He exited the fairgrounds and crossed the street. After checking his phone for directions, he headed south. It was dark, but the street was well lit with streetlamps. Hopefully it wouldn’t take him too long to walk home. It was cold out.
Why hadn’t Stephanie let him talk to her? He would have explained. That video was just a stupid prank. Yes, he’d been drunk, but he hadn’t slept with her. And he probably never should have left that video on her phone, but Alisha deserved it. She was being such a snob that night. He was just trying to mess with her.
He rubbed his forehead as he jaunted across the street. How was he going to get Stephanie to listen to him? He wasn’t that kind of guy. Sure, he’d made mistakes in the past, but he wasn’t a heartless jerk. He wasn’t about to hurt Stephanie. He’d do anything to protect her.
His phone rang and he jumped, startled at the sound. Was she ready to talk? He pulled his phone out, only to see it wasn’t Stephanie, but his manager. “Talk to me,” he said.
“Alisha took the post down, but I can’t guarantee you won’t find copies of it floating around. We’re working on finding them and getting them down, but you know how things spread on the internet. It’s a mess.”
Brandon exhaled. “Thanks for working on this for me.”
“Sure. But you know, if you hadn’t made that video in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“I know.” He had no energy left to be mad at Rex. The man was right, anyway. Brandon knew he’d messed up big time. He was done with the party scene. For good. It only screwed up his life.
“I’ll call you later.”
“Okay.” He hung up with Rex, then checked his location on his phone. Only two miles left to walk. He sighed and pocketed his phone. This had turned out to be one really crappy day.
Chapter 27
Stephanie opened her locker door and a note fluttered to the floor. Another one. She sighed and picked it up. She knew who it was from. She’d gotten one a day for the past three weeks. Her fingers shook as she unfolded it.
Hey, Vlogger Girl,
I hope you had a nice Thursday. Mine kind of sucked, but that’s okay. I found out that I totally bombed my chemistry test and have to retake it. This public school thing is harder than I thought it would be. But I am getting an A in my speech class, so that’s good, right? I think my teacher has a crush on me. Don’t tell anyone. She’s ancient, like in her thirties, but she laughs at all my jokes, and blushes when I wink at her. Maybe that’s why I’m getting an A???
My dad and mom are officially back together. I honestly don’t know what to think about it, but it is what it is. I think my mom is happier, so that’s good. And my dad is flying here to take me to a Packers game this weekend. At least he’s making an effort. I can tell he’s really trying. We even talked on the phone for two hours last night. Color me shocked.
My arm is getting better. I start physical therapy next week. I’m a bit scared because I know it’s going to hurt, but it’s necessary. I’ll grit my way through it. You’ll be my inspiration, Vlogger girl. I know how much you want me to wrap my arms around you. Wait—did I really just write that? Oh, man, that was sappy and stupid. Just ignore that. I know you hate me right now.
Speaking of you hating me…are you ever going to forgive me for being dumb and drunk and making a stupid video on Alisha’s phone? You know the truth now about that whole thing, so I’m not going to say it again. I just want you to know I am sorry I made that video in the first place. I was dumb. But it’s never going to happen again. I totally gave up drinking. You know that, right?
Anyway, I think my speech teacher is watching me write this. She keeps giving me sideways glances. Or maybe she’s flirting with me???? I’d better stop. She no longer looks flirty. She looks mad.
Have a good Thursday evening. I know you have your play practice after school. You don’t know this, but I sneaked into the theater yesterday to watch rehearsals. You are as amazing onstage as you are on your Vlog. Keep going like this and you’ll find yourself on Broadway soon. You have an amazing singing voice. How come you never told me that?
Okay, I really have to put this away now. The teacher is giving me the stink eye.
Love,
Brandon
She stared at the last two words on the page. He always signed his notes Love, Brandon. At first, it made her mad. Who was he to say he loved her? But over the last three weeks, she’d softened. She touched the words, the imprint of his pen causing an indent in the paper.
Three weeks ago, she would have said it was impossible for him to love her. But the notes kept coming, every day, even when she ignored him in the hallways, wouldn’t answer his texts or calls, and had basically shut him out of her life. Anyone else would have taken the hint and given up. But he didn’t. He was waiting for her to forgive him.
She drew in a breath as she realized this. Why was she being so stubborn? She believed him about Alisha. At least, she wanted to. And these notes he’d been leaving for her…they were somehow intimate. He was sharing private information with her. Things that she could really hurt him with if she made them public. But his notes just proved that he trusted her.
She wiped a tear off her cheek. Was she crying? That was stupid. She folded up the note and was about to stuff it in her backpack when she smelled Brandon’s cologne. Did the note smell like him? She sniffed it, but it just smelled like paper.
“Hey.”
She whirled around to find Brandon standing behind her. Gah, he must think she’s an idiot, smelling his note. Heat tinged her cheeks as she tried to ignore the fact that she just made a fool of herself. She swallowed. “Hey.”
