Текст книги "Love Unscripted"

Автор книги: Tina Reber

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Текущая страница: 27 (всего у книги 40 страниц)

“Happy Birthday, Honey!” I beamed.

“How long are you guys going to be in town?” Ryan asked Matt.

“We leave on Sunday,” Matt stated.

“Awe man, this is too much! I can’t believe this! Where are you staying? Tar, where are they staying?”

“We’re staying with you.” Scott punched him in the arm. “That way we don’t have to drive anywhere to get loaded.”

Ryan looked at me, apparently to get confirmation that Scott was telling the truth.

“Matt and Laura are going to stay in the guest room and Scott is going to couch surf. Their bags are already upstairs. I didn’t see the need for

them to stay at a hotel.” I shrugged.

Ryan wrapped his arms around my shoulders to give me a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered in my ear. “I love you so much!”

“Come on birthday boy! Everyone’s been waiting for you. It’s time to get this party started!” I tugged his hand to follow me.

“Cory! Fill em up!” I motioned to the stack of champagne glasses sitting on the bar.

“Wait! I can’t get too wasted tonight. We have final scenes tomorrow,” Ryan informed.

“Did you hear that, Kenneth?” Cal shouted to the director of their movie. “Ryan doesn’t want to get too drunk tonight because he has to work

tomorrow.”

Kenneth smiled and laughed out loud. “Actually Ryan, I have a big confession to make. We – ahh – wrapped today. Tomorrow’s call sheet that

you have, it’s a fake. You’re the only one who didn’t know that today was the last day on location here.”

“What?” Ryan looked totally confused. “So all that crap about the wardrobe and then you sent me to the makeup trailer – that was all bullshit?”

Kenneth grinned and nodded.

“I spent two hours sitting in that chair! Two hours while Mia painted me!” Ryan yelled in jest.

I started laughing and pointed over to the poolroom where Mia, the makeup artist who stalled him, was standing.

“Hey, I had to get you off the set somehow!” Kenneth laughed.

“Were you in on this too?” Ryan looked at me. His eyes questioned my participation.

“In on it?” Kenneth chortled. “She orchestrated it!”

“Hey I’m not taking all the credit!” I defended. “I had a lot of willing accomplices. Everyone standing in this room was in on it.”

Cory and I handed out champagne glasses to everyone.

Pete tapped a spoon on his glass to get everyone’s attention. He raised his glass in the air to make a toast.

“Here’s to Ryan… A great man and a great friend! May you be blessed with great health! No, wait,” he paused. “I don’t think you need that. You

are pretty healthy.” He squeezed Ryan’s biceps. His eyes scrunched together to ponder his next statement.

“Well then, how about… To Ryan, may you be blessed with great wealth! No, come to think of it, you are pretty filthy-stinkin’ rich too!”

Ryan started to chuckle. He looked slightly embarrassed.

“I’ve got it…I’ve got it. Ryan, for your birthday, may you be blessed with the love of a great woman! Wait! Shit! You already have that too!” Pete

pointed a finger at me.

“Well, what the hell?” Pete whined, faking his disgust.

Everyone laughed at Pete’s toast.

Pete looked at the many faces in the pub, waived his glass in the air and said, “to Ryan, may you get so drunk tonight that you puke all over

yourself, you lucky bastard!”

“Here, here!” Our friends raised their glasses.

Ryan took me by the hand and we mingled with our guests. He was anxious to talk with Matt and Scott since he rarely got to see them.

“Ryan, this is my girlfriend, Laura,” Matt said.

Laura reached out and shook Ryan’s hand. I was curious to see how she would react and I was so relieved when she maintained her

composure. The last thing I wanted was a giggling fan sleeping in the room next to ours tonight.

“Man, where are all the single women?” Scott was looking around the pub. “You call this a party?” he teased Ryan.

“Laura, why don’t you come with me. We’ll let the boys catch up.” I patted Ryan on his back and headed over towards my friends.

