There’s an odd comfort in that.
“You ever toured a tropical rainforest?” he asks.
I shake my head.
“Excellent. You’re doing it today. Time to come out of hiding. Trust me. It’s a good thing. You think people are judgmental? Wait until you see the attitude on some of the monkeys around here. It’ll make going back to the real world feel palatable.”
“I’m astrangerand you’reJonas Rutherford.”
“My brother was all over the tabloids last year for an unfortunately delicate public situation and he hates the spotlight with the passion of a million grumps. I can appreciate what you’re going through even if the spotlight doesn’t usually bother me. You can also consider this my apology for puking in your bushes and my thanks for some super dry toast.”
“Oh my god. You know Theo. You know Theo, and he setthisup too. He set up you meeting me, didn’t he?”
“Who’s Theo again?”
“My brother? The online adult entertainment star? Knits hearts while he’s naked and says motivational things that I probably should’ve listened to a little more when it came to understanding who I should and shouldn’t marry?”
Jonas points to himself. “Razzle Dazzle family-friendly sappy-romanticbut no kissing everfilm star here. Prior to my divorce, the biggest scandal I ever faced was that I wore a wet t-shirt and you could see my nipples in a movie once. Don’t think your brother and I operate in the same circles.”
They probably don’t.
And Theo wasveryhappy to be ananonymousadult entertainment star.
He never showed his face.
He’d be anonymous still exceptChandler outed him at my wedding.
And now the entire world has seen the video.
Theentire worldknows Theo’s biggest secret. They now know the face that goes with the penis.
He has to be absolutely miserable right now, but he’s still putting me first, texting every day to ask how I am and making sure I have as much privacy as I need in a way that I couldn’t provide for myself.
I shouldn’t be here. I don’tdeserveto be here.
I havesomuch to make up for.
But at least I knownotmarrying Chandler was a good idea.
“C’mon, Emma,” Jonas says. “I need someone to make sure I don’t touch another piña colada and puke in someone else’s bushes tomorrow. They’d be far less understanding.”
“Why do you trust me?”
He blows out a long breath. “I don’t know. But I do know I don’t have much else to lose.”
Well.
What’s a girl supposed to say to that?
It’s definitely not theyou’re cute, you’re friendly, I just want to help a fellow human beingthat I might’ve expected.
But it resonates.
My favorite movie star and I have a lot in common right now.
Who sawthatcoming?
4
