21. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
PENNY
L ying in bed with our arms and legs entwined, my body heavy and sated after our lovemaking, I can’t think of a better place to be. Or a better man to be with. Lucas Alessi loves me. Those words fill my heart with so much happiness it’s going to burst. It’s what I wanted. Dreamed about.
Now he is mine. For real. No more pretending.
When we’re in public we don’t have to act like we’re in love. Because this is the real deal. I can’t wait to share my life with him.
Lucas’ fingers ghost over my shoulder and down my arm. “What’s on your mind?”
I shift my position so I can lean my arm on his chest and prop my chin on my fist. “You. Us. How we don’t have to pretend anymore.”
“Pixie, I stopped pretending the first time I kissed you.”
I pull my head back. “What? You were the one who suggested the plan. Why didn’t you tell me how you were feeling?” I was so scared to tell him how I felt in case the feelings weren’t reciprocated.
“For a time, my head ruled my heart. I was too fucked up about my beliefs to trust what I knew deep down to be true.”
I lightly pluck at his chest hairs. “And what was that?” Yes, I’m fishing to hear it again.
He stares deeply into my eyes. “I love you, Penny. Always have. Always will.”
A quiver rakes through my body. Never will I tire of hearing those words. “I love you too.”
Dipping his head, he kisses me. A kiss that tells me I’m his. And I know he’ll always be mine.
When we break apart, he says, “Stay with me.”
“I’ve been staying with you every night for days. I’m not leaving this bed.”
He shakes his head. “No, I mean don’t go to a hotel. Live here with me permanently.” Clearing his throat, he says, “Arrhh…well, that’s if you want to.” Being in a relationship is new to him. His vulnerability squeezes my heart.
“Living here with you has always felt like home. I’d love to move in. As soon as Darren is out of my apartment I’ll have my things sent over. You might change your mind when you see all my stuff. I’m a bit of a hoarder.” I giggle.
Not laughing at my joke, he sits up and leans against the headboard. He pulls me up next to him. “I never want to talk about that asshole again. The sooner he’s gone, the better.”
“I agree. He should be out of the apartment tomorrow. That part of my life is over. I’m putting it behind me. You’re my future,” I say, snuggling into his side.
He holds me tight. “I’ll be by your side every moment I can get. You’re gonna get sick of me.”
“Never.”
He plants a kiss at my temple. After a couple of minutes resting in each other’s arms, Lucas says, “I never got a chance to ask how the meeting with your mom and Claudia went.”
I blow out a breath. “It’s a good thing I’m moving in with you because I might end up being homeless,” I joke.
“Things are that bad?”
“No, not really. The book deal is still happening, which is great. Although they’ve slashed my royalties. And Mom has lined up a baby shower for me to plan, so that’s exciting.” I really am looking forward to it.
His hand brushes up and down my arm. “That’s awesome. Who is the shower for?”
“A couple who lives in my mom’s apartment building.”
Lucas twists around to face me. “Not a celebrity?”
“No. But it’s work and I’m grateful.”
“You’ve planned parties and events for the most famous people in America. How do you feel about this?”
For a moment I wait for the surge of disappointment. For the feeling of failure to flood through me. Except relief washes over me and excitement takes over. “I actually feel great about it. It’s like a weight is lifting from my shoulders. It’s not like I need the money. I have enough put away to live comfortably. But I like being busy, and this is perfect.”
“This is your career that you built, and now because of the asshole it’s getting stripped away. That must hurt.”
“At first it did because I thought it was what I wanted.”
“You don’t anymore?”
“No.” Being honest and admitting what’s been a slither of a thought is freeing.
“Why?”
“Most of my life I was either invisible or seen as not good enough. Then my YouTube videos started getting views and suddenly I was seen. My work was being noticed. I was good at something. People wanted to interact with me. I was someone.”
Lucas picks up my hand and links his fingers with mine. “I always saw you. You were someone to me.”
My heart fills with love. I smile. “I’ve achieved everything I’ve ever dreamed of and more. After what’s happened, I’ve learned that I don’t need recognition to feel powerful or worthy. In fact, being in the spotlight is more trouble than it’s worth. I’m happy to step away. Do smaller things and get back to basics. Do things because I want to, not because I’m being pulled in every direction to keep a bunch of people I don’t know happy. A lot of the A-list celebrities I’ve worked for are demanding, spoiled, and at times ungrateful. I don’t need the stress anymore.”
“If that’s what you truly want, then I’m happy for you.”
“It is.”
His lips tilt into a crooked grin. “You know, if you ever get sick of planning parties, you can always model for me again. I know lots of beautiful spots in the woods by the cabin you can pose in.”
I playfully slap his arm. “Never in a million years.”
Lucas laughs. “You’re such a spoilsport. I have the most beautiful woman in the world in my bed and I can’t take advantage of her.”
Laying my palms on his pecs, I push him onto his back and hover above him. “You can take advantage of me as much as you like.”
He curves his arm around my waist and flips me onto my back. I squeal with laughter. His gaze drops to my lips. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
The next two days were a busy hive of activity. Thankfully, the move out of my apartment was drama-free. Darren had done what I’d asked and left, taking all his crap with him. I decided all I wanted was my personal items. Darren has tainted everything else, and so I donated the rest to goodwill.
After Lucas’ declaration of love on the red carpet at the award ceremony, my mother has called multiple times with offers of work. Celebrities are wanting me to plan events, organize their houses, attend their parties. When the media portrayed me as a cheater, they’d turned their backs on me. Now my love story has captured everyone’s hearts, and I’m receiving more invitations than ever before. To my mother’s disappointment, I turned them all down.
I’ve shut the door on that time of my life, and I’m stepping into a future I’m thrilled about. I’m living with a man I love and who loves me. I’m happy with where my career is at. I have family and friends. That’s all I need.
There is nothing more that the media can do to bring me down. No one can hurt me now. I won’t let them.