“So, you’re really dating Ryan Christensen, huh?” Laura asked. I misjudged… maybe she was a fan after all?

“So, you’re really dating his best friend, huh?” I smiled at her.

“Yeah, I guess I am!” Laura realized aloud.

“Did you see his movie?” I asked, half expecting her answer.

“Yep,” she nodded and continued quietly, “but between you and me, I don’t get what all the excitement is about.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Kelly asked.

I kept Laura’s comment to myself and introduced her to everyone instead.

“Ryan said you’re coming out to L.A. with him in December,” Kelly stated happily. “We’ll have so much fun!”

“Kelly…” I motioned with my head so I could speak to her privately. “I need to get a dress for the party. Do you think you can help me find

something appropriate before you leave for California?” I thought about the one and only formal wear shop that I knew of, which was halfway

between Seaport and Providence. That would be my hunting grounds.

“Why don’t we shop for a dress when you come out to L.A.? What better place to find a designer dress,” Kelly retorted.

“I don’t need a designer dress, I just want to look nice.”

“You’ll be photographed on the arm of Ryan Christensen. You need a designer dress,” she insisted. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you look

absolutely gorgeous!”

I glanced over towards the bar and noticed a pack of guys around Ryan. They were all doing shots again.

“Ben, Kenneth… get over here!” Ryan yelled exuberantly.

“He is going to puke tonight if he keeps that up!” Marie laughed.

“He won’t be alone.” I raised my eyebrows, nodding my head in Ryan’s direction. “All of our men are over there doing shots. Good thing none of

them are driving tonight.”

“Where did you get the cute bartender, Taryn?” Kat asked.

My eyes flashed back over to the bar. “That’s Cory. I hired him to work weekends, although it’s turning out to be almost a full time job for him

now. Marie and I thought Ryan’s fans would appreciate looking at something other than us. And to tell you the truth, it’s comforting to have a man

working here. The scary fan adoration hasn’t stopped.”

“Speaking of scary, where are the psycho twins?” Marie asked, noting that Suzanne and Francesca were absent.

“Don’t know, don’t really care!” I admitted.

“We should get everyone eating,” Tammy advised. I helped her uncover all of the hot chaffing dishes. Soon a long line formed for hot food.

Ryan butted in line behind me. He wrapped one arm across my chest and whispered in my ear, “Thank you for my party! You really got me

good!” His free hand patted my rear.

Mike, Ryan’s personal guard walked up to us while we were in line.

“Guess you’re not driving us to dinner tonight, you lying S.O.B.!” Ryan teased.

“Not tonight. I’m just a guest. But I do need to talk to you.” His tone became serious. “I just got a call from Suzanne’s driver; she and Francesca

are on their way. And just so you know, they spent some quality time in the hotel bar before requesting to be driven here.”

Ryan dropped his forehead onto my shoulder. I knew he was stuck in a no-win situation.

I tenderly patted his hand that rested on my chest. “That’s all right. They can come – after all they were invited. Things are different now.”

Ryan breathed out hard on my neck. I could smell the whiskey and beer mixed in with his anxiety.

While Ryan and I made our plates of food, thoughts of Mike’s dedicated service to Ryan filled my mind. “Ryan, who does Mike work for?”

Ryan piled some shrimp on his plate. “He works for a company called PSG. I think it stands for Protection Services Group or something like

that. The studio hired them. Why do you ask?”

“Is this the first time he’s working for you?”

“Yeah. He was assigned to me when we got here. It’s the same company Kyle works for. I guess they are global or something.”

We sat down at the table to eat. He looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

“He is just really dedicated to you. And you seem to have a great relationship with him. I was just wondering how long he’s been protecting you.”

“It’s funny you mention that. I’ve already talked to Mike about working for me.” Ryan patted me on my thigh and shrugged. “Everywhere I go I get

new people hovering around me. It’s hard to feel safe when you don’t know or trust the people who are supposed to protect you. I wish I didn’t need

it.” He rubbed his forehead.

