“You’re worth it, Will.”
He flinched at her words, not believing he was worth it. It was a lot for her to give up, and he knew that. He hoped that she was being honest with herself, that she could deal with his crazy life.
Then he smiled at her and added, “I’d like you to take a media training class. I know it sounds lame, but it does help—and defensive driving.”
“Whatever you need me to do.”
“Sarah, you don’t have any sex tapes or nude pictures I should know about, do you?”
“Hmm, let me think.” She scrunched her face as if concentrating hard. “No!” she said as she hit his shoulder with a pillow off the couch, using as much force as she could muster without hurting herself.
“That didn’t even hurt. You’re going to have to start lifting weights with me,” he said mockingly. “So, no skeletons in your closet? Be honest. It’s better to know what to expect up front. I won’t judge.”
“I told you about Matt.”
“No pictures?”
“No!”
“That’s not scandalous. He’s an idiot for not realizing what he was giving up by cheating on you.” He wrapped his arm around her, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
She turned to look at Will as if contemplating for a minute whether she should tell him something. Her emerald eyes couldn’t hide her secret.
“What is it, Sarah? What aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s nothing. I just don’t want to deal with Matt’s lies again,” she said, looking down at her journal, away from his gaze.
He knew she was lying. There was something that she had left out. He grasped her face in his hands and lifted her chin until her eyes fluttered open to meet his. “You know I love you, and you can tell me anything, right?”
She blinked her eyes slowly and nodded. He wondered what kind of skeletons she could have hidden. It didn’t matter, though. They could never be as bad as his. He kissed her softly on the lips and decided she would tell him when she was ready. He could wait.
The chaos started as they landed in Los Angeles. The paparazzi were waiting when they got off the plane. Sarah had taken off her ring before they left Minneapolis to avoid the obvious questions. Will knew that photographers always roamed the LAX airport seeking celebrities, so he wasn’t surprised at first when he and Sarah were found.
“Just keep your head down and follow me,” Will instructed. He didn’t want to give the paparazzi any good pictures to sell. “Stick close, or they’ll separate us.”
At first, it was just a lone photographer who didn’t even ask questions as he snapped pictures, and then it quickly grew into a mob as Will navigated their way through the airport. Soon Sarah started to lag behind him. She wasn’t used to walking so fast and still wasn’t up to her normal speed after the accident. Will had been checking over his shoulder frequently as they walked and reacted quickly when he noticed her falling behind. He knew what he was about to do would just add fuel to the fire, but he had to do it. He stopped, reaching back for her hand, and as their eyes met, he smiled encouragingly. The camera flashes exploded like popcorn in a fire.
Will looked back. Sarah was ashen, not her normal pale, and he worried she wouldn’t make it to the car. He gripped her hand tighter and smiled again, trying to reassure her. They were almost to the curb, and he could see their liberator, his assistant, outside her forest green sedan with the trunk open. Leslie saw them, opened the backseat door, and jumped into the driver’s seat. Will moved quickly. He helped Sarah into the car and closed the door behind her. He dumped the bags into the trunk and then joined her in the backseat on the other side. Within seconds, the car sped away from the curb, leaving the photographers behind in a mass on the sidewalk.
“Thanks, Leslie. Perfect timing as usual,” Will said as he wrapped his arm around Sarah and settled back in the seat. He introduced her to his assistant and then asked, “Are you all right, Sarah? You don’t usually look quite so gray.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think I should have taken some pain medicine before I left, though. Is it always like that?” She rubbed her cheek. “Someone hit me in the face with a camera lens.”
“Oh, I didn’t even see that. I would have taken him out,” Will declared.
“No. It was an accident. I’m fine.”
“It’s not usually that bad. There must be something going on in town tonight,” he said. Realizing that he should have had Sam or another bodyguard traveling with them, he whispered to himself, “What was I thinking?”
Sarah looked at him questioningly. He shook his head as if it was nothing. He didn’t want her to know he was freaking out inside. He had wanted to ease her in slowly, not like this.
“They’re at the airport for all the holiday travelers, and there’s also a huge charity event at the Nokia tonight that a lot of people are coming in for,” Leslie stated. “We’re going back to the house—no stops, right?”
“Yeah, I think we’ve had enough excitement,” he admitted. “I just want Sarah to get settled today.” He had no desire to go anywhere but to the safety of home.
Forty minutes later, Leslie pulled the car up to the gate and punched the code into the pad. As the black metal gate slid open, Sarah looked at Will.
“This is where you grew up? It’s huge.” She scanned her surroundings, gaping at the colossal Tuscan-style estate. The grounds were meticulously maintained, with giant palm trees, and there was obviously a staff just to take care of the outside of the house.
“Actually, the main house isn’t that big by West Coast standards, but this is our place here. It’s tiny.” He pointed to a smaller house as they drove down a narrow drive behind the main house’s garage. The main house was U-shaped, around a center courtyard. The guesthouse was at the back end of the courtyard and connected to the main house with a veranda-style walkway. “And, yes, I do pay rent,” he added.
“I know. You told me that already.” She looked at him questioningly. “Why does that bother you so much?”
