us. Ais, you can slow down.”
“Slow down? You want me to slow down? I’m fucked, Easton!”
“I know. I didn’t get to finish,” he smirked.
I shoved his shoulder. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Just calm down for a minute, breathe.”
“Why aren’t you freaking out, East?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t want to die out here in this forest, running from a fucking camera man!”
“We aren’t going to die. Don’t be dramatic.”
“Fine, but if you keep running like that you’re going to fall and break something. That happens and you can kiss that precious tour goodbye.”
Ugh. That was true. I slowed to a stop. “Fine, okay. Let’s just walk.”
“Thank you. Fuck. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you run that much. I didn’t know you had it in you.” He laughed.
“Cute, East. Real cute.”
“Are you even sure that was paparazzi? Who the hell hides out in the woods like that?”
“Paparazzi,” I stated with an eye roll. “Let’s go.”
“Here, why don’t you follow me, babe?” He pushed in front of me. “That way, I’ll be the first one to fall.”
“How very chivalrous of you,” was my sarcastic reply.
“Don’t be a brat. I’m saving you.”
“Next time, just bring a damn flashlight.” I narrowed my eyes at him, even though he couldn’t see it.
“Next time, let me know before you invite your friends to film it.”
“I am so going to punch you, when I can see you clearly again,” I muttered.
“Looking forward to it, Carter. It’ll be just like old times.”
“You think you’re so funny, Easton Everson, but you’re not.” I huffed.
“We’re about to cross the log, so keep ahold of my hand.”
“I’m not scared,” I said defiantly.
“Suit yourself, babe,” he replied, dropping my hand.
“Wait, East!” I felt around for him in the dark.
He thrust his hand at me, hitting me in the stomach. “Ouch.”
“Sorry, it’s dark.”
I latched on to his arm as we crossed the creek in the darkness. In all honesty, even if we fell in, the water probably only came up to our ankles.
“Can we run now?” I asked when we were on the other side of the log.
“Do we have to?” He groaned.
“Come on, it’s a straight shot from here.” I started jogging.
“Damn it, Carter. You’re going to break something!”
I didn’t give a shit. I just wanted to be out of the woods so I could get my head straight. I had to get those pictures. I couldn’t see a damn thing, so it was a good thing I knew this path by heart. I was expecting the dip in the trail in front of me. I was expecting the tree branch I ducked under. What I wasn’t prepared for was the face-plant straight into something hard!
“Jesus, Aisley? Are you okay? Tell me what happened.” John grabbed my arms and held me back, looking me over.
“I’m fine, let go.” The brute released his hold and I bent over, resting my hands on my legs to catch my breath.
A second later East came running out after me. “Aisley, shit!”
“One of you better tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“Paparazzi,” I admitted.
“Fuck,” John cursed. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “We’ll just wait for him.”
“Ais, no.” East shook his head.
“Yes. It’s perfect. There’s not an easier way out of this forest, he’s probably on his way out now.”
“You’re assuming he came in the easy way,” Easton stated.
“Fuck. Tell me he didn’t get a shot.” John looked between us.
“Only the best one.” My sarcasm couldn’t be missed.
“You’re shitting me.”
“I wish I was, John.” I really, really did.
“Those pictures can’t be that good, it’s fucking pitch black,” Easton reasoned.
“You don’t get it! I’m on my third strike. If these pictures get out, I know they’ll drop me.”
“What do you mean ‘drop you’?”
“I mean, I won’t have a tour, a record deal, or a job anymore, Easton.”
“Oh.” I looked up at him
“Slow down? You want me to slow down? I’m fucked, Easton!”
“I know. I didn’t get to finish,” he smirked.
I shoved his shoulder. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Just calm down for a minute, breathe.”
“Why aren’t you freaking out, East?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t want to die out here in this forest, running from a fucking camera man!”
“We aren’t going to die. Don’t be dramatic.”
“Fine, but if you keep running like that you’re going to fall and break something. That happens and you can kiss that precious tour goodbye.”
Ugh. That was true. I slowed to a stop. “Fine, okay. Let’s just walk.”
“Thank you. Fuck. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you run that much. I didn’t know you had it in you.” He laughed.
“Cute, East. Real cute.”
“Are you even sure that was paparazzi? Who the hell hides out in the woods like that?”
“Paparazzi,” I stated with an eye roll. “Let’s go.”
“Here, why don’t you follow me, babe?” He pushed in front of me. “That way, I’ll be the first one to fall.”
“How very chivalrous of you,” was my sarcastic reply.
“Don’t be a brat. I’m saving you.”
“Next time, just bring a damn flashlight.” I narrowed my eyes at him, even though he couldn’t see it.
“Next time, let me know before you invite your friends to film it.”
“I am so going to punch you, when I can see you clearly again,” I muttered.
“Looking forward to it, Carter. It’ll be just like old times.”
“You think you’re so funny, Easton Everson, but you’re not.” I huffed.
“We’re about to cross the log, so keep ahold of my hand.”
“I’m not scared,” I said defiantly.
“Suit yourself, babe,” he replied, dropping my hand.
“Wait, East!” I felt around for him in the dark.
He thrust his hand at me, hitting me in the stomach. “Ouch.”
“Sorry, it’s dark.”
I latched on to his arm as we crossed the creek in the darkness. In all honesty, even if we fell in, the water probably only came up to our ankles.
“Can we run now?” I asked when we were on the other side of the log.
“Do we have to?” He groaned.
“Come on, it’s a straight shot from here.” I started jogging.
“Damn it, Carter. You’re going to break something!”
I didn’t give a shit. I just wanted to be out of the woods so I could get my head straight. I had to get those pictures. I couldn’t see a damn thing, so it was a good thing I knew this path by heart. I was expecting the dip in the trail in front of me. I was expecting the tree branch I ducked under. What I wasn’t prepared for was the face-plant straight into something hard!
“Jesus, Aisley? Are you okay? Tell me what happened.” John grabbed my arms and held me back, looking me over.
“I’m fine, let go.” The brute released his hold and I bent over, resting my hands on my legs to catch my breath.
A second later East came running out after me. “Aisley, shit!”
“One of you better tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“Paparazzi,” I admitted.
“Fuck,” John cursed. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “We’ll just wait for him.”
“Ais, no.” East shook his head.
“Yes. It’s perfect. There’s not an easier way out of this forest, he’s probably on his way out now.”
“You’re assuming he came in the easy way,” Easton stated.
“Fuck. Tell me he didn’t get a shot.” John looked between us.
“Only the best one.” My sarcasm couldn’t be missed.
“You’re shitting me.”
“I wish I was, John.” I really, really did.
“Those pictures can’t be that good, it’s fucking pitch black,” Easton reasoned.
“You don’t get it! I’m on my third strike. If these pictures get out, I know they’ll drop me.”
“What do you mean ‘drop you’?”
“I mean, I won’t have a tour, a record deal, or a job anymore, Easton.”
“Oh.” I looked up at him
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