He’s testing me. I know this. I open the paper carefully, my eyes slowly traveling up the page. I want to cry out when I see not only my shoes, but the shoes of the boy I was with when this picture was taken. My legs are pressing against his bent legs, his hands resting on my hips – that is what I’m looking at. Except I know in this moment that his fingers are digging into my flesh as his lips work against mine in nothing but pure temptation.
The memory of his tongue moving against mine overcomes my senses. I can feel every touch, every movement of his hands on my back, as if he’s holding me now.
“Explain yourself.”
Ian’s voice knocks me for six. Someone caught me… us. This wasn’t supposed to happen. We’re a secret, a dirty, forbidden tryst. Alex pulls the paper from my hands. Her hand rubs circles on my back as she directs me back to the chair. Ian huffs, shuffling back to the stool. His throat clears again as he prepares to lecture me on the do’s and don’ts of a public relationship. The problem isn’t that there’s a public picture, but his age.
“The last time you had a relationship that the public was awar e of, it ended badly.”
Alex scoffs. “If a relationship is ending, obviously it’s bad, Ian. People don’t break-up when they’re happy.”
I want to hug her for standing up to him, but he’s right. My last relationship, the break-up was very public and nasty. I thought he, Coleman Hollister, was the one. I took the break-up hard and the press had a field day. We were two famous kids in love, destined for greatness.
“Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like?”
That would be the easy thing to do. Just brush it off as some Photoshopped image, but that would be as if I’m denying Ryan and I can’t… I won’t do that. I don’t care if it saves my image or keeps my face out of the press. I’ll just have to be more careful.
I shake my head. “It’s exactly what it looks like .” I want my voice to be confident, but it’s not. It falls flat, weak.
“Who is he?”
This time I clear my throat. I have to tell Ian everything; if I don’t, he won’t be able to protect Ryan and me. “His name is Ryan Stone and I met him in Jackson.”
“And?”
I look up at Ian. He’s leaning forward as if I’m about to tell him a story, like one he hasn’t heard in years, the type my grandma used to tell me when I was little.
“And what?” I play stupid.
He stands up, tossing his hands in the air. “I hate it when you play stupid, Hadley. That photo was not taken in Jackson.” He paces, stopping every two steps to shake his head. I know he’s trying to keep his temper in check. My image is everything, not only to me, but to my brand. I’ve worked hard – and he’s worked hard – to create this persona that America loves and I know I can’t afford to screw it up.
“I went to his town… for church,” I add, hoping to ease the tension.
“I went with her.”
“Yet you let her sneak off with some random guy so she can make out under a fu cking oak tree?”
Alex steps forward. I grab her arm, holding her next to me. She doesn’t need to fight my battles, especially this one.
“Alex didn’t let me do anything. I went with Ryan, willingly. It was my idea. I took Alex along so that I wouldn’t be alone on the drive out there.”
Ian nods. “Are you done with this guy?”
“No,” I say, strongly.
He leans his head back and laughs. “Perfect. So I can expect him on tour.”
I shake my head. “No, he’s in school.” Alex sets her hand down on top of my arm. I look at her. She’s shaking her head, telling me to keep quiet. I look back at Ian as he watches our silent exchange. I know he doesn’t like Alex, never has, but I don’t care. She’s not here to appease him, but to accompany me. “Ryan won’t be joining us on tour, Ian.”
He looks at his watch and walks over to the door. He opens it and I half expect Anal Anna
The memory of his tongue moving against mine overcomes my senses. I can feel every touch, every movement of his hands on my back, as if he’s holding me now.
“Explain yourself.”
Ian’s voice knocks me for six. Someone caught me… us. This wasn’t supposed to happen. We’re a secret, a dirty, forbidden tryst. Alex pulls the paper from my hands. Her hand rubs circles on my back as she directs me back to the chair. Ian huffs, shuffling back to the stool. His throat clears again as he prepares to lecture me on the do’s and don’ts of a public relationship. The problem isn’t that there’s a public picture, but his age.
“The last time you had a relationship that the public was awar e of, it ended badly.”
Alex scoffs. “If a relationship is ending, obviously it’s bad, Ian. People don’t break-up when they’re happy.”
I want to hug her for standing up to him, but he’s right. My last relationship, the break-up was very public and nasty. I thought he, Coleman Hollister, was the one. I took the break-up hard and the press had a field day. We were two famous kids in love, destined for greatness.
“Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like?”
That would be the easy thing to do. Just brush it off as some Photoshopped image, but that would be as if I’m denying Ryan and I can’t… I won’t do that. I don’t care if it saves my image or keeps my face out of the press. I’ll just have to be more careful.
I shake my head. “It’s exactly what it looks like .” I want my voice to be confident, but it’s not. It falls flat, weak.
“Who is he?”
This time I clear my throat. I have to tell Ian everything; if I don’t, he won’t be able to protect Ryan and me. “His name is Ryan Stone and I met him in Jackson.”
“And?”
I look up at Ian. He’s leaning forward as if I’m about to tell him a story, like one he hasn’t heard in years, the type my grandma used to tell me when I was little.
“And what?” I play stupid.
He stands up, tossing his hands in the air. “I hate it when you play stupid, Hadley. That photo was not taken in Jackson.” He paces, stopping every two steps to shake his head. I know he’s trying to keep his temper in check. My image is everything, not only to me, but to my brand. I’ve worked hard – and he’s worked hard – to create this persona that America loves and I know I can’t afford to screw it up.
“I went to his town… for church,” I add, hoping to ease the tension.
“I went with her.”
“Yet you let her sneak off with some random guy so she can make out under a fu cking oak tree?”
Alex steps forward. I grab her arm, holding her next to me. She doesn’t need to fight my battles, especially this one.
“Alex didn’t let me do anything. I went with Ryan, willingly. It was my idea. I took Alex along so that I wouldn’t be alone on the drive out there.”
Ian nods. “Are you done with this guy?”
“No,” I say, strongly.
He leans his head back and laughs. “Perfect. So I can expect him on tour.”
I shake my head. “No, he’s in school.” Alex sets her hand down on top of my arm. I look at her. She’s shaking her head, telling me to keep quiet. I look back at Ian as he watches our silent exchange. I know he doesn’t like Alex, never has, but I don’t care. She’s not here to appease him, but to accompany me. “Ryan won’t be joining us on tour, Ian.”
He looks at his watch and walks over to the door. He opens it and I half expect Anal Anna
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