She put a hand over her heart. “There’s stuff I’m working on too. Past relationships that were bad. I’d be lying if I said I had it all figured out and could mash us together to call it good.”
“Okay? Maybe we can work on that?” Tommy tugged her close, loving the way she fit against him like she was made to be there. “Figure it out together? I mean I’m not getting out of here any time soon. Sounds like I start nutrition training next week, and transitioning to out of rehab thinking, which I’ll admit has me terrified. But if being here part-time means I get to see you more than an hour a day, that would be great.”
“For real?” She asked suspicious.
“Did you know I told Ru you are the most real girl I ever met? Not because of some gender roles,” he waved a hand in the air like the concept annoyed him, which it did. “But because all other girls on my arm were there to get something out of me. They played a role, smile, be pretty, act like a ditz, pose for the camera, you’re with the pop star. I hated that. I played the role too. The playboy, pop star, the perfect guy, until I nearly drank myself to death. I’d like to take the acting to a stage and leave it there when I’m done each day. That means my relationships too. I want something real. I thought we were real?”
She stared at him.
“What? Did I say something wrong?” Tommy wondered. “I’m really working on this saying what I feel thing, but it doesn’t always come out right.”
“You are too good to be true, Tommy.”
He squinted at her. “Is that good or bad? Help me out here.”
She lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed him, sweet at first, then delving. After a minute she pulled away to meet his gaze, hers firm. “Good, Tommy. Very good. Will you tell me if something doesn’t work for you? If you have questions or feel uncomfortable? I want to hear it from you before seeing it in some tabloid.”
“Yes. Same? I can’t promise the paparazzi won’t follow you. Sorry about that.”
“I’ve already encountered them a handful of times. It’s fine. Ru hired a bodyguard to keep them from getting in my face.”
Tommy gaped. “What?” He had no idea. “No one tells me anything.”
She tugged him into the media room. “It’s fine. Never had people really want my picture before. I make sure I dress really trendy and hand out cards from the shop when people come to ask me about our relationship.”
“Why is everyone in my business?”
“Um, pop star,” she reminded him.
“Not anymore,” he said.
She laughed and he loved the husky depth of it. Not fake at all, but warm and happy. “You’re in transition yourself.”
“Yeah? To what?” Tommy wondered.
“Disney princess.”
“I thought you were the princess?”
“Nah, the princess is the one who solves the problems. She slays the emotional dragon, and comes out on top. That’s you.” She shrugged. “The prince is the background arm candy reward for the princess. I’m the prince.”
“You’re more than arm candy rewards.”
“Maybe I’m the sidekick mixed in? It’s okay. I like being your reward. No one has ever thought of me as a reward before,” Paige said.
“Their loss. Color with me?”
“Are there still naughty pages left?” She teased.
“I left the naughtiest ones for you.”
She grinned and they made their way to the stack of coloring books. Tommy felt lighter with her hand in his, the sound of her voice soothing something inside him, and as they sat down to snuggle and color, that was all that mattered.
