Avery closed her eyes and then started for the tray of champagne again.
Maybe it’d be better to leave things as they were—to let him handle his mother and father, and then tomorrow, when everything was over, she could sit him down and say…
What, exactly? He hadn’t lied.
He’d just misled her. Told her his contract was up and he wanted to be with her.
Except he’d never meant to tell her the contract was up… That had been his parents’ doing.
Someone tapped on her shoulder, and she whirled around, expecting to see another journalist, only to find herself staring into Holden’s deep hazel eyes.
“Oh,” she gasped.
“I didn’t mean to startle you but—” He shook his head. “Just wow, Av. This is incredible.”
“Thank you.” She swallowed and then glanced away.
“I can’t possibly imagine what’s going on in your head tonight.”
“You can’t,” she agreed.
He frowned. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” she said.
“So, no. You never say you’re fine when you’re fine,” he said. “Do you want to talk?”
“No.” She said the word too quickly and then caught herself. “No, thank you.”
“Avery, come on.”
“Holden—”
?
?Just talk to me. You can tell me anything.”
“Just like you can tell me anything?” she snapped.
He took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s nothing.”
“That’s obviously not true.” He reached for her, but she sidestepped him.
“Avery—”
“Why do you have to force this?” she hissed, glancing around to make sure nobody had noticed them.
“I don’t know—”
“You do, though, and you’re not going to give up. So, meet me in the alley in five minutes.” She took a deep breath through her nose and then pinched it between her thumb and forefinger.
He nodded and then disappeared through the crowd again, off to find his parents, no doubt.
She had five minutes to figure out how to explain what he’d done to her.
Five minutes.