19
19
“I’m not gonna lie, this feels entirely fucked-up.” Maya lets out a heavy sigh as we step away from a stall selling festival-themed cocktails, two drinks each in hand. “We’re all supposed to be here together, and now we have to continue the night without her. It doesn’t feel right.”
“The important thing is she’s going to be okay,” I reply, though I have to admit, leaving Val with the medics has definitely put a damper on things. They insisted there was nothing else we could do to help, and one of our security guys is staying with her and will bring her back to the house when the medics release her. I feel awful, and kind of guilty we didn’t stick with her all day. Maybe she wouldn’t have gotten into such a mess.
Or maybe it was unavoidable.
“How often does this kind of thing happen?” Jessie asks, biting her lip.
Maya takes a sip of one of her cocktails. “Too often, if you ask me.”
“If you ask anyone,” I correct her. “I’m scared for her, guys.”
“I think you should be.” Jessie glances around to check no one’s looking before telling us, “People can die from doing what Val did tonight. This could literally ruin her life.”
“We know, Jess,” Maya says in the sort of way that makes it clear she doesn’t need the lecture. “And getting through to her is like playing a broken record. We try to tell her, she doesn’t listen, the cycle repeats. Where the fuck do we go from there?”
“Hey!”
We all spin around. Tripp jogs toward us, red in the face like he’s been running around in a panic.
“Hey, do you guys know where Val is?” he calls as he approaches.
“Jesus,” Maya mutters, taking another big sip of her drink.
“Tripp.” I hold his hand and walk off to one side with him. “She’s in the medical tent. We found her really out of it—”
“Wait, why? Which one? Is she okay?” There’s genuine worry in his eyes, and even though they’re bloodshot and wide, as if he might be on something himself, this news seems to sober him.
“We didn’t finish our . . .”
“Security is with her and she’s gonna be fine,” I reassure him. “But do you know what happened? She just came out of nowhere and we couldn’t make any sense of it.”
“Uh, yeah.” He scrubs a hand over his face, letting out a sigh. “We were together having the best time and then started making out and then—” He shakes his head. “Listen, Princess, I need to find her and make sure she’s all right. Could you tell me where the medics are?”
I point in the direction we just came from. “Over there.”
“Great, thanks.”
He runs off.
“What did he say?” Jessie asks when I return to the girls.
“Nothing we don’t already know.”
“I’m sure things have gotten more serious between those two recently. Anyone else?” Maya asks.
“Oh, for sure.” I nod.
“It’s such a shame. This would’ve been the perfect place for them to go official,” Jessie muses.
“That would’ve been so cute.”
“Yeah, cute like those Magic Mike–looking dancers we saw onstage earlier.” Maya raises her eyebrows. “Wanna go find ’em?”
Under the sun the alcohol has an even stronger effect, and surrounded by all the energy of the festival it isn’t long until we’re dancing around the place, posing for photos and drinking even more cocktails, more shots, more drinks. We bump into celebrities everywhere, and with every stranger who runs up asking for us to sign their arm or phone case or whatever else, reality sinks in that I’m one of those celebrities people look so starstruck to see. It makes the atmosphere even more electric.
“Howdy, partners!” an overenthusiastic guy calls as we pass by what looks like a mini version of a big-top circus tent. It’s all red-and-white stripes with a sparkling red doorway, a smoke machine spilling smoke out from underneath. When he sees he has our attention, he breaks into character, tipping his top hat and dipping into a bow. “Roll up, roll up to the main event!”
“Isn’t that what we’re watching on the Coachella stage tonight?” Maya teases him.
He winks. “Ah, but this is much more exciting, cowgirl. Step inside and let me show you why.”
I glance at Maya and Jessie, laughing. “Wanna check it out?”
“I do.” Jessie steps right up, her steps clumsy from being so tipsy. “Let’s go!”
The guy dressed as the ringmaster holds the sparkling red door open for us. It’s dark in the tent, but through the smoke effect neon lights glow, and as we step farther in I see a huge popcorn cart taking center stage, a small cluster of people gathered around waiting for a box.
“What is this place?” I say, glancing around the edges of the tent. There’s a guy with a python draped around his neck and various acrobats and circus performers putting on a show. Old-fashioned circus music fills the tent, interspersed with a much heavier bass note that kind of sounds like club music.
And there, behind it all, in huge lit-up letters, is the name of the event this is promoting.
“‘Cirque au bord de l’eau,’” I read aloud.
“Circus by the water,” the ringmaster translates for us. “It’s down in Miami this summer, hosted by the one and only—”
A voiceover cuts in before he can finish his sentence, the sound blaring through the tent and making everyone’s heads turn to the big screen set up behind the popcorn stand. Images of live performers, circus acts, people laughing and dancing like here at Coachella, and a drone shot of the Miami skyline and the glistening blue ocean flash across the screen. And then, looking smug with a hand on her hip, staring directly into the camera, Miami Beach in the background, is none other than . . .
“Hey, I’m Riley Vega, and I’m inviting you, Coachella party people, to come join me this summer for a beach party to remember. Cirque au bord de l’eau, right here in South Beach—it’s a circus by the water, and you won’t wanna miss out.”
With a final wink at the camera Riley’s image blinks out, and the tent resumes the old-fashioned circus music once again. The crowd goes wild as the music fades.
“Oh, Ms. Vega will be doing a meet and greet tomorrow afternoon if you’d like to come take some photos,” the ringmaster butts in, clearly not recognizing us. “Prices start at fifty dollars per person, and you can book with one of our wonderful circus performers over to the left of the popcorn cart.”
“Thanks,” Maya says, sickly sweet, “but I think we’re good.”
