Falling Into Love with You (The Hate-Love Duet Book 2) by Rowe, Lauren (grave mercy .TXT) 📕

with adrenaline. “I can’t thank you enough for telling me about this, Colin.”

“Of course. I couldn’t believe my ears.”

“Who talked to you about this?”

“Nadine. She’s the mastermind here. And she’s ruthless.”

I exhale. “I should have known this job was too good to be true. They never wanted me here. They wanted their usual three judges for the live shows—the same format they’ve always had. In fact, when that Instagrammer’s video first hit, they only wanted me as Savage’s mentor and fake girlfriend for three episodes. They never wanted me as a judge, but my agent strong-armed them. I guess they’ve figured out a way to make lemonade out of the Laila lemons they never wanted in the first place.”

“They’re idiots,” Colin says. “You’re incredible, Laila. So talented and beautiful. Funny and witty. I watched you guys shooting Draft Day on the monitors while I was waiting in the greenroom, and I was so impressed with how natural and charismatic you’re able to be on-camera. You’re totally yourself, other than pretending you give a shit about Savage.”

My heart pangs sharply. “I’m not pretending anything when it comes to Savage,” I confess. “Our relationship was fake when I first told you about it at Reed’s. But it’s not anymore. It’s as real as it gets.” Colin looks skeptical, so I add, “At least, it’s real for me.”

Colin looks sympathetic. Like he thinks I’m a fool. And that’s all it takes for the image of Savage walking down that hallway in Las Vegas with that groupie, one arm around her shoulders and the other holding a bottle of booze, to pop into my head and make me realize Colin is right: I’m a fool.

Colin assesses me for a long moment. “You’re in love with him?”

My breathing hitches. Savage and I have never labeled what we feel, and I don’t think I’ve admitted the full depths of my feelings for Savage, even to myself. I blink and a tear leaks out of my eye and streaks down my cheek. “Before today, I would have answered that question, yes, without a doubt. But today, he did something that made me realize it’s probably not going to work out between us.” I sniffle and wipe my cheek. “It’s too bad, honestly. I’ve had the time of my life with him. I was feeling pretty swept away.”

“Aw, Laila. Come here. Cry on my shoulder.”

“Thank you.”

Colin opens his muscled arms and I scootch over to him on the couch and let him wrap me in a warm hug, just as soggy tears begin falling down my cheeks.

“What’d he do?”

“It’s too much to explain. Bottom line, Savage can’t handle being happy. If he’s feeling too happy, he has this weird compulsion to mess it up, one way or another, even against his own interests.”

There’s a knock at the door and I lurch away from Colin, worried someone is going to burst in with a camera and snap a photo that makes me look like I’m doing something I’m not. But thank God, it’s only one of the PA’s calling to me from behind the closed door. “Fifteen minutes, guys!”

“Thank you!” I call toward the door. And when I hear receding footsteps, I smile with relief at Colin. “For a split-second, I thought someone was going to barge in here and snap a photo of me crying on your shoulder.”

“Aw, Laila, you poor thing,” he says. And there’s no doubt in my mind he’s being sincere . . . but also, semi-hitting on me. Thankfully, however, Colin has the emotional intelligence not to do anything too overt in this moment.

“It’s interesting they offered you a hundred grand to ‘lead me astray’ today,” I say. “That’s the same amount they’d have to pay to buy me out of my contract. Sounds like they want me gone, one way or another, for a hundred grand. I’m sure if they’re not successful convincing you to do their bidding, they’ll move on to Plan B and get rid of me in a much less exciting way. Either way, I’m guessing I’ll be gone during the break.”

“That sucks.”

I shrug. “It was fun while it lasted.”

“So . . . are you planning to stay with Savage when the show is over for you, or is this more like a tour fling—the show ends, and the relationship ends?”

“I don’t know what the future holds for Savage and me,” I admit. “But I feel like I should tell you . . . either way, you and I probably aren’t destined to be more than friends, Colin.”

He grins. “I’m that transparent, huh?”

“I had a hunch.”

“Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate that.”

“I appreciate you thinking I’m worthy of you. You’re an amazing guy.”

He pauses. “Are you turning me down because of your feelings for Savage, or because you’re not attracted to me, regardless?”

I consider my answer for a moment and realize I like and respect Colin too much not to answer him with complete honesty. “I don’t think the word ‘regardless’ is in my vocabulary anymore, in this context, because I can’t imagine a world where I wouldn’t want Savage. Even though he did something today that pissed me off and made me think I’m an idiot to want him, I still do. In fact, it’s impossible for me to imagine wanting anyone else. So, given that, it’s pretty hard for me to tell you if I’d be attracted to you, regardless of my feelings for Savage, when the truth is my heart and soul and body belong to him.”

“Wow,” Colin says, looking shocked.

“Before you tell me I’m a fool,” I add quickly, “I already know that. My brain knows this won’t end well for me, but I guess I need to let it run its course, or my heart will never give up on him. Never get over him.” Tears prick my eyes again and I wipe them. “Shit. My makeup is going to be a mess.”

Colin pats the couch next to him and I scootch over