CASEY
I shook my head, nerves tightening. How could I explain that this photo was more than a snapshot? It was a public announcement, something I wasn't ready to face. The contract, the lies, the tangled confusion inside me, all mixed with something I didn't dare admit, even to myself.
Mom continued, her voice gentle but certain, "Casey, this means nobody will ever talk about you, or Cesar, or me, ever again. People are eating up your romance with Sebastian. It's perfect."
Her words played in my head, but she didn't know the battles raging inside me. She didn't know the truth. She didn't know the storm of thoughts crashing through my mind right now.
I forced a tight smile on my face.
"That's great, Mom," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. My fingers curled around the hem of my clothes, grounding myself, willing my emotions to stay hidden.