“Well, I like the way Mike takes care of you. It would make me feel better to know someone like that was guarding you full time.”

“Yeah, I agree.” Ryan stroked my hair. “I’ll see what I can do about it.”

Frank and the rest of the “Being Frank” band started their first set on the stage. I had the volume on the sound system turned down so the music

would still rock but we wouldn’t need to yell at each other to hold a conversation.

“You even hired a band?” Ryan asked in between taking bites of food. He kept shaking his head.

I smiled at him while I was still chewing. “Happy Birthday, Honey!”

“And you gave me shit when I bought you earrings.” He pursed his lips. “And then you go and do something like this.” He looked at me with a

serious expression, even though I knew he was teasing. “I’m gonna buy you really big freaking diamonds now, just to piss you off.”

His absurd comment made me roll my eyes. I placed my hand on his cheek and gave him a quick kiss. “Don’t you dare! I don’t want big freaking

diamonds. I just want you.”

Ryan abruptly pulled my chair closer and straddled his legs around it. He was gazing at me intently, so I put my fork down and gave him my full

attention. He slid his hand across my back and took my chin in his fingers. His eyes flashed to look at my lips before he kissed me.

“I love you,” he murmured. “Never doubt that.”

“Happy Birthday, Ryan,” Suzanne shouted, rudely interrupting our moment. She was slurring her words while she tried to awkwardly hug him.

“We weren’t sure if we were going to make it here tonight.”

Ryan barely turned around to thank them for coming. He nicely suggested they get some food instead of drinking.

“Hey, who’s the hot blonde?” Scott asked Ryan in passing.

“You like that?” Ryan teased him. “Go, have at it. Best of luck to ya.” Scott eagerly ran off in Suzanne’s direction.

I laughed, watching Scott follow Suzanne like a desperate dog. I was still mulling over Scott’s reaction towards Suzanne when I noticed Kyle

standing by the door. He was talking to Mike and he already had a beer in his hand. I was surprised that I missed his arrival. I hadn’t expected him

to show up.

Ryan did a double take when he turned to see what I was looking at.

“What’s Kyle doing here?” The way Ryan said it, I knew he was irritated by Kyle’s presence.

“I invited him,” I informed. My words sounded more like a confession.

Ryan glared at me.

“I’ve been planning your party for a few weeks, hun,” I admitted. “I invited him when he was still working for us.”

“Hey Ryan, Happy Birthday!” Kyle held out his hand. I could see the hint of a challenge by his gesture.

“Kyle,” Ryan said flatly and shook his hand. I watched as both of them put extra effort into how hard they squeezed each other’s hand.

“Taryn, do you think I could talk to you for a sec?” Kyle motioned for me to follow.

“Where are you going?” Ryan asked, glowering at me.

“I don’t know. He wants to talk to me. I’m going over there,” I replied, wondering what his new biting tone was all about.

“Hey!” Kyle breathed out. “So, how are you?”

“I’m good, thanks!” I tried to be friendly without appearing overly excited to see him. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. I’ve just been thinking about you. I’ve been a little worried about you, actually. We really didn’t get to talk much after the court hearing.”

Kyle’s eyes flashed over to Ryan, who was leaning on the bar staring at us.

“I was hoping that the incident and the court proceedings didn’t shake you up too much. So, you’ve been doing all right since then?” he asked,

focusing all of his attention back to me.

Kyle was ignoring Ryan’s glare. I, however, could feel Ryan’s eyes burning holes in my back. I knew Ryan was a little intimidated by Kyle, but still

he had no reason to be so jealous.

“I’m fine,” I said casually. “It was quite a traumatic experience, but I’m glad to say that I haven’t had any nightmares from it. Thanks again for

being there. I felt very safe when you were around,” I said, trying to give him a compliment. “I appreciate you protecting Ryan and me.”

“Yeah, sure. It’s my job,” he said with a dismissive tone. “Any other fans causing problems for you?”

“No, but the bar business has surely picked up,” I willingly admitted. “I have a doorman on post every night now.”