“Liam and Chris are always giving me crap that I still live at home and I make more money than my parents. I haven’t needed much in the past, but maybe you and I can find our own place.”
“Don’t rush into anything for me, OK? I think we have enough to do without looking for a new place to live.”
“All right—for now.”
The wooden garage door lifted, and Leslie parked her sedan in the empty space next to Will’s dark metallic-colored BMW. When they reached the entrance to the house, Will pulled down the handle and propped himself against the door so Sarah could squeeze past him. She set her computer bag on the stone floor and looked around the dark kitchen, not really knowing what to expect.
Will flipped on the lights and stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “So this is our place, for now. I’m glad you’re finally here.” Then he walked over to the cupboard, reached up, and opened it to take out a glass. “Glasses are in here. You’ll have to explore the kitchen if you’re going to share in the cooking. There are only so many meals I know how to make. I’m sure you’ll get bored fast.”
He pushed the tall green glass against the dispenser on the fridge door until water brimmed at the top, and then he handed it to Sarah. Smiling at him, she set the glass on the counter and took out her prescription bottle. Once she had taken her pills, she glanced around the kitchen again.
It was a decent-sized room—not as big as her parents’ kitchen, but plenty big for two. It had a dark wooden table that could seat four, and french doors that opened out into the courtyard. The cabinets were glossy white, with light-colored granite countertops, and there was a center island with a sink for washing vegetables. The walls above the counters were tiled with light-colored stone rectangles, and in muted tones, there was a mosaic picture of a sunset above the stove.
Will showed Sarah around the rest of the house, which wasn’t nearly as small as he’d described. Besides the kitchen, the house had two bedrooms,
two bathrooms, and an office. The master bedroom had a large four-poster king-sized bed and a small sitting area with a love seat. Above the bed hung a large brightly colored abstract oil painting with a white frame that coordinated with the fluffy white comforter. The master bath boasted a large soaking tub, a separate shower, and a large walk-in closet with shelves along one side. Sarah was amazed at how many vintage T-shirts Will actually owned. They were all neatly folded in color-coordinated stacks that took up most of the shelves in the closet. The bedroom was just as Will had described, and Sarah felt at home already as she searched for more insight into Will’s world.
The second bedroom was more of a music room than a place to sleep. Its C-shaped, mustard-colored leather sofa filled the length of the wall farthest from the door as it hugged the coordinating upholstered ottoman. There was no bed. The long wall opposite the windows was arranged with seven hanging guitars of various shapes and colors—three electric and four acoustic. There were several black metal music stands and two large amplifiers pushed up against the wall by the door. The center of the room was void of any gear or furniture, and it looked like it was a place to stage more equipment. Sarah was excited when she saw the room. She couldn’t wait to hear Will play again.
He showed her the office, and she was surprised at how disorganized the room looked compared to the rest of the house. Brown corrugated boxes were stacked three high and ten across. They were all different sizes, and they covered the wall behind the desk. Some of the boxes were open, with various items spewing out of the tops, and some were still sealed with tape.
“What is all that?” Sarah asked, pointing to the half-open boxes.
“Swag. You know, the junk that people send me hoping that I’ll wear it out in public or use it and mention it in the press. There is all kinds of crap here—sunglasses, running shoes, clothes, body wash. They’re just hoping I’ll give them free advertising.
“I heard that the jacket I wore to the Teen FAV Awards sold out of stores the day after I wore it. I don’t know. I can’t imagine that I really influence anyone, but it’s not like I ask them to send me the stuff. It just keeps coming, and I try to give it away when I can’t use it, but it piles up. I rarely have to buy clothes anymore. All I have to do is mention I like a designer, and the next thing I know, it’s in my closet. That’s one of the benefits, I guess.
“After we announce our engagement, they’ll start sending you stuff too. You’ll see.” He pointed to a large overflowing basket on the floor next to the desk. “That pile is junk my fans have handed me. It’s crazy all the different stuff people give me.” He bent down and picked up a heart-shaped pillow with his face hand-embroidered on it. He showed it to Sarah and rolled his eyes. “I have a hard time throwing it away. A lot of it is homemade. It’s not all swag and gifts, though. A couple of the boxes are promotional items from The Demigod.”
“Really? Promotional merchandise? Do you have any action figures?” she asked with excitement.
“There are a few. Why?”
“I had one. Jessica got it for me so I wouldn’t miss you so much, but I couldn’t find it when I was packing up my stuff. I didn’t mention it before because I didn’t want to sound pathetic.” She smiled at him apologetically. “My roommates used to hide him around the rental house. They made a game out of it. I was always looking for him. I found him in all kinds of places—the refrigerator eating leftovers, on the windowsill watching the raindrops, and in the shower just keeping an eye on everyone. He was quite active.”
“How did you know what he was doing? He didn’t talk to you, did he?”
“No, he had his own Connect.Me account like the gnome in that commercial. I had to log on just to find out where he was sometimes, and there was always an elaborate story about what he had been doing. I have a feeling the girls kept him so they could keep his adventures going.”
Will reached into a box, pulled out a nine-inch action figure, and handed it to her. “I think I’m jealous,” he admitted, running his hand through his hair.
