Shall We Dance

••4•• {I Won't Become The Victim}

I stared at my phone and the pictures it displayed.

Mark's timeline.

I looked at the pictures of him and his girlfriend. He called her his perfect match, half of his heart, his dream and then my eyes fell upon one photo in particular.

It was of their hands clasped together and her ring-finger on-top, showing off a diamond ring.

The caption read; my fiancé.

Why was it so hard to see him happy? Why was it so hard to see a ring on another girl's finger? Why did it hurt so bad to know that he had moved on?

I knew this would happen the second our eyes met. Our relationship was made of nothing but glass, easily shattered because it was never meant to last.

I knew he would move on and I knew it would hurt, but I needed him then. I needed a kiss then, even if it was the last one we would ever share. It felt good then. It felt good to be loved even though we both knew it wouldn't work.

Now here I am, sitting alone in my room while scrolling through his pictures wishing he would come home. Tears stained my cheeks because it hurt to hold them back. Pain stained my heart because I wish I had held back.

...

"Hey, gorgeous."

I turned to face Josh and his beautiful hazel eyes. "Hey, Joshy."

"You look down," he noticed.

"I just have a lot in my mind."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to get something to eat? There's a cafe down the road."

"Will Emerald care?"

"We aren't dating anymore."

"You signed a contract, Josh. You have to date her!"

He looked away.

"Care to explain?" I asked.

"I'll tell you everything over lunch." He winked.

I sighed. "Okay..."

...

"So explain this stupid contract to me," I said in-between bites of pizza.

"Okay, so after season five they wanted to cast me as the new judge because Sierra quit. I agreed and they gave me a contract. I didn't read the whole thing so I never really understood what it was asking. It stated that whoever I date during the first week, has to date me throughout the entire season. Then they threw the marriage bomb at me."

"What's that?"

"The contract also stated that I had to marry my girlfriend at the end of this season. They said it would get more views than all of the other episodes combined. By the time I found out, it was too late."

"That's horrible!"

"I know. People always hate breakups and they wish they could stay with that person forever but really, they don't want that. You don't want to be stuck with a mistake for the rest of your life."

"So there's nothing you can do about this?"

"Not really." He sighed. "I don't love Emerald. I never have and now they want me to propose on live television in two months."

"So don't do it!"

"But I signed a contract... Do you know what will happen if I go against the contact?"

"You'll be fired?"

"Worse! I can't just not do what the contract says! That's not an option, okay? If Maxwell takes it to court, you know what they'll say!"

"What will they say?"

"They'll tell me that I signed the contract and I'm obligated to do what it says."

"So you're stuck?"

"Pretty much." He sighed. "I know that I can divorce but that's such a waste of money, you know?"

"I know. This whole situation just isn't fair."

"Too you?" He winked.

"Why wouldn't it be fair to me?"

"Because we can't date."

I rolled my eyes. "You wish I liked you!"

"I don't have to wish for reality." He gave me his signature seductive smile.

"Why do you flirt with me so much?"

"It's an instinct."

"When you see a hot girl you flirt with them until they fall in love with you and then break up with them?"

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

"Because it IS!"

He leaned in closer so that there were only inched between our lips.

"Your sassy and to me, that's pretty freakin' sexy."

I couldn't breathe. Josh Trevor called me sexy! The idol of so many girls my age. He was one of the most famous judges on TV and one of the highest paid ones at that.

He was perfection. His voice was deep and smooth and I craved it. His body was perfectly toned and he made perfection seem effortless.

But I can't.

I couldn't.

I wouldn't.

I wasn't going to be the victim again.

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Next update: Sunday

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Xoxo,
Halliegj •