Kyle laughed. “Yeah, the sidewalk out there is filled with disappointment. The fans are heartbroken that you’re closed to the public tonight.”

“Are there a lot out there?” I craned my neck to see if bodies were visible on the other side of my front window.

“Pretty many. They’re holding their Obsession Club group meeting,” he snorted.

“Great! Next thing you know they’ll be organizing fund raisers and selling raffle tickets.”

“I wonder if they’ll be selling cookies?” Kyle joked. “I really like those chocolate mint ones. They’re good to dip in milk.”

“I guess they can count on your support then, huh?” I teased. “You’re probably good for two or three boxes, right?”

“Sure! Why not? I mean it seems like a worthwhile cause.” He grinned.

I smirked at his tiny dig on Ryan.

“That band up there is really rocking!” Kyle stated enthusiastically. He was tapping his fingers on his beer bottle. “This is a really nice party you

put together.”

“Thanks! It was a little tricky, but I guess I pulled it off.” I glanced around at the large gathering. My pub was packed; everyone seemed to be

having a good time.

“You know, my birthday is in April. Feel free to throw me a party like this.” Kyle bumped me with his elbow as he took a sip of his beer.

“So are you here with a date?” I asked, looking around for a stray woman.

“No,” he stated uncomfortably. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I was just wondering why someone, like you, doesn’t have a girlfriend, that’s all.”

He looked at me like my question was ridiculous.

“Don’t make that face at me!” I teased. “So?”

“I don’t know,” Kyle groaned. “Maybe I’m too shy?”

I scoffed. “Yeah right! I don’t think that’s a problem for you.”

“Maybe I’m too picky,” he added, taking another sip of his beer. “It’s hard to find the complete package these days.”

“Well, write down your list of requirements; I’m sure there is a girl or two out there on the sidewalk that comes close,” I jeered.

“Nah. I don’t have to walk that far to find what I’ve been looking for,” he stated directly as he looked me in the eyes.

I was just about to make a witty comeback when Kyle’s smile vanished.

I felt a hand slip around my elbow; Ryan was reclaiming me.

“Taryn… Honey, there are some people I want to introduce you to, if you’re finished with your conversation here?” Ryan inquired. The tone of his

comment clearly indicated I was to end my conversation – now.

I was enjoying talking to Kyle, but apparently Ryan’s tolerance had reached its limit.

“I guess I’ll talk to you later,” Kyle said, slightly irritated. He tried to appear unaffected by Ryan’s attitude, but the anger and resentment was

evident.

“Excuse me, Kyle. Please, enjoy the party.” I gently smiled, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Ryan took my hand and pulled me along through the crowd. He was towing me towards the poolroom, but I yanked him towards the empty

space by the kitchen door instead.

“What?” Ryan’s tone was curt.

“What’s the problem, Honey?” I asked sweetly, curbing the anger that was starting to swell. It was time for us to have this discussion. I let it go

when he first dismissed Kyle from our security detail but this jealous attitude needed to stop.

“What do you mean?” His eyes scrunched together, looking at me like he didn’t understand my question.

“I was just talking to him. I don’t understand why you’re being like this,” I whispered, thinking he didn’t trust me.

“I don’t like the way he looks at you, all right?” he growled.

“I don’t get it. How does he look at me, Ryan?” He was being ridiculous.

He scoffed at me, like I was missing the point. “What? You don’t see it? I’m pretty sure you know when you’re getting hit on, Taryn.”

I rolled my eyes. “Please,” I chided.

“I just don’t want you to accidentally give him the wrong impression, that’s all,” he said calmly.

I sighed heavily. “Ryan, I love you. There is no reason for you to distrust me.”

“I trust you, but I don’t trust him.” Ryan nodded his chin in Kyle’s direction.

When I looked over my shoulder, Kyle had a cocky smile on his face and he raised his beer bottle in the air to acknowledge us.

“You worry over nothing,” I groaned. “Now can we go back to having a good time?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ryan muttered. “I’m sorry.”

