My phone is buzzing with notifications. Instagram followers I didn’t even know I had, friend requests, and direct messages from strangers. How did this happen so fast?
I call Ben before I can lose my nerve.
“Hey.” He answers on the first ring, and he sounds as rattled as I feel. “I was just about to call you.”
“Ben, what on earth is happening? There are photos of us everywhere. People were staring at me at the coffee shop.”
“I know. I’m seeing it too. My PR manager just sent me a whole folder of screenshots.”
“How did they even know to take pictures? We were just having dinner.”
“Someone must have recognized me at the restaurant and tipped off a photographer. Or maybe it was just bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time.”
I lean against a building, feeling suddenly dizzy. “This is insane. I’m nobody. Why do people care about who you’re dating?”
“Because apparently I’m ‘Chicago’s most eligible bachelor’ and my love life has been the subject of speculation for years.” He sounds tired, like he’s had this conversation before. “Freya, if this is too much, we can dial it back. We can say we want privacy, ask people to respect our boundaries.”
“No.” The word comes out more forcefully than I intended. “No, it’s fine. It was just… surprising. I wasn’t expecting to become internet famous overnight.”
“Are you sure? Because once this train leaves the station, it’s going to be hard to stop.”
I think about this. Am I sure? The attention is overwhelming and invasive, and honestly, a little scary. But backing down now would mean Ben losing his deal with Red, and I’m not about to let that happen because I can’t handle a few strangers looking at me.
“I’m sure. It’s fine. I can handle this.”
“Okay. Good.” There’s relief in his voice. “Actually, if we’re going to do this, we might need to… stage some things.”
“Stage some things? What do you mean?”
“Well, now that people know about us, they’re going to expect to see us together. My PR manager thinks we should?—”
My phone starts buzzing with an incoming call. Bella’s name flashes on the screen, and my stomach drops to my feet. Oh, no. This call I can’t miss.
“Ben, I have to go. Bella’s calling.”
“Freya, wait?—”
But I’m already switching over to the other call, my heart pounding.
“Hey, Bella.”
“FREYA MARIE HULL.” Bella’s voice is so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”
“Um… good morning to you too?”
“Don’t you ‘good morning’ me. I just saw a notification that Ben Lawlor—YOUR Ben—is trending on social media because he’s ENGAGED. To someone who looks suspiciously like my sister. Care to explain?”
I close my eyes, leaning harder against the building. I should have called her last night. I should have given her a heads-up before she found out from the internet.
“Bella, I can explain.”
“You’re engaged? To Ben? And you didn’t tell me you were dating him? I just saw you the other day.”
“It’s complicated…”
“It’s complicated? Freya, we talked about him literally two days ago. You said he was still married to his job. You’ve always said you two were just friends.”
“We are… were. I mean…” I’m stumbling over my words, trying to think of an explanation that isn’t a complete lie but also doesn’t reveal the truth. “It happened really fast.”
