“But you’re not always honest, are you?”
Lila’s voice could cut glass. Or at least slice through Jada. Only a lifetime of dealing with her parents saved her from flinching and showing her hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lila braced her elbows on the table and steepled her fingers. “Well, after your revelation, and after I calmed down enough to stop being angry, I thought about everything I knew about you. About the background checks we do on all contestants, and frankly, it didn’t make any sense that you would have someone at home. You told us your last relationship worth mentioning ended a year ago. Your background check confirmed this.”
She would not wince. She would not give Lila any ammunition. Jada stared straight ahead at Lila and infused as much confidence in her voice as she could muster. “Donovan and I were not in a relationship before I went on the show, but we had met. I didn’t violate the rules of the show.”
Lila’s eyebrows rose. “Yes, I am aware that is the story you’ve told everyone.”
“What do you want, Lila?”
Lila pursed her thin, red lips. “What do I want? So, so much. My One and Only has been great and made my career, but what I really want is to expand my empire. And I need a new show—a can’t-miss prospect—to make that happen. That is where you, my dear Jada, come in.”
Calm. Stay calm. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re a natural. The fans love you. Well, when they’re not hating you.”
Jada would not be deterred, even if the room felt like it was spinning faster and faster around her. “What are you talking about, Lila?”
“I’m talking about the fact that I originally had a redemption arc in mind for you, involving a personality I’m already familiar with.” Lila leaned forward, her evil vibe spreading through the air like a deadly virus. “I asked John to see if he could get back together with you, with the thought of you starring in a new show together, but he couldn’t close the deal. So I had to go to Plan B, which I actually like better. What am I talking about, dear Jada? I am talking about the fact that your relationship with Donovan is a lie.”
“No, it’s not,” Jada said through stiff lips. She’d always thought the phrase about your blood running cold was hyperbole. Now she knew it wasn’t.
Lila scoffed. “Don’t bother denying it. I’m not stupid, and you’re not that great of a liar. I saw that kiss when it hit Twitter. Dissected it three ways to Sunday. He was stunned when you kissed him. You can deny it, but I’m much better in the publicity game than you are.” She waved her hand. “But all that unpleasantness can be avoided if the two of you agree to do a show together about your relationship and this wonderful little cupcake shop you have here. If you don’t, I will expose your lie, which will make your initial lie feel like a tiny fib and dwarf the negative reaction you received from the public. The backlash will be, I’m guessing, at least three times as worse. I want to help you avoid that fate. America loves #JaDon.”
Lila shrugged a shoulder, like she was offering Jada a chance to go to a spin cycling class, if she wanted. “I just want to give them more.”
The buzzing in Jada’s ears refused to abate. Lila’s words—no, Lila’s threat—played nonstop on a loop in her head. She had to protect Donovan. He’d done nothing wrong.
This was all her fault. If she’d never opened her mouth, not once, but twice, none of this would be happening. Lila couldn’t rise to the occasion as the Wicked Witch of Reality TV if Jada hadn’t inadvertently led her straight down the yellow brick road. Everything Jada touched turned into a tornado, destroying everything in its path.
She should have known the good vibes couldn’t last.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Donovan had always assumed nothing would ever make him more furious than when he found out his father had gambled away the little money Donovan’s mother had managed to save for a rainy day. He’d made the discovery that fateful afternoon during his sophomore year in high school, when his mother had been laid off from her job and they needed that money to pay the rent. That had been the final straw for his mom, who filed for divorce soon afterward. However, they had come dangerously close to being kicked out of their home. Only the kindness of family friends had stopped that from happening.
He’d resisted the urge to smash his fist into his father’s smug, unremorseful face because ultimately, that would solve nothing. Instead, he’d vowed right then and there to never be that vulnerable again and to always be there to protect and support those he loved. He’d succeeded. Until today.