“Just shut up and kiss me, you fool!” I teased, slipping my fingers over the edge of the front pockets of his jeans.

“There he is!” Tammy shouted. She hurried over to where we stood. She grabbed one of Ryan’s arms; Marie forcefully removed his other arm

from around my waist.

“Time to blow out your candles, Birthday Boy!” Marie announced as they hauled him off to the food table. Tammy had baked an enormous

birthday cake and we all sang to Ryan before he blew the candles out.

Everyone was having a great time; people were dancing, shooting pool, and playing darts. Ryan’s friends were attempting to get him wasted

but he reached a point where he refused to do any more shots.

I did the proper girlfriend thing and stayed away from Kyle as much as possible, even though he did try to talk to me several times.

I noticed that Suzanne and Francesca sat at the bar all night. Cory was leaning across the bar, flirting tough with Francesca. He even got away

with touching her hair a few times. She was smiling and pretending to be shy, but she was definitely engaging Cory’s advances.

Scott and Suzanne were hitting it off tremendously. She was touching him, squeezing his arm muscles, and laughing at everything he said.

Despite outward appearances, she still knew where Ryan was at all times.

It was getting late and many of our guests had already left.

“Do you mind if I take off?” Cory asked, his eyes slid over in Francesca’s direction. Suzanne and Scott were practically wrestling with each

other; they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. Francesca stood by the door, waiting impatiently and staring at Cory while he talked to me.

“They invited us back to their hotel,” he admitted.

For some reason, I wasn’t too surprised.

“Go ahead. Have fun. Wait, are you driving?” I asked.

“Yeah, it’s okay though, I stopped drinking a while ago. I want to remember every detail of the next couple of hours if you know what I mean!”

Cory smiled smugly and flashed his eyes back to Francesca. “I’ll bring Ryan’s buddy back tomorrow.”

“Hey where are they going?” Ryan stopped dead in his tracks and wheeled around when he noticed Scott leaving. Scott didn’t even

acknowledge Ryan; he was completely focused on other things.

Slowly the rest of our guests departed and it was almost three in the morning when I turned off the lights. I planned to clean up the bar in the

morning. I had more important things to take care of.

Matt and Laura were stowed away comfortably in the guestroom. I closed our bedroom door and smiled in disbelief.

My birthday boy was sprawled out on our bed, wearing nothing but his birthday suit and a slightly drunken grin… waiting for his birthday present.

Chapter 24 – Sobering

“What the hell happened to Scott last night?” Matt asked, stuffing another piece of bacon in his mouth. Laura was taking her turn in the shower.

“He left with Suzanne,” Ryan answered. “Maybe she won’t be so bitchy now.” He chuckled to himself.

“Hopefully Cory gave Fran someone new to think about, too.” I winked.

Ryan smiled at me over his cup of coffee.

Once everyone was showered, dressed, and fed I went downstairs to clean up the pub. I was clearing off the tables when Ryan popped through

the door. He started to gather the garbage.

“What can we do to help?” Laura asked. I was thankful that I had willing hands to help clean up the remains of Ryan’s birthday party.

“I still can’t believe you did this!” Ryan said, kissing me on one of his trips past. “How long have you been conspiring behind my back?” he

asked.

“A couple of weeks. Your friends were more than willing to be in on the surprise.”

“Matt told me you made him look you up on the Internet,” Ryan teased.

“Yeah! He didn’t believe you had a girlfriend!” I poked him in the stomach and went to answer the doorbell.

“Hey! There they are!” Ryan’s voice boomed when he saw Cory and Scott walk through the front door.

“Man! What the hell is it with all the photographers and chicks out there?” Scott motioned with his thumb, pointing to the door. “Don’t they ever

go home?”

“No. They live here now. They’re like zombies that don’t die when the sun comes up.” I laughed at my own comment.

“So how was your night, Scott?” Ryan gave him a teasing nudge in the arm.

