“Grab your bag, Larsen. We’ll head out the back. Jessica has the truck waiting.”
“Jessica?” I say to make conversation as I slip the tie on my apron free from its bow.
“Yeah, we can talk about that later. Jeff says they have things under control here and to keep you safe until things die out a bit.”
“Mmhmm,” I murmur, not realizing the gravity of my agreement.
Cole ushers me out the back door, many of the inquisitive observers already moving in that direction to watch my exit. I’m sure seeing me tucked tightly against Cole’s body is only going to add fuel to the fire.
I barely get a chance to say hello to Jessica before she’s speeding off in Cole’s old SUV heading in the opposite direction of his apartment. And when I point out the fact they smile at each other.
“We need to lead them in the wrong direction. We’ll drive about an hour this way until they lose the track and then head back. By that time either you’ll be old news or we’ll need Tawny to hire a few more recruits,” Cole points out. “But at the rate you’re getting attention, your uncle may be able to retire.”
I realize that he says it in jest and I fake a smile in his direction, but the thought of anyone assuming that I want this attention spoils the food in my belly. Glancing up into the rearview mirror Jessica and I exchange a look and I can see that she feels the same.
A prison is a prison regardless of the design. And as I step into Cole’s apartment, I can feel my free will slipping away. He graciously offers his guest room, but I stop him cold saying that I don’t want to inconvenience Jessica. I watch as they share another silent look and then she tucks her body against Cole’s.
“Well, she’s staying in my room.”
“Oh.” The thought never dawned on me that those two would be together. Maybe it was because they live so far apart, or that I’ve been lost in my own world. Either way, my gaze flicks back and forth between the two of them. They look good together, her effortless So-Cal style against his All-American look. “Wow. When did this happen?”
Obviously, they weren’t together when we went hiking almost two months ago.
“It’s been a recent development,” Cole points out.
“And I have a lot of frequent flyer miles,” Jessica chimes in. “We’re just seeing where things go. I hope that doesn’t make things awkward between us. I mean I know that you two. . .” She leaves her comment hanging in the air.
“No, please, I am so happy for you both. You give me hope, really.”
“You should call your boy. He’s probably worried sick at this point.”
At first, I want to tell them that he isn’t my boy, but I can’t bring myself to utter the words. We may not be together, but I’m his in every sense. And perhaps a part of him is mine.
“He’s probably still filming.”
I try to brush them off as a knock sounds on the door. An eerie silence thickens in the room, and like quicksand, we sink into its oblivion.
Cole slips his phone from his pocket and looks at the screen. “Good, about time,” he utters as she strolls toward the door. He must have a security camera installed and that’s why Devyn was okay with me coming here.
Opening the door, my uncle stands on the opposite side with a bag in one hand and his phone pressed up to his ear in the other.
“Yeah, she’s here and looks fine. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, I will.” Jeff ends the call and looks over to me.
“You need to call your boyfriend.”
Trying to argue I exasperatedly say, “He’s not my. . .” but it’s a futile argument. “Fine. I will do it in a minute.”
“Good. He can go over some precautions to take right now. I brought over a change of clothes for you until I can take you back to get some of your things.”
“I’m going home tomorrow. I can’t stay here.”
“You have photographers camped outside your apartment building. They’re scaring your guests too. It was like trying to walk through a minefield when I went there. Everyone is shoving a camera or a phone in your face. What a nightmare. I can’t believe Devyn deals with that every day.”
I don’t have a response for Jeff. The photographers aren’t a hardship when you signed up for that life, crave that kind of life. It’s terrifying to me because it’s so far-fetched from my world. The media attention after the accident with my mom had been bad enough. This current situation is my worst nightmare. Things couldn’t get any worse.
Two days later, I didn’t realize how wrong I could be.
What I had thought was a nightmare was just a glimpse of what was to come.