The Ex-Change novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: The Preview

Vanessa's footsteps had barely faded down the hall when Lowen knocked on our door.

It was a real knock, one hard rap, and she didn't wait for an answer.

She came in with a laptop open on her forearm, still in yesterday's black, her glasses crooked.

"The network sent this at five," she said. "It airs tomorrow night as a preview of the finale. I'm sorry."

She set the laptop on the bed and pressed play.

The elevator video came up first, grainy and black and white, with me against the mirror and Jude's hand in my hair.

The time stamp in the corner had been cropped off.

Across the bottom a caption slid in: "ROME. ONE WEEK BEFORE FILMING."

Then Colton's voice came in over it, sad and gentle.

"I wanted so badly to believe they were just partners," he said. "But some things you can't un-see."

Then the picture cut to the piazza, to Jude's mouth on my hair, and froze on it.

A new caption read, "Day one. Or was it?"

I watched the whole thing to the end without blinking.

"They cut the time stamp," I said.

"They did," said Lowen.

"The kiss was at one fifteen in the morning, after the wrap party. Everyone saw us leave it together."

"People believe the caption," Jude said. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees. "That's all a preview needs."

"I can pull it," said Lowen. "I'll say there's a legal problem."

"Don't," I said.

They both looked at me.

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