THE BEAUMONT SERIES
Forever My Girl
My Everything
My Unexpected Forever
Finding My Forever
Finding My Way
12 Days of Forever
My Kind of Forever
THE ARCHER BROTHERS
Here with Me
Choose Me
Save Me
STANDALONE TITLES
Lost in You / Lost in Us
The Reeducation of Savannah McGuire
THE BOYS OF SUMMER
Third Base
Home Run - January 17, 2017
BLIND REALITY
Blind Reality
Twisted Reality
VIRTUOUS PARADOX
Blow
SOCIETY X
Dark Room
Viewing Room
STRIPPED BARE
Stripped Bare
When we left off in Blind Reality, Josh was on bended knee proposing to Joey. The cameras were rolling, and the audience was waiting…
Joshua Wilson never thought he’d get married until the day that he met and married Joey Mitchell on the hit television show Married Blind.
Joey never thought she’d find love… period, especially after her heart was broken. But now that she’s married to her celebrity crush, she’s trying to turn her fairytale into her happily ever after before the wicked witch takes a bit out of her apple.
Now TV’s favorite couple is moving their love affair off camera and trying to build a life around Josh’s Hollywood career while dodging his crazy fans, producers wanting to chronicle their first year of marriage for the public and Jules Maxwell—Josh’s all too famous ex.
But we all know where there’s good, there’s bad. Every relationship has its ups and downs. With the cameras no longer watching their every move, will the love they shared in the house be the same when their lives become a Twisted Reality?
“Joey, I know we’re already married, but I would really like to do things right. Will you marry me in front of our family and friends? Will you be my partner in all things and marry me … again?”
My teeth press together in both a form of anger and excitement. This is what I wanted weeks ago, the declaration and commitment, and now that I’m getting it, I don’t know what to do. Everyone in the audience is yelling at me to say yes, or they’re saying they’ll marry him. I want to remind them all that he comes with an incredible amount of baggage in the name of Jules Maxwell and that may be too much for most people to handle.
The host, Helen, is looking at me, anxiously waiting for my answer. In fact, everyone is staring at me, and suddenly I’m too hot and sweat is starting to run down my face, ruining my make-up. Over Josh’s shoulder, there’s a producer holding his hand up, like he’s asking me to stop or stall my answer.
Josh laughs and I wonder if he finds this comical or if he’s placating the audience because I’m taking too long. Is there a set time limit on when you have to answer a marriage proposal? I’m trying to decide my future here, and up until a minute ago, I thought I was headed for divorce court.
Josh and I make eye contact and that’s when I see it, the sincerity in his proposal. My eyes fall to the black velvet box he’s holding, where the cushioned diamond ring catches the studio lights overhead, sparkling brightly as a result. I remember his words from the beginning about my ring and know that he’s doing this the right way. Finally, my eyes land on the producer with his hand still up in the air and I realize I don’t care about this show, or anyone’s ratings, I only care about Josh.
“Yes,” I reply, covering my mouth to avoid crying out with happiness. “Yes, Josh, I’ll marry you.”
He stands, pulls me into his arms, and swings me around before kissing me in front of the live studio audience. “I love you, Joey,” he says in between kisses and I tell him that I love him, too. My love for him is beyond the crazy stalker fan kind of love. It’s genuine and heartfelt. He makes me happy. He makes me laugh. Most importantly, he makes me want to be a better person.
As soon as he sets me down, he slips the ring on my finger where it fits perfectly. Our friends congratulate us and the make-up assistant rushes out to once again fix our faces. When I glance at Josh, he’s wiping tears that have fallen from his eyes. My heart beats faster knowing that our future has moved him in such a way that he’s cried. The make-up staff tells me I’m done, so I sit back down and can feel someone staring at me. I know it’s Bronx and I know he doesn’t approve, but this isn’t his life, it’s mine. I purposely avoid looking over at him because I don’t need to see the expression on his face. He has his happiness and he should be happy for me, no matter who I choose to be with.
“Welcome back,” Helen says as she faces the camera. Josh puts his arm around me and instead of him pulling me close I go willingly. “When we left you, Josh was on bended knee asking Joey to marry him.” Helen looks at us and I can’t hide the smile on my face. I flash my hand and the audience cheers again, which is likely on cue, but I don’t care. I’m engaged to remarry the man that I love.
“So when’s the big day?” Helen asks.
“Well, we’re already married so I think we can take some time to plan whatever type of wedding Joey wants.”
“Josh is due to start filming his new movie starting next week, so sometime after that,” I add, smiling at him. He leans forward and kisses my nose, earning a resounding ahh from the crowd. I’m giddy. I can’t help it. He makes me feel like a fairytale princess, showing me that dreams do come true.
“Millie and Cole, do you have anything you’d like to share with us?”
We all turn our attention to them and wait. Bronx and Rebekah are here as well. Gary and Amanda are getting a divorce and opted not to travel with us.
