“It wasn’t Izzy,” I say. “She wouldn’t spread gossip, it was some kid in town, and just so you know, he’s told the press.”
“Shit.” He takes his hat off and runs a hand through his hair, approaching me cautiously like I may buck at him like a wild moose. “Bailey, I’m sorry you found out this way. I was just on my way over to?—”
“To what? Tell me you’re famous? And not just famous, but really fucking famous.”
He shakes his head. “That doesn’t mean anythin’, and it doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”
“Brett… Rock, whatever the hell your name is, it does mean something—you should have told me. I know we don’t know each other that well, but you knew trust was a big thing to me.”
He gives me space, but stands in front of me, holding his hat in one hand. “My real name is Brett, but only my family calls me that… Turner is my Grandmother’s maiden name.” His voice is soft, heartfelt and… lost, almost. “I was comin’ to tell you. Izzy just worked it out, and I had a heart to heart with the boys?—”
“So glad all the boys know too.” I shake my head. “Fantastic.”
“It isn’t what it looks like. I needed space, Bails, to think, to find myself again. I didn’t expect to find this gorgeous, amazing, smart—slightly grumpy—woman with a big heart and a love for horses and the outdoors. It’s what I write about in all my songs but never really thought it existed in real life.”
I’m trying to see it from his point of view, but this changes things. “Brett, you’re a megastar. You’ve won Grammys and every music award known to man.”
“Yeah, and none of that means anything to me anymore, because in less than a week, you’ve bulldozed through every preconceived notion I had about what relationships were like. I see how you are with your friends and your boss. The way you talk about your family and pets, it resonated somethin’ in me,” he says, his eyes clouding over. “It meant something deep inside that I’ve always been searching for, but never have found. A true love.” He bangs a fist against his heart. “I never meant to hurt you.”
I open my mouth, then close it again. “I know you didn’t, but truthfulness is one of the things that’s non-negotiable,” I say.
“My last boyfriend cheated and somehow made it seem like my fault. All the relationships I’ve been in before were great at the start—just like this, but then the lies started to unravel.”
“I didn’t mean to lie.” He takes a breath, halting his words. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. I was cheated on by my last girlfriend too, so I know how it feels to be hurt like that. Women used me in the past just to get what they wanted, thinking they could have their five minutes of fame or something. They never really cared about me.”
I stare at him in shock. Someone did that to him too? My heart hurts for him, the pain of a betrayal like that is more than hard to handle. I can’t even imagine how difficult it is to be asfamous as he is and not really know if someone likes you for who you are, or for your fame and fortune. “Brett, I’m so sorry.”
“No,I’msorry, Bailey. Honestly, I never meant to keep this from you, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before it got out. I guess I just wanted to enjoy us for a little while longer. I assumed that once you found out, things would change.” He’s earnest, looking me dead in the eye, and I believe him. I don’t think Brett “Rock” Altman Turner has a freaking mean bone in his body, in fact, I’m sure of it.
“Well, you assumed wrong,” I say. “If there’s one thing to know about me is that I’m fiercely loyal, but that loyalty has to be earned. It’s not just given.”
“Believe me, I get that. I wanted to tell you everything from the moment I saw you, but it was nice for a second not being that famous guy everyone wants a piece of. The fact you didn’t know was very attractive to me.”
“And while I’ve already fucked things up between us, I may as well go out on a memorable one, because I love you Bailey Owens. I don’t know how in such a short space of time you’ve crept into my heart and made me believe in love again, but you have.”
I blink, staring at him. “Brett?—”
“I get it. I know I’m a lot. I’m an emotional man, and I’m not gonna apologize for that. It’s how I’ve always been. It’s why I’ve been the one hurt in the past because I always see the good in people, even when I should walk away,” he says. “You’re the first woman I’ve ever been able to be myself with.”
“Maybe it’s not me, maybe it’s the horses, and being out on the farm. Maybe you’re mixing your metaphors.”
He steps closer and I shift back. “No. That’s not it.”
My eyes flick to his lips. Nope. You are not going to fall for a handsome face and a mouthful of promises that will inevitably be broken. You can’t. Your heart won’t recover this time.
Yet, a huge part of my soul knows that this man is good for me. Okay, he should have told me the truth, but I get why he didn’t. He’s a huge star, and people treat you differently when you’re famous. Maybe he wanted to see if I liked him for who he was without knowing his past or how famous he was. He didn’t want me kissing his ass just because he’s some bigshot. But the thing he doesn’t know about me is that I don’t kiss anyone’s ass, no matter who they are.
Still, I don’t know if we’re already onto a shaky ground we can’t recover from. “I don’t know, Brett. I’ve been lied to so many times. Cheated on. Left for a better model. I’ve given my heart away one too many times, and this time I’m afraid if I give it, there will be no coming back from the loss of you.” The words are out before I can stop them.
He moves another step, then reaches out to cup the side of my face. “I will never keep anythin’ from you ever again. You want the truth? Ask me anythin’, I’ll answer.”
I puff out my cheeks. “I know about the court case.”
He looks sad for a moment, his eyes looking over my shoulder. “I didn’t do anythin’ to that woman. I met her once, and then she said all these crazy things. Everyone believed her, but the hardest part? Seeing some of the people I care about dismiss me as some monster when I did nothin’ wrong. I’ve never taken advantage of a woman in my life, and I never would,” he says. “But that mud is gonna stick for the rest of my life. No matter what I do from here on in, I’m always gonna be remembered as that guy.”
“But people don’t really believe it, do they? You were acquitted.”
“People get off all the time. Think about it. Rich and famous people have all kinds of connections, so people just assume judges and juries were paid off?—”
