“Well, you’re right: none of those descriptions fit me. But for now, I’m his boyfriend, and I’m not letting anybody, you included, stress him out while he’s sick.” Reg drew in a deep breath. “You’re not talking to him.”
Bill was silent for so long, Reg thought he’d hung up, but then he said, “You actually do care about him.”
It wasn’t a question, but Reg answered anyway. “Yes. I care a lot.”
Chapter 7
JEREMY WOKE up disoriented. He rubbed his eyes, sat up, and darted his gaze around the room. Hotel. Tour. And according to the clock on the nightstand, late afternoon. His body felt sore and achy, and he tried to remember what thrill-seeking adventure Reg had dragged him to that caused his pain.
“Reg?” he croaked. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Reggie?”
The door opened seconds later. “Hey.” Reg smiled and walked over to the bed. “How’re you feeling?”
That’s right. The achy feeling was from being sick, not from jumping off something high or climbing up something tall or whatever other shenanigan Reg might have come up with.
Taking stock of his body, Jeremy said, “Not 100 percent yet, but I definitely feel better than I did earlier.”
“Good.” Reg sat on the edge of the bed and rested his palm on Jeremy’s forehead. “You’re not as hot. How about your stomach? You think you might throw up again?”
“God, I hope not.”
“I’ve got some crackers and water. I’ll bring them in here.”
“That sounds good.”
“You need anything else?”
“No.” Jeremy shook his head.
“Okay. Hang tight.” With a gentle squeeze to Jeremy’s shoulder, Reg stood.
“Reg,” Jeremy said as he reached out and grasped Reg’s wrist.
Darting his gaze from Jeremy’s hand to his face, Reg said, “What’s up?”
“I’m sorry for ruining the white-water rafting trip. I know you were excited about it.”
“It’s no big deal.” Reg patted Jeremy’s arm. “We’ll do it some other time.”
Jeremy nodded in response, and Reg left the room, then returned almost immediately with a box of crackers and bottles of Vitamin Water. He set them down on the nightstand and went into the bathroom, then came back with a crystal tumbler in his hand.
“Fancy shmancy hotel, and they don’t have any plates.” He poured some crackers into the glass. “You can use this instead. There’s nothing worse than getting crumbs in the bed.”
“True.” Jeremy popped a cracker into his mouth.
Reg sat next to him, twisted open a cap on one of the water bottles, and held it out. “I talked to Bill while you were sleeping.”
“You did?”
“Uh-huh. I had him on the phone, remember? You were so tired you crashed when I was in the other room.” Reg tilted his chin toward the bottle. “Drink.”
Jeremy raised the water to his lips.
“He told you about the issue with what he’s calling a leak and I’m calling a lie, right?” Reg paused and frowned. “Well, I guess it’s not a lie because it’s true, so maybe I should say a lucky guess.”
“Yeah. Somebody told somebody you’re not my boyfriend, and because apparently this is the first time in the history of ever a celebrity has been perceived to be less than honest about a significant other, all hell has broken loose.”
“Uh, I think maybe that’s overstating it a little.”
Jeremy pouted.
“Quit pouting.”
“I don’t pout!”
“Okay. Quit pressing your lips together and pushing them out in what strongly resembles a pout.”
Flipping Reg off, Jeremy started gulping the water.
“What do you want to do?” Reg asked.
“Right now?”
“About the press issue.”
“Nothing,” Jeremy said stubbornly.
“Nothing?”
“Why? Are you worried what people will think of you if—”
“No.”
Tension drained from Jeremy’s body. “Are you sure?”
“Nobody knows me, JJ. They don’t care about me. Bill says this whole thing hurts you.”
“Do I look hurt?” Jeremy shivered a little and pulled the blanket higher on his waist.
“Well, actually, right now you’re not at your healthie—”
“I’m sick, not hurt.”
“I know.” Reg leaned forward and brushed Jeremy’s hair off his forehead. “And you know what your manager means.”
“I rarely know what my manager means.”
Rolling his eyes and sighing, Reg said, “Your public image is at risk.”
“I don’t care.”
“You don’t care about your public image?” Reg asked disbelievingly.
“Well, I care, I guess. But I don’t care, yeah?”
“You lost me.”
“I want to sell albums, so of course I care. But this is bullshit. How can people say I’m setting a bad example by acting like I flipped a switch and went from straight to gay if they’re not in my head? What if I’ve been gay and struggling with it the whole time? Or what if I’m bi, and this just happens to be the first public relationship I’ve had with a man?”
“Are you?”
“Well, no.” Jeremy crinkled his forehead together. “But they don’t know that. Honestly, sex isn’t a big deal anyway. I’m not sure it’d matter who was in my bed as long as they stayed in it.”