Cole looks at Millie and forces a smile. There is something going on between them, but I don’t know what it could be. She doesn’t seem as happy as she was when we were in the house. Smiling softly, Millie meets Helen’s gaze. “We’re pregnant!” Her voice is an octave higher, but it doesn’t carry the usual enthusiasm an expectant mother would normally carry.
Once again, the audience cheers for them and the rest of us clap our hands and offer them our congratulations. Josh presses his lips to my ear, causing me to hold my breath. Is he going to tell me he wants to have a baby, too? It’d be silly to think that considering how much animosity he has toward his parents. It’s going to be a long time before he’s ready to have children, if he ever is.
The attention is now on Rebekah and Bronx, but they have nothing to report, other than being happily married and thankful that they didn’t have to spend the full ninety days on the show. I’m still pissed about that. They only participated in a handful of competitions and were still eligible for the grand prize. I was really hoping Rebekah would be asked about her relationship with Gary, but Helen is far too classy for something like that.
Once we have another commercial break, we’re excused. Backstage, Millie grabs my arms and jumps up and down. This is like when that really cute boy you’ve been crushing on asks you to prom and you have to run to the bathroom with your bestie to celebrate, except everyone is watching us.
“I’m so happy for you,” Millie exclaims.
“Me? What about you? You’re going to have a baby, so no more jumping up and down! You’ll give your baby a headache.”
Her face falls when I bring up the baby. For someone who is happily married she doesn’t seem too happy to be pregnant.
“What’s wrong?”
Millie subtly shakes her head and looks for Cole. I look as well and find him in deep conversation with Josh. I motion for Millie to move over to the corner so we can have a little priva
cy. I make sure her back is facing Cole so he can’t see that we’re talking about him.
“Why are you so sad?” My hands rub up and down her arms while she wipes away her tears.
“Cole’s mother doesn’t like me.”
“That’s not uncommon. It’s hard for a mother to give up her son.”
“No, you don’t understand,” she says as she wipes her nose. “When he took me over to meet her the other day, she had a lawyer sitting in the living room with divorce papers. Cole told her that we’re pregnant and she said I did it to trap him. How can I trap him on a show where we were legally married?”
“Oh, honey, I don’t know. Maybe she’s just overprotective or something.” I honestly don’t know what to say to Millie. I can’t imagine being in her shoes right now. They fell in love on the show and their baby is living proof. I was often jealous of them, wanting what they were sharing to happen with Joshua. How can I offer advice when I don’t know what to tell her? Take your husband, your money, and run? Would Cole go with her? Would he still choose her?
“What does Cole have to say?” I ask, needing to know if he’s a momma’s boy or if he’s going to stand up for his wife and unborn child.
“That’s just it, he won’t talk about it. Every time I try to bring it up, he changes the subject or kisses me senseless, hoping I’ll forget. But I can’t forget, Joey. She hates me.”
“Maybe she needs to get to know you?”
Shaking her head, Millie wipes her tears again. Her make-up is smudged, her eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed. I feel bad, angry even. Cole’s mother could at least try to get to know her daughter-in-law. Although I say this as if it should be easy, I’m not looking forward to meeting Josh’s parents. Mine are another story; they’re already excited to meet him. Probably more excited that they have a son now and no longer need me.
“I offered, ya know, to go out to lunch after we were done with this tour and she just looked at me like I have two heads. Then she ranted about the money and the house that’s ours if we stay married a year—she told Cole he won’t need it.”
Millie slumps against the wall, clearly defeated and overwhelmed. I pat her back, which is probably annoying the crap out of her, but I don’t know what else to do. Looking over her shoulder, I catch Josh eyeing me. His eyes sort of bug out in that ‘what the hell is going on over there’ look and points to his watch. I shrug and he discretely motions toward Cole. Great! We’ve become the Brooks’ marriage counselors despite the fact that we have our own issues.
I may have said yes to his proposal, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about the crap with Jules. Something tells me that by the end of the night I’ll be shedding my own tears over her, Josh, and this whole situation. I love him though, and I made the mistake of letting my heart control my emotions. He broke down my walls piece by piece, inserting his presence into my life even though he tried to fight it. Before I knew it I was no longer a fan with a crush, I was a woman in love with a man who just so happens to be a movie star.
Coming over to me, Josh whispers into my ear, “We should think about going.” Between the feel of his hand on my back and his voice in my ear, I’m a wobbly-kneed schoolgirl who is willing to follow him anywhere. He kisses me softly before moving away, giving me some privacy to say good-bye to Millie.
“I know, you need to go,” she says, offering me a soft smile. I pull her into a hug.
“We’ll see each other soon. Josh and I have some things to work out, like living arrangements, and once we do we’ll have you and Cole come out for a nice long weekend or something.”
“Okay,” she says, nodding.
I take her hands in mine and make sure she’s looking at me. “Millie, I promise we’re going to see each other and I want to be at your baby shower. I’m only a phone call away, okay?”
“Okay,” she answers timidly.
I hug her again. “Call me before you leave Los Angeles and we’ll meet up.”
