Platinum (All That Glitters #3)(67)

He pulled her in close, holding her tight, and he rested his chin on top of her head. “I just want to be here for everything. I don’t want to miss a moment with you.”

“We’re going to have so much more time than this.”

“When all your dreams come true, you’re supposed to live happily ever after.” Damon kissed her forehead. “No one ever tells you what you have to sacrifice to get there or that your happily ever after comes with a world of different stresses you never imagined.”

“That’s the funny thing about dreams. They’re always better when you’re sleeping.”





“SERIOUSLY, HOW DO YOU have so much shit?” Bryna complained, hoisting another bag into the trunk of Stacia’s SUV.

Trihn shrugged. “It’s an in-case-the-world-ends assortment of things.”

Her hands were trembling, and she felt like a bug was coming on. Everything about today put her on edge and worried her. It was the big day.

“What if it sucks?” Trihn asked.

“You’re Trihn Hamilton. It won’t suck,” Bryna said.

“Plus, we’ve worn the clothes. They’re awesome,” Stacia said. She dropped one last bag into the very full trunk. “I think that’s it. Time to go.”

Trihn hopped into the backseat, and Bryna took shotgun. While Stacia drove, they blasted the radio on the way to the Vegas Strip where the fashion show would be held in one of the many glamorous ballrooms at Caesars Palace.

The girls had done their hair and makeup beforehand, knowing that they would be swamped with work once they got there. Trihn had decked them out in her designs, and she had to admit that they looked like a certified squad—the bitch, the slut, and the badass.

The radio crackled as the announcer came on. “Welcome back! We have a special announcement. A world premiere that just released. You’re hearing it here first. The first single off of Chloe Avana’s new self-titled album.”

“Turn it up!” Trihn cried.

Damon hadn’t let her hear the song yet. He had said that he wasn’t approved to do it, even while making the music video. He’d promised to let her hear it as soon as they were done. The song must have leaked before then.

Stacia flipped the switch, so the volume cranked to max.

“Debut artist DJ Damon Stone, featuring Chloe Avana. This is ‘We Never Met.’”

Trihn rocked back into her seat with her mouth open. Her heart beat fiercely as the song started. When Chloe’s vocals cued in, the girls all started dancing in the their seats.

“Oh my God,” Trihn said.

She knew those lyrics. She had heard them only twice before—once in a recording and once when Damon had sung them to her, acoustic-style, in his bedroom. This was her song.

Even though it was Chloe singing her song, it was still pretty crazy that there was a song written about herself on the radio. Plus, Damon’s backup vocals sounded amazing, and if she closed her eyes, she could remember him singing it to her.

When the song ended, Stacia turned the music down. “That was so good,” she said.

“It’s my song,” Trihn said, slightly dazed.

“Your song?” Stacia asked in confusion.

“Yeah. He wrote it about me.”

“And he let Chloe sing it?” Bryna asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Yeah, I guess. I mean, he didn’t tell me what song he was recording. When I asked him when I could hear it, he said when he was cleared for it. I guess it got leaked early or something,” she said.

“Suspicious,” Bryna said.

Stacia smacked her on the arm. “No, it’s not!”

“Sounds just like Chloe to me.”

“I’m sure it’s not like that,” Stacia said.

“Guys, I’m sure he has a legitimate reason for not telling me about the song.”

“Yeah, but what about this music video?” Bryna asked. “Aren’t the lyrics basically about finding his dream girl in a club? What are the chances that they made Damon and Chloe find each other in the club for this music video?”

Trihn frowned. She hadn’t thought about that. “I don’t know, Bri. You know Hollywood.”

“Stop freaking her out,” Stacia said. “Damon is a good guy. No one should be suspicious. His song is on the f*cking radio!”

“I’m not suspicious of Damon,” Bryna said immediately. “Just Chloe.”

Trihn nodded. “Yeah, well, it’s his first single. I’m not going to worry about any of that until after the fashion show.”

They pulled into the parking lot, and a few of the volunteers came out to get the rest of Trihn’s equipment. Then, they sauntered into Caesars Palace as if they owned the place.

Backstage was full of senior design students who Trihn had been sharing studio space with for the four months she worked on this project. Models were running around half-naked with their hair and makeup in different stages of disarray. Designers were fluttering by, trying to fix issues and doing adjustments.

When Trihn made it to her models, Francesca had already organized the girls into groups. Hair and makeup was all but done. The girls just had to get into their clothes, and they would be all but ready to walk the runway.

“You’re a goddess,” Trihn said before kissing Francesca on both cheeks. “I could never thank you enough for doing this.”