“That's very brave of you. Are you going to work on the love-sick schmuck angle?”
Honestly, I would be okay with that, since it would mean this relationship ended sooner rather than later. In fact, a hint of hesitant excitement creeps in.
“I won’t be embarrassed, because you won’t say no.”
I give him a pitying look.
“I love the delusion, really, but—” All joking leaves his face as he sits up and leans in, causing me to lean back a bit to avoid getting too close to him. He reaches into his pocket, grabs his phone, and taps it a few times before turning it to face me.
“You won’t say no, because if you do, these photos are going to be spread to a dozen different news outlets along with the headline that America’s Sweetheart broke her beau’s heart by cheating on him.”
My heart sinks to the floor when I see what is on the screen. My hand shakes as I reach for the device, and carefully scroll through the album, each one making me more and more nauseous.
“Don’t bother trying to delete them; these are just my copies.” My first instinct is, in fact, to delete them, because on the screen before me are photos. Photos of me in various states of undress, mirror selfies with soft smiles or daring glances, lowered lashes, and teasing grins. Dozens of photos of me.
Photos I sent to Leo, one for each day I’ve been gone from Holly Ridge. None are fully naked, but some of them are close enough to make my head swim, to make that familiar panic tighten my chest, but I force it back.
This is not the time for a panic attack. Not when I am unsafe, not when I am being threatened. Blackmailed, even. I’ve never actually experienced it before, but I think that is exactly what is happening here: I am being blackmailed.
“Where did you get those?” I ask, my voice faint. He grins, taking his phone and sliding it back into his pocket before crossing his arms on his chest.
“Leo Sinclaire gave them to Jefferson, figured they might be useful. Your team wants this engagement as much as mine does, and everyone is aware you’ll need some extra pushing.” My breathing goes heavy.
“Leo gave them to Jefferson?” My mind is spinning with this news, trying to piece things together, understand, and make sense of reality. He nods, looking like he already knows he won.
“So here’s what’s going to happen. You and I are going to get engaged. We’ll be engaged for some time, then after your next album, we’ll get married.”
“Married?” I stutter, and he rolls his eyes, clearly over me and my drama.
“Yes, Willa. That’s what happens. Jackie says she talked to you about it, how you can’t be single forever, and dating around. Eventually, you’ll seem like a washed-up has-been who can’t keep a man. You need to keep the magic of your music alive, make people believe happily-ever-after exists.”
“And that happily-ever-after is you?”
“In public, yes,” he states. “Now, I don’t mind if you want to fuck around while we’re together; just be quiet about it, and I’ll do the same. You can keep up your little thing with your publicist, I don’t care.” His lips tip up. “Though something tells me you won’t really be feeling the love there any longer.”
I stare at him, at his cruel face, and realize he, too, has a shield, but he holds his evil, terrible side back. Where I have a shield to protect my soft spots, his is to keep others from learning who hereallyis.
“So? Do we have a deal?” he asks, interrupting my thoughts. I stare at the wall behind him blankly, then shift my focus back to him, my heart racing, my stomach twisting. A thousand things move through my mind at once.
I think about a lifetime of work, of sacrifice, of missing out in order to build my reputation, to build my career.
I think about the brand I have painstakingly built to reflect women's empowerment, hard work, love, and laughter.
I think of the dozens of relationships built over the years, based solely on what I could do for them; some of them I’m just now realizing weren’t as genuine as I thought they were.
I think about my months in Holly Ridge and everything I learned about myself while I stayed there.
I think about Leo, the man I fell for, who promised I could have it all.
And then I say the only thing I can, even if it kills me to speak the words aloud.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
THIRTY-SIX
LEO
Something isn't right; my gut tells me something is brewing, made worse by Willa not being close, and it’s rarely wrong, And I have to fight the urge to drive to the city right now and be by her side.