“Don’t be. Now that I have the real thing, he just reminds me of my roommates.”
Will studied her face, and she smiled widely to reassure him. She knew he felt guilty for taking her away from her friends. She wanted this. She had no regrets. There was no reason for guilt.
They made their way back to the living room, with Sarah carrying her doll, and she asked, “Your mom helped decorate in here, right?”
“She pretty much decorated most of the house. How could you tell?”
“The monster head.” On the wall above the fireplace hung a four-foot-wide green animatronic monster head with big round, bulbous eyes and stubby arms with three long clawed fingers on each hand. It looked like it was coming out of the wall.
“He’s mine. I told you about Pedro.”
“This is Pedro? I guess I didn’t realize he was so…big.”
“Wait. You have to see this.” He reached for the light switch. “His eyes move. They follow you around with motion sensors. It’s great for parties. He’s from an old movie set. He doesn’t freak you out, does he?”
“No, I think we’re going to be good friends.” She touched Pedro’s rubbery skin and his eyes creepily moved to her. “Do you have any more special effects?”
“I have a few things on the bookshelves in the office, but the main house is full of them. We can watch a movie in my dad’s viewing room later, and I’ll show you around.”
“Can you show me now?” she asked, excited to finally piece together all the stories Will had told her.
“Let’s just stay inside and wait for the rest of your luggage. The paparazzi will be waiting outside the gate to snap pictures for a while, anyway. They’re probably climbing the wall as I speak.”
“You’re not that special, Will. Why would they—”
He interrupted her words by leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. When he broke off the kiss, he said, “You’re right. I’m not that special. It’s your picture they want.” His eyes sparkled with adoration as he leaned in to kiss her again.
“And as much as I love to hear you call me Will, now that you’re here, you may need to start calling me Jon.” He ran his fingers through her hair indulgently and whispered in her ear. “Except in bed.”
A shiver ran down her spine.
“It will make life easier.” He pulled back and smiled brightly. “Very few know me by that name.”
“I’ll try, but no promises, Will—er, Jon.” She said “Jon” dramatically slow, as if she was trying out his name for the first time. She suppressed a smile and kissed his ear.
It wasn’t long before Sarah’s luggage arrived—three big suitcases. She had packed what she could. She knew she would have to take a road trip at some point to get the rest moved, and her parents promised to store what she wasn’t able to take. Sarah, Will, and Leslie spent what was left of the day emptying Sarah’s bags. Leslie helped her find a place for most of the clothes and promised to pick up some more hangers the next time she was out. While they all worked together to get her treasures put away in the house, Sarah questioned Jon about Leslie.
“Why haven’t you ever gone out with Leslie? I mean, she’s amazing,” Sarah asked, then smiled hugely at Leslie. She had wondered about her many times before, but Will never showed the slightest interest in her—that Sarah could see, anyway.
“She is amazing, isn’t she? Wow, I can’t believe I never told you about Leslie and me.” He smirked with a playful expression.
Sarah looked at him questioningly, a little worried that she might not want to know what he was going to say.
“There was a time in my life when I was convinced I was going to marry her.” Will smiled at Sarah as he wrapped his arm around Leslie and mussed her hair. “I was devastated when my dreams were shattered.”
“You touch my hair again, and you’re dead, Mr. Williams,” Leslie warned, twisting his name as she extricated herself from his grasp.
“I was.” He lo
oked back at her with a hurt expression. “I cried for days.”
Leslie rolled her eyes.
“I know we were only five, but it still hurt. I couldn’t believe it when my mom told me cousins weren’t allowed to marry. She and Aunt Catherine were pretty adamant about it. I don’t know what it’s like in Minnesota, but apparently, there are laws in California that forbid that.” He chuckled.
“Why didn’t you tell me she was your cousin?” asked Sarah.
“Leslie doesn’t like to talk about it. I think she’s embarrassed by me. I always laugh when the paparazzi catch us out together and write a big article about me being spotted with a gorgeous blonde. They’re so clueless.”
After Sarah had gotten settled, they visited with Zander and Lara for a while before watching a movie that Zander suggested. Sarah was relaxed and just happy to be with Will. She didn’t have any grand expectations about what was going to happen now that she was in Los Angeles. She knew she had a little money saved from working at the clinic, and she had the insurance money from the accident if she really needed anything. It would last her a little while. But she still needed to buy a car, and she wasn’t going to let Jon pay for it, so she would have to be frugal.
On New Year’s Eve, Will and Sarah went to a party at Will’s friend Chris’s house. There were quite a few people at the small house in the Valley, and Will enjoyed introducing Sarah to all his friends. The party was a tradition with his buddies, and they all worked hard to make it there every year. Nick and Hayden were both present, and Sarah enjoyed reminiscing with them about their part in getting her and Will together. Nick asked when her girlfriends would be visiting and joked about rearranging his schedule so he could get to know them better.
Sarah teased Nick for calling her a troll in his text to Will the night of the concert.
“Oh, I can’t believe he shared that.” He glared at Will across the room. “I just wanted you for myself.” He feigned stretching and slowly draped his arm around her waist, drawing her in as he continued to stare, challenging Will.
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