Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
I can’t trust myself. Matt’s proof of that.
“I don’t understand,” I say. “If Beau was only required for like two events, why was the contract until the end of the promotional tour?”
“It would be better if you’d done more appearances together, but I’m determined not to let you spend time with men who can’t be trusted if I can help it. We can just say he’s decided he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. He’s too busy saving lives, yada, yada, yada. It’s not as clean as it would be if you were still appearing together, but we can have him do a couple of shots going into hotels where you are and leak them to the tabloids. I can manage the whole thing.”
“I want to speak to him,” I say. Even though Tommy and Felicity are protecting me, something about this doesn’t sit right. Beau isn’t Matt.
“We need to change phone numbers, move you to a different hotel,” Tommy says. “Maybe Paris—”
“No, Tommy darling, Paris won’t work. She has to be in London to maintain the pretense of her still being with Beau. If she’s in Paris, our plan falls apart.”
“I want to speak to him,” I repeat. “I just don’t think he would have done something like this…” I want to judge his reaction for myself when I ask him.
Felicity’s lips are pulled into a straight, disapproving line. “Darling,” she admonished. “It will only add to your…woes.”
“Maybe Betty could be there,” Tommy says. “She could give you an outsider’s perspective on the entire thing and if things get heated, she can—”
“They won’t get heated,” I say. I might not trust myself to be fully sure whether Beau would leak stories about me to the press, but I’m absolutely sure he won’t lose his temper.
“I’m just saying, it doesn’t hurt to have a third party in the room,” Tommy says.
Tommy doesn’t trust my judgment of Beau either. But who can blame him? I get it. He’s trying to protect me—and maybe to some degree, himself. We were all fooled by Matt.
I shake my head. “I’ll figure it out. On my own. I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
THIRTY-ONE
Beau
I know I’m about to do the right thing, but there’s a heaviness in my limbs that says otherwise. Maybe it’s the half-truths I’m about to tell Vivian. Maybe it’s because I like her. Whatever it is, it doesn’t change anything.
I ignore the security guard at the hotel room door and knock.
I brace myself to see her smile. I know how hard-earned each of her smiles is, making each one more valuable. And all the more painful that I’m going to put a stop to it.
She opens the door, but a smile isn’t what I’m greeted with. It’s as if I’ve already told her I’ll be flying to Finland tomorrow. Her gaze hits my shoes
I narrow my eyes. “You okay?” I shouldn’t ask. It’s none of my business, except I still want to know every thought in her head.
“Come in.” She turns and heads into the suite. “We need to talk.”
Does she somehow know I’ve come here to end things between us? She couldn’t.
She heads over to the living room and sits in one of the chairs in front of the window, rather than the sofa where we normally sit.
Something’s really wrong, but it can’t be my news. There’s no way she can know because I’ve not told anyone other than Dax.
“What is it?” I ask, taking a seat.
“The fact that I’m recording new music for the album has gotten into the press.” She looks me dead in the eye.
“Shit. You wanted to keep that to yourself, right?” She can’t catch a break. Every move of hers is documented. I try to think if there’s anything I can do, but the horse has bolted. It’s out there.
“My label doesn’t even know. I had to have a call with them today to explain myself. It wasn’t pretty, and I’ve been so distracted with that and the leaks that I haven’t done anything in the studio.”
God, I hate that she had such a shitty day. When did that happen? When did I start to hate when a woman I was dating was having a hard time? It’s not like I ever enjoyed someone having a bad day, but it’s almost as if Vivian hurting, hurts me too. Like I’ve taken on her pain or something.
Thank god I’m getting out of this mess. I don’t want to be doing the same for her. I’m the good-time guy. I want to be living life. Making the most out of every day.
My shoulder starts to twinge again and I circle it, trying to ease the pain. “What does Tommy say?”
She holds my gaze again. “Tommy thinks you’re responsible for the leak.”
That irritates me. Tommy doesn’t know me that well, but Vivian does. I lean my head to the right and continue to circle my shoulder. Why would she even entertain the idea? “Why would he think that?”