Scott’s eyes narrowed. “What do you think? I made her fucking night… several times!” he boasted. “She’s a screamer, that girl!”

He held up a small, white plastic bag in his hand. “Good thing we stopped at the drug store on our way back. I’m planning on making her scream

again tonight.”

Ryan’s face puckered up. He grabbed Scott’s arm and hauled him off into the poolroom. I didn’t care much for Suzanne, but she was Ryan’s costar

and a celebrity – she had no privacy either. There were enough rumors and scandals floating around in the media about the Seaside cast

already. Suzanne’s indiscretions didn’t need to be added to the pile. I was sure that Ryan was going to tell him the same thing.

“Francesca and Suzanne are planning on coming here tonight,” Cory quietly informed me. “I hope you don’t mind.”

I shrugged and shook my head. It didn’t bother me, as long as Fran wasn’t here to see Ryan. But I was wise enough to know things like this

could have powerful ripple effects.

“Cory, I’m not going to tell you what you can and cannot do, but you do realize that Fran is a celebrity. I hope you keep your private activities with

her private and discreet. Understand?”

“Yeah, I understand. I know what I’ve gotten myself into. Don’t worry, I’m not going to be like that guy and announce stuff to the world.” He

nodded his head in Scott’s direction. “Francesca is sweet and I’d never do that to her. But I would like to see her again. And she wants to see me

too, so…” Cory shrugged.

“Just keep it private. That’s all I ask. We’re all under the microscope now,” I stressed my point.

“I will. Hey, sorry I can’t stay to help clean up. I’ve got to get some sleep. I’ll see you at four,” Cory said, putting his sunglasses back on. “Oh, and

before I forget, I already talked to my roommate. He’ll cover the door tonight.”

“Did Cory leave?” Ryan asked me a few moments later.

I nodded.

“Damn. I wanted to talk to him too.”

I whispered to Ryan. “I talked to him. I reminded him to keep his personal business private and discreet. You may want to talk with Matt and

Laura about confidentiality as well.”

“I already did.” A tiny smile cracked on his lips.

The early afternoon flew by quickly. It took us several hours to clean up the mess and I mopped all the floors and even cleaned the bathrooms.

Ryan suggested several times that I hire a company to clean the bar every day but I was used to taking care of the grunt work on my own.

Scott passed out in the guestroom upstairs; guess he didn’t sleep much last night either. Ryan, Matt, and Laura were lounging in the living room,

watching television. I logged on to the Internet.

“What are you doing, Honey?” Ryan’s tone indicated his disappointment.

“Checking up on things.”

“Why are you looking?” he groaned, concerned.

I flashed my eyes up to him and kept my reply quiet. “Because your public image is my concern too. Before I forget to tell you, Francesca and

Suzanne are coming tonight. We’re going to need security in the bar. Do you want Mike here?”

Ryan didn’t answer. He just walked away.

I clicked a link and was directed to a gossip magazine’s website. The headline “Ryan Christensen’s Love Affairs” caught my attention. The site

had side-by-side pictures of Ryan and Suzanne kissing, Ryan and I walking down the sidewalk, and the picture of him and that girl from the

Manhattan dinner meeting. The story pretty much accused him of being a reckless playboy. The words “plays the field” were included in the article.

I clicked another link and was now viewing pictures of Ryan kissing, smiling, leaning on, and holding Suzanne. The caption stated that their love

affair was still going strong.

I hit the back button and clicked on another link – this one described my new bodyguard, Kyle, being the new man in my life and how Ryan was

furious and jealous. There was a picture of Kyle and me entering the back door of my pub together. The article posted a random picture of Ryan

looking angry next to it. All meant to generate shock, I supposed. The story made it sound like I was cheating on Ryan.

The last click I made showed a picture of Ryan and Suzanne snuggling in a bed. It looked like they were both naked, although you could only see

Suzanne’s bare shoulders. Most of Ryan’s naked torso was exposed.

I jumped when Ryan popped his head next to mine.

“Turn it off before I throw the damn laptop out the window,” he whispered his angry threat in my ear.

