Page 125 of Blue Gold

And then, almost as if sensing I was here, Elliot glanced down, and our eyes met. My lips immediately formed a smile as excitement rushed through me like an eager child. But then, it all came down, and by that, I meant Elliot. Stumbling, he lost balance and was sent forward, falling flat on the runway with a loud thump that even the music couldn’t conceal.

I jumped to my feet as he attempted to get up, only to slip again. Seeing him struggle to get up, both palms flat on the slippery surface, physically pained me, yet before I could do anything, he was already back on his feet.

I hoped he’d glance my way so I could look into his eyes and see he was okay; only he didn’t, and instead, he started walking. Limping would be more accurate, given how he could hardly put weight on his right foot. The crowd moved on the second a new model came along, but not me. I kept my eyes on Elliot until he disappeared backstage. The second he was out of my sight, I moved my ass to go and find him.

Elliot

When you fall on the runway, it isn’t just a fall but a head-on crash at 120 km/h. And like a complete amateur, I fell flat on my face in front of everyone, turning this moment into a living nightmare. It was one thing to fail, but to do it in front of hundreds of people? In front of Vito, the very man who’d given me a chance, and more importantly, Daniel?

I swallowed down the tears threatening to come out and, with the bit of dignity I had left, pushed myself back up from the floor. Only the ache in my ankle made me fall again.

My heart raced, every part of me trembling until I felt like I couldn’t breathe. And with the crowd’s whispering and gasping—an even worse soundtrack to this already humiliating moment—I pressed my lips together, pushed through the pain, and got up. My throat burned from my need to cry, but I wasn’t about to. Over my dead body would I humiliate myself even more. But knowing that one look at Daniel would make me burst into tears, I made sure to avoid him at all costs as I tried to walk as normally as I could. My ankle hurt with each step, but it didn’t matter, and I finished the rest of my walk with my head held high like nothing had happened.

Only something did happen.

I failed.

I failed in front of the very people I wanted to impress, and a hundred more.

41

DANIEL

The backstage of the event was ten times more chaotic than the front, and in this mess, I had to find Elliot. Searching through the busy room, I couldn’t hear myself think, let alone track him down, even though it had only been a couple of minutes since his fall.

My stomach turned, replaying that moment and how he must have hurt himself. But shaking out of it, I grabbed someone’s shoulder.

“Where’s Elliot?”

The man, who looked like one of the models himself, pointed over his shoulder. “He’s in the first aid room in the back, being checked by a medic.”

I let go of him at once and walked in the direction he pointed at. The further I went down the halls, the more the noise died down, until it was almost possible to forget an event was taking place in this building.

“Could you tell me where the first aid room is?” I asked a passerby who was carrying some boxes in her arms.

“Down the hall, then to the right. You can’t miss it.”

Following her direction, I reached the room. While the door was closed, I could hear voices coming from inside, and knowing better than to interrupt, I decided to wait until the door opened. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall.

“What a shitshow,” I grunted, rubbing the bridge of my nose. When I imagined how tonight would go, Elliot suffering a fall on the runway definitely wasn’t included.

Time went by, and the door remained closed. Getting impatient, I pushed back from the wall and checked my watch. What’s taking them so long? If it was just a minor injury, they should have been out already. Unless it wasn’t minor⁠—

“Daniel?”

I turned around to find Claudia standing a few feet away. Wonderful. Immediately straightening up, I cleared my throat. “Hey.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, which made sense, given the fact that I shouldn’t be here.

“I’m looking for the bathroom,” I said, an apologetic smile plastered on my face to cover up my lie.

“Are you?”

“Eh… Yes.” Her face still seemed dull when I realized my mistake. “Great show, by the way. Truly, amazing as always.”

She snorted before looking down at the floor and shaking her head.

“I see where he gets his audacity from,” she muttered.