“Roxie’s amazing.”
“Yeah, and she doesn’t let people go easy.Especially isolated people or people in trouble.”
“Cam isn’t—”
“You,” he said, his lips warming again.“Roxie imprints on people almost instantly.You’re part of her circle now, whether you’re in Cam’s or not.”
Shunning Cam wasn’t the only issue now.If she chose to leave Boston, more than just their relationship would be over.No one ever cared about her walking away before.No one worried about her wellbeing.Other than Spence and he was always there.Being apart wasn’t an option for them, it just wasn’t discussed.
“Do you have family?”
He snickered.“Just a little.”
“Mine was never close.Spence’s cut out on us.I’m not used to… People.”
“People, the general population, don’t matter.Forget about people.You’re not doing this for them.None of us are doing this for them.Zairn and Roxie have a line, they say, ‘what we are is not their business.’The masses don’t have to know the truth.You’re not taking a polygraph, the truth is flexible.”
She squinted.“You’re telling me to lie?If this isn’t for the masses, who is it for?”
“The people you care about.Give the public just enough information to satisfy their curiosity, get them off your back.After that, you can live your life free.Cam chose a life away from the limelight.If he wanted to go back to LA, he could.If any of the Colliers wanted to hit the red carpet every night and have their lives plastered all over gossip mags and internet blogs, they could.They could be famous and hounded; they choose not to be.Cam went even further and chose a life as far away from that as he could get.”
“He didn’t ask for this, neither did I.I don’t want to disrupt his life.This isn’t my idea of a good time.”
Another smile.“Which is why you give the public just enough information to satisfy their curiosity.”Tripp repeated himself.Saying it again was… for emphasis?Too bad Cam beat him to it.Though it was reassuring to get the same hope from two separate sources.“Give them the broad strokes and get them off your back.Then you can live your life and Cam can live his.And if the two of those happened to line up, have at it.”
“You said Roxie is in my life now.”
“She is.And if you satisfy that curiosity, the public will be bored of you and you can show up at events, red carpet or not.The media might say your name or point you out, but they’ll move on to something more salacious.”
“You’re all so practiced.”
On an exhale, he scooped up his coffee cup again.“You pick up a few things over the years.Choosing the Colliers was canny, no better life raft.”
Horror flared her eyes.“I didn’t pick—that’s not why I—I didn’t even know who Cam was.”
“Figuratively.You better learn not to get so offended when the media’s a part of your life.Baiting you is half their job, don’t do the rest for them.”
They weren’t the only ones curious.
“Why are you helping me?”she asked.“Being here for Cam I understand, but you don’t have to help me.”
“It’s what I do.”
The knowing glint in the corner of his eye stoked intrigue.Was this another guy with an identity she was missing?
“Or…” she drawled, “you want to fill Cam in on whatever I say.”
She jumped when he let go of the coffee and threw his head back to laugh.
After a few seconds, on a whining inhale, he relaxed.“Baby, you have a lot to learn.Why do you think they call me Priest?I’ll take your words to my grave.”
“Look who chose to appear before the clock struck noon!”Roxie sauntered in from the patio, heading over to kiss Tripp’s cheek and lay a hand between his shoulder blades.“What’s so funny?”
He nodded at her.“Ariella thinks I’m a spy, squirreling away information I can trade to others for smokes.”
“I didn’t—”
“Why do you think we call him Priest?”Roxie asked.“You don’t have to worry about his loose lips.Nope.He’s a vault of secrets.”
