Unrivaled (Beautiful Idols 1)

Mateo shot her a conflicted look, but Layla moved past it and took his hand in hers. “You can’t blame her for hanging all over you.” She inched closer, ran her fingers over the neck of his T-shirt. “Not when you come in here looking so amazing.”

She cast an appreciative look at his dark jeans, charcoal V-neck tee, and black linen blazer—a far cry from his usual board shorts and wet suits. Clearly he’d made an effort, and she wanted him to know just how much she appreciated the gesture.

“C’mon.” She grabbed hold of his lapels and pulled him closer. “Wanna drink?”

He shook his head.

“Wanna dance?”

He squinted. “You don’t dance.”

“I do with you.”

He frowned and looked away. “How many of these kids are messed up on Molly, or worse?”

Layla sighed. It took all her effort not to roll her eyes. “Not sure.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I took a survey.”

“And it doesn’t bother you that they might be?”

“Last I checked, I didn’t work for the DEA, and neither did you.” She let go of his jacket, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared at him. “What’s really going on here?” she asked. Everything about him was grossly out of character.

“What’s going on with you?” He rubbed his lips together, ran a hand through his hair.

“Can you be more specific?” She frowned.

“What happened to your blog and the inside story you were supposed to uncover?”

Layla looked at him, sensing that what he really wanted to ask was: What happened to you?

“Mateo, why did you come here?” she asked, ignoring the question. There was no good way to answer it that wouldn’t just make everything worse.

When he met her gaze, the fight seemed to seep out of him. “To see you.” He shook his head.

“Well, I’m here. Right in front of you. Asking you to dance. Question is: What are you going to do about it?”

Without hesitation, he grasped her hand, led her into the crowd, and pressed his lips against hers. The move reminded her of the time she’d danced with Tommy—a time she preferred to forget.

But maybe this kiss with Mateo could erase all of that. Or, at the very least, superimpose a better memory on top of the bad one.

She pushed closer, slowly grinding her hips against his. Relieved when Mateo anchored his hands at her waist and closed whatever space existed between them.

FIFTY

HIPS DON’T LIE

Spotlight

Green-eyed teen heartthrob Ryan Hawthorne has been missing from the club circuit these days, and who could blame him? With a recent run of bad luck, including a canceled show; the embarrassing public breakup at Night for Night nightclub with his former A-lister girlfriend, Madison Brooks; and the rash of rumors in the wake of her disappearance, it’s understandable he’d take a break from his party-boy ways. If there was ever a time for some serious self-reflection, it’s now. As it turns out, that’s exactly what Ryan’s been up to, and we at Spotlight were thrilled when he took time out to answer our questions.

Spotlight: We’re sure you’re aware of the frenzy following Madison’s disappearance, but considering your former relationship with her, we’re wondering—what are your theories?

Ryan: I don’t have any theories. And I certainly don’t buy into the conspiracy theories floating around. Look—I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—I’m deeply sorry about the way things ended between me and Mad. I’d do anything to get her back. And I plan to do exactly that—if she’ll have me. But for now, I respect her right to lie low, and I ask everyone else to grant her that too. She’s had a rough go of it, mostly thanks to me. And while I can’t rewrite the past, I can work on becoming the kind of boyfriend Madison deserves.

Spotlight: And what about Aster Amirpour?

Ryan: What about her? Getting involved with Aster is something I deeply regret. There’s absolutely no excuse for my behavior and the way I betrayed Madison. Now I’m just eager to put that behind me as a lesson learned and do whatever it takes to try to redeem myself.

Spotlight: Well, everyone loves a good redemption story, so we’re rooting for you, Ryan! But unlike certain news reports, you seem convinced that Madison Brooks is alive and well.