Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
His voice seemed to break through the angry tears she was shedding as she turned her attention to him. “Y-you’re Jay Fields.”
“That’s right, and you seem to be upset with my son.”
“He’s pretending not to know me.”
“That’s because I don’t know you,” I said firmly, making sure everyone heard. My band often attracted intense fans, but something about her mention of us talking online for over a year had an even sicker feeling filling my gut. I’d known of other musicians having people impersonate them on the internet, but up until now, I’d been lucky enough not to have it happen to me.
“How can you say that?” Alison shot back, visibly distraught.
My dad glanced at Roan. “Is there a back room where we can take her to sit down and talk?”
My cousin bobbed his head, looking worriedly at Alison like she might be some deranged stalker. But this woman didn’t seem dangerous, just very upset. My dad placed his hand on her elbow and began leading her away, my mother following suit. I tried to come, too, but my dad turned to me, stopping me with a hand. “Let me talk to her first. I’ll figure out what’s going on.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding as my heart hammered in my chest.
If anyone could get to the bottom of this, it was my father.
5.
Shannon
Jace looked distraught as I approached him and softly touched his upper arm. “Hey, do you need a glass of water or something?”
He seemed to not hear me at first, his face pale before he blinked and glanced down at me. “What?”
“Water, would you like some?”
He rubbed at the stubble on his jaw, his voice rough when he responded, “Uh, yes, thank you.”
“Come on, we’ll go ask the bartender.”
Sliding my arm through his, I slowly led him to the small bar at the far end of the gallery. “A glass of water, please,” I said to the woman, and she nodded before handing me a plastic cup. I then handed it to Jace, and he took an absentminded gulp, shooting me a look of thanks.
“So, you’ve really never met that woman before?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “Never. I have no idea what’s going on.”
I knew by his response that he was telling the truth. I’d known him long enough to tell when he was lying. “Well, Astro obviously has a lot of very obsessed superfans. Nowadays, people can develop parasocial relationships with celebrities. Perhaps she really believes she knows you, but it’s all in her head.”
Jace frowned, silent for a long moment before he spoke. “She said she’d been talking to me online for a year. That’s not parasocial, someone’s been …”
“Impersonating you?” I finished for him as concern cinched around my chest.
His head fell back, bumping against the wall behind him. “Fuck, this is bad. There could be others like her.”
Recognising his tension and how shaken he seemed, I took the water and set it down on the bar. “You don’t know that yet. Your dad will get all the details. You know how good he is at interviewing people. Plus, he’ll be the best person to decide whether or not she’s lying.” Jace’s dad had a lot of practice reading people from his work as an illusionist. He also had a natural ability to figure people out.
Jace nodded, staying quiet, and I felt the odd need to comfort him somehow. Reaching out, I took his hand in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.
At my touch his hazel gaze lifted to me, searching, as if he were trying to read my thoughts. Heat rushed up my arm from where our hands met, his palm warm, his fingertips rough with callouses. He got them from the hours he spent coaxing melodies from his guitar. The contrast to my soft skin sent a sharp, surprising thrill through me.
It had been years since we’d touched like this, and I wasn’t prepared for the way the world seemed to narrow to that single point of contact. Electricity skated across my skin as his fingers shifted against mine, his thumb brushing the inside of my wrist in a slow, unthinking sweep that made my breath catch. For a heartbeat, I was locked in his stare, anchored there by … Something.
That was when Matilda approached. I jerked my hand back as if burned and turned quickly to face Jace’s mother, hoping she hadn’t noticed the flush warming my cheeks.
“What’s happening?” Jace asked, desperate.
“Your dad’s still talking with her, but it looks like someone’s been pretending to be you online and doing a pretty good job of it. Whoever they are, they’ve been carrying out a relationship with this woman. She was very confused at first because she truly believed you were the one she was speaking to, but Jay has helped her realise it wasn’t real. This impersonator has been making up all sorts of outlandish reasons as to why you can’t meet in person, and the most recent excuse was a car accident in Japan that left you injured.”