“I see you got my note.”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
Brandon hooked his thumb in his jeans’ pocket. The one that wasn’t in a sling. He looked like he was studying her. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She was completely fine. It wasn’t like a movie star that she’d been shunning the past three weeks was standing right before her, looking like a gorgeous Greek god or anything. Not at all intimidating. She was fine.
“So…do you mind if I walk with you to the auditorium?”
Rehearsals. Right. That’s what she was doing right now. Going to the auditorium. “Okay,” she managed to say between gulps of air.
He fell into step beside her. As they walked, several students yelled at Brandon, high-fived him, or just stared at him. His first day of school, the news finally broke that he was indeed the actual Brandon Travers, and he was going to be finishing his senior year at their high school. Brandon had stopped wearing his hat, and the kids at school were starting to calm down about it.
He leaned closer to her. “You’ve been reading my notes?”
She nodded, feeling a bit stupid.
“Are you ready to talk to me?”
She glanced at him and his blue eyes took her breath away. Yes, she was ready to talk to him. To forgive him. To marry him and have little baby Brandons running around. She wiped her hands on her jeans and nodded again. “Can we talk after rehearsals?”
He smiled at her, and her world shifted. “Yes. I’ll wait for you.”
Those words shouldn’t have caused an avalanche of feelings to pile up inside her stomach, but they did. She smiled back at him. “Thanks.”
She had a hard time concentrating during the rehearsals. Luckily, they were working on a few scenes where she wasn’t onstage, so she was able to catch a bit of a break. When six o’clock rolled around, she was ready to talk to Brandon.
She exited the auditorium with Jade. She didn’t have a part, but she was helping with the lights and backstage stuff. When Jade saw Brandon in the hallway leaning against the lockers, she elbowed Stephanie. “I guess I’ll see you later.” She mouthed “Call me” as she walked backwards down the hallway. Stephanie had told her what happened, and Jade was all for a makeup session.
Brandon came up to her. “Want to go eat?”
“Yes. I’m starved.”
He smiled and shifted his weight. “Okay, good. Because the whole time I was watching you guys rehearse, my stomach was making terrible noises.”
They started down the hallway. “I just have to get some things out of my locker.”
“Okay. But I’m driving because my mom finally shipped my car here and it’s sweet.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“What is it with guys and their cars? I don’t get it. It’s just a car.”
Brandon staggered backwards like she’d just punched him in the gut. “Don’t say things like that. You could kill me with that kind of talk.”
Stephanie laughed. “You’re such a dork.”
His grin widened. “And you always know how to wound me.”
She stopped at her locker but didn’t open it. Instead, she faced Brandon. It felt good to be joking with him again. Talking, like nothing had happened. But something had happened. She couldn’t pretend it hadn’t. She twisted her fingers together. She had to get this out before she backed out of it. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you talk to me that day. I probably should have. I was just upset and thinking you were exactly like the kind of guy I wanted to stay far away from.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but she put one finger over his lips. “Wait. I have to say all of this before I lose my nerve.”
They were alone in the hallway now. Brandon gave her a slight nod. Her finger still rested on his lips. They were softer than she’d expected, and it was sending crazy electric pulses through her. She slowly removed her hand.
“I was upset with myself for falling for another guy who used women.” She rushed ahead when she saw his lips part again. “I assumed you were like that because of that video, and because of your reputation online. But I’ve gotten to know you better these last few weeks. The letters you’ve written me…” She paused, emotion swelling in her throat. She couldn’t cry. Not right now.
When she got a hold of herself, she continued. “You’ve opened up to me. You’ve been raw with me. Allowed me to see the person inside of you.” She looked down at the floor. “The real Brandon Travers who isn’t a movie star. He’s just a regular guy who has problems and feelings, like everyone else.”
Brandon hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head up so she would look at him. His gaze was so intense, a shudder ran through her. “Can I speak now?”
She had lost the ability to say anything else with his stunning blue eyes gazing into her own. She nodded.
“I don’t blame you for getting upset. You were hurt in a way I can’t even imagine. It makes me crazy to think about, actually. You don’t know how hard it is for me not to go make a fool of myself by beating up this Kyle jerk.” He paused and clenched his jaw. “But I’m restraining myself because I’m injured, for one, and because I know that’s not what you want.”
His fingers grazed over her cheek, catching a tear she’d let fall. Why was she crying? It was so stupid that she was crying, but she couldn’t stop.
He caressed her cheek. “I’m not the same guy you saw in that video. I’ve changed. I’m not going back to that life.”
Her heart jumped and she stared at him. “You’re not going back to Hollywood?”
His lips pulled down into a frown. “I have to go back there. That’s my job. But I’m not going to be that person again. That life is over.” His gaze softened and he inched closer. “I hope you can believe me.”
She nodded, her throat dry. “I do.” He had told her so much through his letters. He’d opened up to her. She knew he was telling the truth.
