“The ones where she’s kissing you?”
Surprise ripples over his features. That clearly wasn’t the response he was expecting. “You saw them?”
“As soon as I got off the plane.” I struggle to keep my voice neutral. “They wereeverywhere. All the headlines said you two are getting back together.”
Caleb’s cautious, looking at me hesitantly as if I’m a bomb he needs to defuse. “Are you mad? It wasn’t anything. I swear. We bumped into her andbefore I could stop it, she kissed me. It was over in like five seconds. I pushed her away, then left immediately.”
He’s telling the truth. I already knew it from the photo. I saw the stiffness in his shoulders. How he averted his face from hers. I also know because I know him. Caleb is a good man. He wouldn’t cheat on me the minute my back was turned. I understand these truths, and yet it had been awful to see him in another woman’s arms.
“I’m not mad,” I say, working to keep my tone light. “I knew what happened right away.”
He squints at me with suspicion. “Really?”
“Of course.” I laugh and wave my hand in dismissal. “It’s no big deal.”That your ex left her lipstick all over your face.“It didn’t bother me.”Except that it felt like someone stabbed an ice pick in my heart.
There’s a long pause where he stares at me with a doubtful expression, like he doesn’t believe me. I keep my face calm, smiling pleasantly at him, while inwardly I beg him to accept my lie and move on. This is my chance to prove I can handle all the bumps that come along with his fame.
It must work because Caleb breathes out a relieved sigh. “I was worried.”
“I trust you. I wouldn’t marry you if I didn’t.” This, at least, is true. Idotrust him to be faithful. “The most important things in a relationship are love, trust, and honesty.”
“And fantastic conversation,” he teasingly adds, relaxing slowly.
“That too.” Tension leaks out of me, but it comes rushing back when Caleb drops his head with a sigh. He runs his fingers through his hair, mussing it.
“Something else happened today,” he says in a tone that lets me know this isn’t good news.
I sit up straight as my heart picks up speed. “What?”
He shifts on the bed, rearranging his legs until he finds a comfortable position. “I’ve mentioned it before, but I have some…overly enthusiastic fans.”
“Yeah?” I draw the word out, not sure where this conversation’s going.
“Stalker fans,” he says with a wince.
“I remember. You showed me that website where they keep track of you.That Secret Santa page.” My heart kicks into overdrive, pounding with apprehension. “Why? Did something happen? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He puts his hand up, like he’s testifying in court. “One of them sent me another of those gifts at the autograph signing.”
“How?” I ask, tilting my head. “Did you see them?”
“No. They gave some random guy money to drop it off. He got it from another person, probably someone they also paid.”
“What was it? The present?” Alarm bells ring faintly in the back of my mind. I’ve known Caleb has these kinds of fans. It’s part of his job. Like the need for getting new headshots once a year or paying dues to the Screen Actors Guild. When you’re as famous as he is, stalkers go with the territory.
He doesn’t answer for a long minute. He stares out of the bedroom window with shadows in his eyes. It reminds me of when I first met him. When he came to hide out at my mom’s house in L.A. because he was tired of his celebrity lifestyle, exhausted from being hunted.
He sighs. “I don’t want to frighten you. Also, I don’t want to scare you away. I love you.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Caleb,” I reassure him.
This earns me a small, sad smile. “Thanks, love.” He blows out a breath and with more strength says, “It wasn’t a big deal. They sent me a shirt. It…” Another pause. His eyes shift, and I get the sense Caleb’s hiding something from me, but that can’t be correct.
Right?
“It was a shirt with red lipstick on it. Stupid, really. I wanted to tell you, though.” He stares at me through the phone screen. More urgently, he says, “Some of these people are mentally unstable. They might get jealous—especially with the wedding coming up. Please be careful, just in case. Okay?”
A knot of worry winds in my throat. I swallow past it. “Of course. I don’t think they’d come after me, though. It’syouthey’re fascinated by. Not me. I’m a boring regular person.”
