"The pictures are awful."
"They could be worse."
"Now, you sound like Austin." I huff out a breath. "He actually had the nerve to try to blackmail me yesterday."
"He likes you," Peyton says, smiling.
I glare at her across the table. "I liked you so much better when the thought of professional athletes gave you hives. Why did you have to go and fall in love with one?"
"Blame Logan," she says, shrugging. "It's his fault."
"At least he isn't Austin."
"What did Milo think?" she asks.
"He wanted to murder him." I roll my eyes. "I had to talk him down, and then he said at least it's my ass and not his. So I guess he's over wanting to kill Austin."
Her lips curve into a smile. "Want some advice?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Nope."
"That's what I figured." I sigh, motioning for her to get on with it.
"Who cares what the rest of the world has to say?" she asks. "Trust me when I say, you can spend a lifetime stressing over it, and it won't change a damn thing. Take it from someone who has been there…don't do that to yourself. Ignore them and live your life. You'll be far happier that way."
I tip my head to the side, eyeing her. Maybe she's right. If anyone would know what it's like to be media fodder, it's Peyton. Her dad is a politician who lied to her mom about being married and has spent her entire life pretending she doesn't exist just to advance his own career. He even sent her to foster care after her mom died. And then she fell for Logan and ended up right back in the papers. Somehow, she's survived it all.
If she can do it, maybe I can too.
But…it'd be really nice if I didn't have to do it. I don't want to be gossip. I don't want to be the girl the whole world thinks is blowing the league's golden boy. I just want to be left alone.
Unfortunately, I don't see that happening anytime soon.
"He's such a jerk."
"You really like him."
"Do not," I mumble.
Peyton smirks at me across the table. "Oh, yeah? Then why are you blushing?"
"I am not blushing." It's a dirty lie. I'm absolutely blushing. But it doesn't even matter. There's no way I'm going out with him. No way in hell. Not even if I really…Nope.I cut that thought off at the pass, refusing to even go there.
"You're allowed to like him, you know," Peyton murmurs around her straw. "He's a pretty good guy. When thewhole world accused me of cheating on Logan with him, he was really nice about it."
"And yet…he refuses to tell the truth now," I mutter, my tone black.
"That's because he likes you."
"You mispronounced torture."
Peyton sets her drink on the chipped table, leaning back in the booth to look at me critically. "Be honest. You like him, don't you?"
I shrug.
"So…what's the problem?"