She nods and tells me good-bye. I’m hesitant to leave her and when I look back, Cole is standing there next to her. I can only hope that he doesn’t care what his mother thinks and he’ll fight to keep Millie happy. As soon as I come around the corner, Josh is in a heated conversation with a man I’ve never seen before. I stop, staying back in case he’s discussing business. I don’t want him to think that I have to know everything, but I do hope that he shares.
He spots me and smiles as he reaches for me. The second our hands connect I feel like I can breathe again.
“Joey, this is Barry, one of the producers from the show.”
I shake his hand and immediately mold into Josh’s side.
“It’s nice to meet you, Joey. As I was telling Josh, we’d like to broadcast your life.”
“What do you mean?” I ask with a bit of confusion.
“They want to make a reality show about us, follow us around. That sort of thing,” Josh answers. The thought of having cameras follow me around again does not excite me at all. I didn’t even want to go on the show to begin with, and I really don’t want to share my life with anyone other than Josh and our families.
“Um …” I say, hesitating. I look to Josh for an answer.
“We’ll get back to you, Barry. Joey and I need to talk about it first.”
“We’ll make it worth your while. Here’s our proposal.” Barry hands Josh some folded papers, which he quickly places in his pocket. He pulls me behind him in a rush until we’re outside and being ushered into a black town car. Once the door shuts, his lips are on mine with his fingers tangling in my hair.
“I’ve missed you,” he says over and over again in between kisses.
I’ve waited for this moment since the season finale of Married Blind. This is how Joey and I should’ve been right after the show—in our personal car, heading to the hotel and in each other’s arms—but instead she was with Bronx and I was left chasing after her.
It’s taken me weeks to find her and it’s not like she was missing. She was there, just out of my reach. But now I have her and she’s agreed to spend the rest of her life with me. Asking her to marry me, even though we’re technically already married, in front of the live audience was risky. My proposal could’ve backfired and honestly, I half expected it to. There could’ve been a slap across the face, which I likely deserve. She could’ve said no and I would deserve that as well, but I wouldn’t have given up. Not on her. Not on us.
As much as I fought falling for her, I was doomed from the moment I kissed Joey on stage right at the start of the show. I had never felt that way before. My body was zinging, everything was in hyper-color and I felt so alive. It’s cheesy to say she was made for me, but there isn’t any other way to explain the connection I feel with her. Walking away at the end of the season was never going to be an option for me, and no matter how many times I told her we were just friends in the house, I knew deep down I was lying to myself.
Joey nestles into the crook of my neck. Just holding her like this is worth the pain and suffering I’ve been through during the past few weeks. The agony of not knowing how she really felt was killing me slowly. I adjust slightly, trying to bring her even closer and kiss the top of her head, letting my lips linger there.
I don’t know how to be a husband. I suppose most men say this at some time in their lives, but the difference is they most likely had a solid upbringing whereas I had utter shit. My father is not the type of man I want to be … however; Hollywood predicts that’s exactly how I’ll end up. Like father like son, right? Aside from a few celebrities, marriages do not last here. The time away from each other, the constant rumors, and the never-ending temptation, are a surefire way to destroy your life, your marriage.
“I’m going to be strong for you,” I absentmindedly say out loud. Joey pulls her head away from my shoulder and looks at me, her forehead furrowed in confusion. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth and now it’s too late.
“What are you talking about?”
I quickly avert
my gaze out the car window and see that we’re a block or so from the hotel. Glancing at the driver, I frown—not at him, but at the situation I’ve now created for myself.
“We’re almost at the hotel,” I murmur, pushing her hair behind her ear. It’s crazy to think that her hair has gotten longer since I’ve last seen her, but I swear it has. Right now, my wife doesn’t look like the one I fell in love with. Joey, inside the house, never wore make-up and her hair was always in a ponytail or in a bun. I look at her now, and while she’s still gorgeous, I don’t like seeing all that crap painted on her face. I hate that I can’t run my fingers through her hair because the spray holding the curls in place prevents me from doing so.
The second the driver pulls up to the curb, light bulbs flash and the continuous clicking of cameras start. I take her hand in mine and ask if she’s ready. This is our first public appearance, outside of television, and the press is going to be all over her.
“Whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand. Okay?”
“Okay,” she says, nodding, squeezing my hand for good measure.
I take a deep breath as the driver appears on the passenger side of the car, along with hotel security. As he opens the door, the noise grows louder. Our names are called, questions are hurled, and when Jules’ name is mentioned I try to walk a bit faster to get inside the sanctity of the hotel. I think about hanging my head, but I don’t. I stand proud and let them take my picture, because right now I feel like I can conquer the world with my wife by my side.
My wife.
Just thinking those words brings me a sense of calm. My life feels like it’s finally heading in the right direction and it’s all because of Joey and her willingness to take the risk of being in my life. If I were Joey, I’d run for the hills and not look back. I’m not worthy of her love, but I’m going to do every damn thing I can to prove that I deserve it.
When we finally reach our room, I pick her up—much to her delight—and set my hand with the keycard against the magnetic lock to open the door. I anticipated her saying yes, or at least coming back here with me, so I had the room prepared.
Twisted Reality (Blind Reality #2) Page 1