I quickly closed the Internet connection. Ryan grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me out of the chair. We hurried down the hallway to our

bedroom.

He shoved the door closed behind him with extra force and glared at me.

“How long have you been surfing the web like that?” he growled between his gritted teeth.

I didn’t answer. His anger caught me off-guard.

“Why the hell are you looking up shit on the Internet? Do you need more reasons in your head not to trust me?”

“Please keep your voice down. We have guests, remember? I’m sorry,” I whispered. I felt terrible that I upset him.

“I am trying so damn hard to make sure our relationship stays on track, knowing full well that we have more obstacles than most. And then I see

you doing that shit! What the fuck, Taryn?”

I didn’t know how to fully explain my actions. “I was curious to see what the public was being told.” I was so ashamed my words were barely

audible. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“What else do you need to know? This is our life, right here! It’s happening right now! I am standing in this room with you. I’m not out there in

those pictures. I don’t give a damn what the public is being told!”

“What if the situation was reversed and the magazines were printing stories that I’m some whore who’s screwing three different guys at once.

You don’t think that would concern you?” I asked.

“But you’re not! And I certainly am not doing what they accuse me of. I have no control over what trash they print.”

“Yes, you do.” I thought about several ways he could get the point across to the world that he was a one-woman kind of man, that he in fact was

currently involved with just one woman, but he’d have to make that move on his own.

“How?” Ryan barked.

I chickened out and bit my tongue. “I thought you had a publicist?” I stated calmly.

He scoffed. “If all those Seaside fans want to fantasize that I’m actually living the shit that’s filmed, that me and Suzanne are some star-crossed

lovers, what am I supposed to do about it? Put out a public statement that they’re all deluded?” He threw his hands up in the air.

“And that picture of me and that girl from New York, that little picture is going to still pop up years from now. Those trash magazines are going to

say that I’m cheating on you with her one day!”

He took a deep breath. “You have to realize that some of that shit is printed specifically to generate public reaction. They will post pictures of me

and Suzanne just to keep the public interested in the film. They will print shit just to keep my career controversial and fresh. I may be asked to do

stuff that might upset you just to pique public interest. It’s all part of the game.”

He sat down on the bed, facing me. “Honey, our relationship has to be built on trust. That stuff is just going to tear it down.”

I looked down at my hands. He was right; my behavior was incorrigible but I wasn’t alone there.

He took my hand and pressed it to his chest. “This… this is real.”

“So if your PR team asks you to screw some actress to pique public interest, is that what you’re willing do to keep your career controversial? I

just want to be clear on how far you’re willing to go.”

His tone was angry and sarcastic. “Yes, Taryn. I’m going to throw away our relationship, forget that I’m in love with you, and screw every woman

that throws her legs up in the air. Is that what you want to hear? Is that what you need to believe that I truly am? Just like your ex-fiancé? That I’m no

different from every other asshole who has ever cheated on you?”

I looked away and winced from the sting of his words. That was a low blow but in a way I deserved it. Pain cracked in my chest and the tears of

shame formed in my eyes.

He stood up from the bed and knelt down on the floor in front of me.

“I’m not them, Tar. I don’t know what else to do to make you have faith in me. Why don’t you trust me?”

“I do trust you,” I muttered, wiping the tear from my cheek. “This whole conversation has nothing to do with trust. There are just so many other

influences out there. It’s hard to keep up with it all.” I looked him in the eyes.

“Ryan, your life is public. I want to know what’s being said about you. I want to protect you from all the daggers that are flying in your direction.

Shield you from the lies.” I picked a tissue out of the box on the nightstand and wiped my face.

“You can’t protect me from it – you’re way outnumbered,” he said, defeated.

I took a deep breath. “It’s more than that. The other reason I look is, sometimes I feel like I’m living with two people… the man I’m in love with and

some other guy I barely know. The photo shoots, premiers, public appearances, magazine spreads, interviews, all of that is in here too.” I pressed