“Well, don’t forget to take away a free box of popcorn, details of the event printed on the base of the box!” The ringmaster points to the cart. “And if you’re lucky, you might find a golden popcorn kernel inside. Everyone who does gets a VIP ticket for themselves and three friends.”
“What is this, Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory?” Jessie laughs.
“Golden popcorn kernels? Sounds more like a choking hazard.” Maya plays along, but I’m already heading out of the tent, back into the sunshine.
A whole circus on Miami Beach. I can’t wrap my head around it. “Who’s funding this? I guess her label is really investing in her . . .”
The fact that she’s the headliner and marketing is making it out to be her event and she’s releasing her album at the same time tells me that her team knows what they’re doing. This is the stuff I’m always trying to tell Kimi and Wayne. You have to stack things together to build the momentum. And for some reason we can’t seem to get the timing and strategy right.
“I’m thinking it was a bad idea to agree to go, no matter how many connections I can make,” I say with a sigh.
Maya scoffs. “Riley is probably banking on using you to market herself. Your fans are loyal, so they’ll obviously want to come see you live, so that’ll be more ticket sales for the event, and it’ll be great for her PR image.”
“Yeah, it’s all making sense.” My stomach sinks.
“What?” Maya stops still to look at me.
“That comment on our TikTok,” I say. “That’s why she posted it. She’s trying to make it look like we’re friends again so everyone will assume I’m there to support her. It helps draw attention to the event, makes her look good. It’s all about her.”
“You’re right.” Maya’s jaw drops. “That bitch.”
“I don’t even know what’s worse: fake friending me or suddenly hating me for virtually no reason.”
I glance over at Jessie, wondering why she hasn’t said much. And then I see why.
“Oh god, Jess, are you okay?” I wrap an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close.
Tears stream down Jessie’s face, running tracks through her highlighter, and her shoulders are hunched over as she struggles to keep herself from sobbing out loud. I rack my brain for why she’d be so upset but I can’t think of anything. When I pull her into me, she cracks.
“I’m so sorry, Princess.”
Over the top of her head, I meet Maya’s gaze and share a look of bewilderment. “Sorry for what, Jess?
“It’s just—” She rocks with more tears against me. Whatever happened must’ve really affected her.
“Come on, babe, you can tell us,” Maya soothes, holding Jessie around the shoulders, too, and pulling us all into a tight huddle. It’s what we do for privacy in a wide-open public space like this whenever one of us is going through it, forming our own little safe place built entirely of best friendship and love.
“I should’ve told you earlier, Princess, I’m sorry,” she cries. “This morning when I went out for my run, I saw John.”
“That must’ve been awful for you.” Maya nods with fake sympathy, but she cuts the joke off when I glare at her.
“Let her speak.”
“Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.”
“Well, it’s not working. She’s upset.”
Jessie tries to laugh through her tears, but she only manages a deep sigh. “No, it’s true, Princess—it was awful. I didn’t want to ruin your weekend but it’s driving me crazy not telling you.”
Creeping dread returns with every word she speaks. “You’re scaring me, Jess. What do you mean?” I ask, but I don’t think I really want to know the answer.
“I saw him with Riley, Princess,” she says, and my heart cracks and drops hard through my body, weighted with betrayal. “I ran past the house she rented for the weekend on my route and saw a couple hugging on the steps. I didn’t realize it was him at first because they were so all over each other, but—”
“All over each other?” There’s fury in Maya’s tone. “You mean like making out?”
Jessie nods. “It looked pretty intimate.”
“Are you sure?” Maya growls.
Jessie nods. “I guess he stayed there last night,” she continues. “It’s the only explanation I can think of for why he didn’t come to our house until this morning. They didn’t see me run past, obviously, but the more I think about it, the more I wish I’d just run right through those gates and went in on them for what they’re doing to you.”
I can’t speak. Or move. Or feel anything except humiliation. He was supposed to be changing for me. We were supposed to be working through this. Riley was supposed to be a collab, just business, nothing more. He lied to me and, worse, is still doing it. Just this morning he tried to sleep with me. I feel sick.
“Is that why she isn’t here promoting her stupid fucking circus?” I snap, breaking out of the friendship huddle and raking my hands through my hair, pacing. “Huh? Is that why she’s not here, because she’s fucking my boyfriend?” I shout the last words in the direction of the circus tent, catching the ringmaster’s attention, and I must look like a crazy person but I can’t stop myself. He looks disturbed and turns away.
“Babe.” Maya reaches for me.
“Tell me I’m dreaming,” I say on autopilot, my mouth speaking angry words while inside my brain just feels numb. No feeling settles. No action seems enough. I could call him, but what if he’s with her? He’s going to lie anyway. The thought of him spewing his lies down the phone while Riley’s all over him churns my gut. I can’t believe this. And at the same time, yes, I fucking can.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, Princess,” Jessie offers meekly, her voice low but the conflict clear in her eyes. “I didn’t want to ruin the weekend.”
“Don’t,” I say, shaking my head quickly. “Don’t you dare apologize for his shitty actions. I know why you didn’t tell me, Jess. You don’t need to apologize, this isn’t your fault.”
“What do you want to do, Princess?” Maya asks, running her hands through her hair while glancing between the both of us.
I look back at the circus tent and then down at my phone, the screen devoid of any messages from John. The asshole hasn’t even tried to text me to check in and see if I’m having a good time or if I’m okay. Meanwhile he’s back there at the house I invited him to, going behind my back . . .
But wait—of course he’s not at the house.
My mind reels as I make the connection and my realization sinks deeper.
He only fucking told me that as a cover-up. He’s probably with her right now.
“Come on,” I say with fury, pacing forward so the girls have to jog to catch up with me.
“Where are we going?” Maya calls.
“Where do you think?” I spin around to face them, seeing red. “We’re going to find John and Riley and ask them once and for all, who the fuck do they think I am?”