“And I hope you know I would never, ever hurt you.”
“I believe you.”
He swallowed, and his fingers gently touched her lips. “I have something to ask you.”
“Yes.” The word was out before she even thought about it, but she knew she meant it. She could see he wanted to kiss her. And she wanted it, too.
He cocked his head to the side. “Yes, I can ask?”
“No. Yes, you can kiss me.”
“No, yes? You’re confusing me, Vlogger girl.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his lips to hers, almost touching but not quite. “In case this isn’t clear enough, I’ll spell it out for you. I want you to kiss me, Brandon Travers.”
He chuckled, his minty breath brushing against her lips. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” He pulled her to him with his good arm and kissed her.
She closed her eyes as the sensation of his lips on hers washed over her, sending electric currents through her. She’d thought about kissing Brandon ever since he arrived in Rockford, but she never could have imagined how it would feel to actually kiss him. If they gave out awards for it, he’d get the highest one. She felt like she was falling down a long tube, with no bottom in sight. But it was a pleasant feeling. Like floating. Or falling in love.
He teased her lips with his, then pulled back and smiled. “This is nice, but it’s not what I was going to ask you.”
She let out a gasp. “What?”
His smile widened. “I just wanted to know if you would be my girlfriend. But I kind of liked your assumption better.” He leaned in again, his lips brushing against her own.
She got lost in his kiss. Lost in the way it felt to be so close to him. She didn’t want to let go. When she finally pulled back, she rested her cheek on his shoulder. “Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend, Brandon Travers.”
He kissed her forehead. “Good. Because if you said no, I would have been mortally wounded.”
She smiled up at him, her insides warming. She never thought she’d be dating a famous actor. If someone would have told her this six months ago, she would have thought they were crazy. But right now, she couldn’t think of another person she’d rather be with. She felt safe with him. She trusted him. And at that moment, she gave him her heart.
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Sneak Peek: A Deception of Massive Proportion
Chapter 1
Riley adjusted her sunglasses as she stared over the novel she was using as a prop. The gentle sound of cascading water from the nearby fountain joined the soft music playing over the speakers to create the lobby’s upscale atmosphere. People came and went as the afternoon turned late, and the busy time for checking in heightened. She couldn’t help bouncing her foot as she nervously waited for Shadow Walker to enter the Billionaire Club resort.
She was a pond-sucking lowlife—a tabloid reporter. Riley had come to terms with it. It was better than her last job, which was being the hot dog on times square. No, she didn’t sell hot dogs. She was the hot dog. You know those annoying people in costume who try to get you to take a picture with them? Yeah. That was her. Being a bottom-feeder tabloid reporter was actually a step up from that.
But she never thought she’d find herself sitting incognito at the Billionaire Club, waiting for the famous masked singer Shadow Walker to come in. Of course, if he weren’t in costume, she wouldn’t recognize him. No one knew his true identity. He was the mysterious man who wore a mask for every performance and public appearance.
She wasn’t looking for Shadow Walker, though. She was looking for his manager. Shadow never went anywhere without his manager, and she’d done her homework. Jalen Carter had a very distinctive burn mark on his face making it impossible for her to miss him. She had planned it all out. She’d gotten close to a few stars by pretending to be the hotel concierge. No one refused when she offered
to do their bidding.
The lobby door opened, but a woman entered, and Riley let out a breath. So much was riding on this. She’d taken an enormous gamble to even come to Grand Cayman. Booking a room here was expensive. She bit her lower lip as doubt made her chest tighten and not for the first time that morning. When Gary had told her she could have a promotion and a massive bonus if she uncovered the famous masked singer’s true identity, she knew he was asking the impossible. But the more she thought about it, the more the idea wouldn’t leave her.
And now, here she was in the Cayman Islands hiding behind a book. Anxiety surged in Riley. If this didn’t work, she could kiss any thought of a promotion good-bye, and then she wasn’t sure how she would get the money she desperately needed to pay her father’s medical bills. He was on the waiting list for a heart transplant. After two surgeries that failed and half a dozen trips to the ER, his life savings were gone, and more bills just piled up. If she didn’t get a promotion soon, they would both be out on the streets.
Digging in her purse, she exhaled when she saw the last piece of wintergreen gum. She unwrapped it, popped it into her mouth, and the burst of icy flavor helped calm her. She could do this. It was nothing. On a scale of one to crazy, this didn’t even hit number five in the strange things she’d done to get a story.
Following Alicia Keys into the women’s restroom and pretending her stall was out of toilet paper was maybe a two. Posing as a police officer to talk to Brad Pitt was more daring, perhaps a six, and could have gotten her into trouble if anyone had found out. But the craziest thing she’d ever done had to be when she pretended she was a waitress. Her face heated at the mere thought of it, and she shoved the memory out of her mind. No one needed to remember how she dumped shrimp down the front of Lady Gaga’s dress.
A Young Adult Romance Collection Page 58