I took her hand from my arm and held it, squeezing it. We needed to get back to basics. I could use the distraction from Kian anyway.
I said, “When you sell your piece to a major paper, you and I will celebrate, and we’ll do our roommate-weekend thing.”
“You and me?”
“You and me.”
Her eyes welled up, and she flicked a tear away with the back of her hand. “Thanks for saying that. Sometimes, I think I’ll never get out of Susan’s shadow. She’s so evil.”
I laughed. “You’re a good person. She’s not. You’ll be fine in the long run. I really think that.”
“You think a big paper will buy my story?”
“I know they will. You have a different perspective on it.”
“Thanks, Jo. Sometimes, I think Susan gets me blackballed from projects at the paper. She got a major promotion at The Forum. I had been up for it, too, but they had chosen her. She’ll be gone next year.”
“Well then, next year is when you’ll shine. Screw Susan. She’ll be gone.”
“Yeah.” Erica’s head lifted. “You’re right.” She sighed, glancing over her shoulder. “I should get back to Wanker. He told me he wants to talk tonight. He’s already three sheets to the wind. Can’t imagine how that talk will go.”
The corner of my mouth curved down. “Be gentle with him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just”—he’s in love with you—“be easy with him. Whatever he wants to talk to you about must be hard for him if he’s drunk already.”
She groaned. “He shouldn’t do the serious talks when he’s pissing in the wind. That was our last big talk. He got drunk just like this when he told me not to room with you. Can you imagine how that went over? With his dick in his hand while watering the campus pond. The security guards weren’t amused.”
“He advised against you living with me?”
“Yeah.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry. He had some trumped-up idea that you were hiding something. He’s an idiot. He’s apologized five times to me since then. He realized I would’ve missed out on a good roommate and friend.”
I had tensed but relaxed. Still, hearing that Wanker had been suspicious of me didn’t sit well with me. He’d picked up that I had a secret.
“Uh, yeah. Good thing you didn’t listen to him.”
“Go pee. I’ll have a drink ready for you.” She pretended to shove me toward the back hallway.
“Nope. No way, ladies.” A big guy materialized in front of us, blocking the hallway. He held his hands out to both sides of the wall, one hand still holding his drink. With curly blond hair, a shirt that said Mass U, and cargo shorts, he looked like one of Jake’s friends. “All the rooms are blocked off. If you need to use one, you gotta see Trent.”
He pointed to a guy with jet-black hair in the living room, holding court with a group of guys and girls. He was wearing similar cargo shorts and a shirt that said Boston. Both were tall and handsome with an athletic physique.
“I have to piss.”
“Oh.” He frowned, raking me up and down. “We’re using the first-floor bathroom for something else. Most chicks are sent downstairs, b
ut there’s a bathroom upstairs. You can use that one, if you want.”
I shrugged. “As long as there’s a toilet, I don’t care.”
“Use the one upstairs. It’s at the end of the hallway, and if you run into anyone, just be discreet and quiet. A few of the rooms are occupied, if you get my drift. I’m Erik, by the way.”
Erica and I shared a look. Was this a party or a brothel?
She pointed to the kitchen. “I’ll, uh…get you a drink then.”
I nodded, heading for the stairs.
“Jo!” Jake was coming my way, holding two drinks in the air as he moved through the crowd.
Erica waved me off. “Go,” she said. “I’ll tell him you’re coming back.”
As I went up the stairs, I glimpsed Erica placing a hand on Jake’s chest, stopping him. He listened to her and then looked at me. He waved one of the drinks with a big smile on his face. I nodded, letting him know I got the message. A drink was waiting for me. Good. I’d need more than that one.
Right before I disappeared from sight, Wanker rushed up to Erica and shoved his phone in her face.
Then, I was upstairs. The hall was dark and quiet. A couple was standing in the hallway, and the girl was too chatty for my liking.
I have to go, people. Yes, yes, lots of love my way. She hates Susan and Tara. Don’t we all?
I slipped into the bathroom and sank down onto the toilet.
I needed a breather.
Kian dropped me off a block from my place. Erica warned me, but I hadn’t realized how insistent Jake would be when I got inside my apartment. The only thing he kept talking about was the party. I hadn’t been looking forward to it, but Erica promised we could leave after an hour. Once we had gotten here, the idea of getting a buzz on and forgetting about Kian had started to become more tempting.
