Platinum (All That Glitters #3)(88)

The crowd was enthralled. Trihn even had to admit that it was hard to tear her eyes away from the show to search out Damon in the back. He was playing guitar without any spotlight on him. He was just jamming away back there, as if he were a part of the band.

It wasn’t until he switched to the piano and a spotlight hit his head that the crowd even realized he’d been hiding in the back. Her Damon was perfectly happy out of the limelight, just playing his heart out in peace.

Halfway through the next song, Chloe strode over to the piano. The crowd roared when she neared Damon. Tabloids had done their job. Chloe sang into Damon’s ear and then propped herself up on his piano. He looked up at her while he played. He had a dreamy smile on his face, like he was having the time of his life. But to the crowd, Trihn was sure it looked like he was adoring Chloe and not the music.

It was the same set that they’d played in Atlanta while Trihn had been there a couple of weeks ago. Trihn recognized when they switched from the up-tempo songs into the power ballads. One of Chloe’s quick changes had her out of her skimpy attire and into a long flowy white dress that glittered and sparkled for all eyes to see.

When Chloe started in on “Homesick,” a major hit off of her debut album, she entranced the crowd. The song was about a girl holding out for her first love and how being without him made her homesick.

As Chloe carried it into the second verse, Trihn gasped. She looked over at Bryna. “This song…”

Bryna nodded. “Yeah.”

“It’s about Gates?” Trihn whispered, leaning toward her.

“It was so blatantly obvious when it came out. I was shocked that not even the conniving press figured it out.”

“I just…wow. I never would have known.”

Trihn looked back up at Chloe, feeling a little sorry for her. Not that what she had done to Bryna and Gates was right, but she must have felt something real for Gates to have written such a moving song about him.

Then, Trihn noticed that something wasn’t quite right. Chloe was still singing, but tears, real tears, were streaming down her face. The audience was totally silent now, watching her cry through the song.

As if a flood had finally broken inside her, the words to “Homesick” were broken in her mouth, and she couldn’t seem to quell the tears. The microphone was on a stand before her, and her hands holding it were shaking. Then, one of them bunched up into her perfect hair, and the other followed, as if she were trying to hold herself together but failing.

Then, she broke off her singing entirely.

She just stared forward at her captivated audience.

Crying. Shaking. And emotionally spent.

Her body collapsed into a puddle on the floor. Tears wracked her body, and great hiccuping sobs could be heard to those nearest to the stage.

Bryna and Trihn exchanged worried glances.

What the hell is happening to Chloe?

They watched as Damon rushed to her side, sliding to a halt before her. Everyone else was paralyzed, unable to put together the breakdown with the mega superstar they all knew and loved.

Damon was softly speaking to her, trying to coax her to her feet, but she wasn’t budging. Without a second thought, he hoisted her into his arms and started to walk offstage. The audience applauded quietly. Trihn had only ever heard of such a thing happening when a football player had gone down with an injury, and they’d finally carted his body off the field.

As soon as Chloe was removed from the stage, everyone broke out into whispers.

Trihn didn’t have any answers.

Bryna nudged her. “Hey, you can still kind of see them,” she said.

Trihn looked to where Bryna was pointing, and sure enough, Damon had carried Chloe to the side of the stage. It was only visible to people who were seated at an angle, but they could just make out the outline of two bodies.

Chloe was on her feet, and Damon had his hands on her face. Trihn couldn’t tell much more than that from where she was standing. She assumed he was trying to get Chloe to calm down and snap out of whatever episode she had just dissolved into. He’d said that she was stressed and in a mood that day. This must be the result of all that stress, but Trihn couldn’t believe Chloe had actually broken down onstage in front of everyone.

Trihn had her eyes glued to the pair. And just when she was going to grab her phone and find out what the hell was happening, her world shifted as Damon’s and Chloe’s lips met.





DAMON AND CHLOE WERE KISSING.

Trihn reeled at the sight before her. Tearing her eyes away from them, she heavily sat down in her seat. She took healing deep breaths and tried to keep her stomach from lodging itself in her throat.

This couldn’t be happening again. Not another time.

She had come here for her proof, and there it was, right before her eyes. Clearly, everyone had seen the truth but her. She hadn’t wanted to believe it. No, she hadn’t believed any of it. Damon loved her. He wasn’t supposed to hurt her. He was supposed to be different.

Fuck! It hurt. She had known it would hurt. She had told him from the beginning that she couldn’t handle it a third time. She couldn’t be cheated on and come out okay with it. She’d barely survived last time. Her heart was breaking all over again.

She should have read the signs for what they were instead of brushing them aside. Now, here she was, barely breathing, as her boyfriend was kissing another girl. It didn’t even seem possible.