“And doyoudo small?” Daisy asks, sounding skeptical.
And just like that, the simple question rocks me.
I’ve been in the background for so long, I always assumed that’s just who I am. It’s been my comfort zone. I learned early that it’s safest to shrink. To hide. To not stand out in any way. But now I realize that with my new business, I’m front and center. I have to show up and be seen. I have to lead. Take the spotlight.
And I love it, I realize.
“No,” I say after a minute, shocked by the insight. “I don’t think I actually do. Not anymore.” I pause. “That was one of the problems with being Sebastian’s assistant. I wanted more.” I turn to Sadie. “The vision I have for Dream Space isn’t small. It’s huge. I want to help a lot of people, not just a few.”
Sadie claps. “Same, partner. You and Sebastian arebothbuilt for big things. You just want to conquer different landscapes.”
“It’s all about compromise,” Daisy says, nodding. “Ryder loves touring. But we make it work. It takes a lot of coordination. He stays home more now, but he gets a lot more songwriting and studio work done. And I join him on the road. It’s not easy to design dresses in a tour bus, but I also get inspired with all that travel. It’s so worth it.” She looks dreamy. “So, so, so worth it.”
“Yeah,” Olivia breathes, the same soft gleam in her eyes. “It’s worth it.”
“Don’t mind me. I’m going to jump off a cliff because I don’t have a superstar Sexiest Man Alive who would do anything for me like the three of you.” Sadie grins.
“Well, I haven’t heard from my superstar in… ” I look at the time on my phone and see that it’s midnight. “In almost twenty-three hours.”
I’m about to put the phone back down when I see a flurry of notifications come through. Curious, I open one up. It’s Matt.I thought you should see this.I click the link.
And suck in my breath. I read the entire article in shock, blood draining from my face.
“What is it?” Sadie asks.
I hand her my device with shaking hands. When she’s done reading, she looks up in anger “The fucker,” she spits out. “I always hated him. But now Ireallyhate him.”
“Who? Why? What did we miss?” Daisy asks.
Sadie’s shoulders are tense as she looks at me.
“Celebrity Newz wanted to find out more about Sebastian Blake’s fiancée. And they did. Apparently, my ex-boyfriend, who is now a personal trainer, talked about me on some podcast because of the rumors that I’m engaged to Sebastian,” I say shakily. “He ghosted me when he went away to college. And I never knew why. But now I do.”
“Emma…” Sadie says.
I look down at the article, skimming it. “Apparently he was shocked to hear that someone like me was engaged to a movie star. He said when we were together I was kind of pathetic. Because my aunt was a hoarder and my dad was a drug addict. And apparently, he was only with me for so long because he didn’t know how to break it off. He felt sorry for me. He also saidthat I look better now than I did when I was in high school, but I’m still notthathot.”
I try to breathe through the rising anger and consternation. This podcast may have been small, just two gym-bros talking life and fitness. But the story has now been picked up by one of the biggest tabloid publications.Everyonewill see this.
“The dick!” Daisy yells.
“We have your back. We’ll ride at dawn,” Olivia vows.
Sadie wraps an arm around me. “You were always too good for him.”
I’m mortified that my background has been laid bare for all the world to see. Mortified that I’m finding out with everyone else exactly why I was ghosted all those years ago. Contrary to what Sadie just said, I always felt lesser in that relationship. I always sensed thathethought I was lesser. And now I know I was right.
Every negative thought I’d ever had about myself. The judgment and shame of my childhood. They all resurface. They’re all there in one short clickbait article being shared and quoted across the tabloids.
All because my ex is an ass—and Sebastian Blake is one of the biggest stars in the world.
My phone pings out of control. Then it rings. I don’t recognize the number, so I don’t answer it. It rings again, and I put it on silent. It’s probably the media wanting me to comment. I look at my friends, feeling at a loss.
“I’ve been dealing with the press for years so maybe this shouldn’t rattle me, but it does.” My laugh is mirthless. “I thought unflattering photos were bad. But I’ve never been the subject of an article like this.”
And then it strikes me. Sebastian is confronted with this all the time. Since he was a child, he’s had to deal with friends, employees, and even strangers revealing the most intimatedetails about his life. A wave of awe for how he handles it flows through me.
Daisy snatches the phone from my hand and sets it behind her. “I’m taking this and hiding it. The best thing to do is to go unplugged. I learned that after I accidentally divulged too much about Ryder and our sex life to a reporter. I didn’t mean to overshare. But the lady seemed so nice, and she didn’t tell me who she was. We were chatting. Alcohol was involved. The subject of size came up. Oops. Anyway, after that Ryder surprised me with an impromptu vacation to the Maldives for a week because there was no cell service on the island.” She makes a face. “There were a few other not-so-cute moments when the tabloids got nosy about my background. But with Ryder’s support, I got through it. And it made me stronger.” She squeezes my hand. “Let Sebastian’s team manage the situation. And stay off social media. This too shall pass. I promise.”