Kian was too much in my head. Being open with him, hearing my name again, stirred up a hornet’s nest in me. I wanted to come clean. I wanted to be myself. But the media, the damn media, would hunt me. They would stalk me. They would invade my privacy over and over again and then do it all over once more.
Erica, Wanker, Jake—all of them would go. I didn’t even know if I would have my job. Henry would be ecstatic.
I checked my phone. I’d been in here for ten minutes. I needed to finish up and go face the music. After washing my hands, I reached for the door but paused. I took a deep breath.
One more night. There’s nothing different about tonight. One more show for the Oscars, just like I’ve been performing since I became Joslyn Keen.
My hand opened the door.
And here I go.
I stopped short.
Erica, Wanker, Jake, along with ten others squished behind them were all standing in the hallway. I glanced over my shoulder, but their stares were focused on me. They were waiting for me. An uneasy sensation began in me. All of them had different expressions. Erica’s eyes were wide, accusing, angry…and then I looked closer to see…hurt.
Oh, no.
When my eyes met Wanker’s, he looked away. His hand rested on Erica’s shoulder. He was there for her, not me. Jake’s eyes were shrouded in the same anger as Erica’s, but he looked more hurt than she did. And—I frowned—a little bit excited? That didn’t make sense.
“What’s going on?” I asked. But I knew.
Even before I came up to the bathroom, a sixth sense was nagging at me. It was in the back of my mind, almost laughing at me. My time was up. I felt it but shoved it back.
Maybe it was because of the cab driver. Maybe it was because of the hotel manager. Maybe it was because I’d just wanted it to happen.
I knew what I would see even before Erica held up her phone in response to my question.
There I was, smack dab in the middle. It wasn’t my old face. It was my college yearbook picture from this past year. And above the photo were the words, Jordan Emory Has Been Found.
My old name.
My new face.
And my loved ones looking at me with the accusations.
I was no longer Jo.
I had to think.
I was at a party. There were too many people, and I was trapped on the second floor. I needed to get to safety. The media circus had been notified. I had a few minutes, by my estimation.
“Is it true?” Erica sounded wounded, her eyebrows furrowed together. “Is it?”
“I…” A lump formed in the back of my throat. I couldn’t talk. I could only stare at her.
Betrayal stared back at me.
My God. My worst nightmare was coming true. I was living it right now.
The longer I stood there, gaping back at them, the guiltier I looked. I knew I needed to say something—apologize, come clean, say it was a mistake. I had to say something, but nothing left my mouth. I tried to remember the speech I prepared so long ago for when this happened, if it would happen.
My memory failed me.
“I’m so sorry, Erica.”
Hurt flooded her gaze before she looked away.
Shame and guilt overwhelmed me.
She was gone. I saw it in that instant, felt it in my gut. No matter what, that friendship was done. I’d lied for one year as her roommate and another year as her friend.
I looked at Wanker beside her. I’d expected the same look of betrayal as I started for them, for her, but I stopped. There was nothing in his gaze—at least for me. He was concerned as he looked from me to Erica.
It hit me then. He had known, but I didn’t have time to process that.
I reached out for Erica, and then a door opened behind me. A hand wrapped around my arm, and I was yanked into a room.
“Jo!” someone shouted from the hallway.
I screamed. A hand clamped over my mouth as the door was locked.
I tried to claw at the hand until a voice said into my ear, “It’s me. Stop.”
“Kian.” I pulled back.
It was him. He was dressed in the same clothes—a black sweatshirt with a hood over his head. Underneath the hood, a baseball cap was pulled down over his eyes. A shiver wrapped its way up my spine, awakening me.
I asked, “What are you doing here?”
“They know.”
“Let us in!” a voice hollered from the hallway. Someone was pounding on the door. “Let her go!”
That wasn’t Erica.
I held my breath, waiting for her voice, but it didn’t come.
Jake was yelling. There were others.
I tuned them out and asked Kian, “What’s the plan?” I’d wallow later. We needed to escape first.
Kian grabbed my arm and went to the window. Throwing it open, he let go of me as he took the screen off. Pointing to a tree, he said, “I’ll climb down. You wait and then jump. I’ll catch you.”
“Uh…” I was skinny, but I wasn’t a lightweight.