29. Don’t Go
TWENTY-NINE
don’t go
Someone smacks me from behind, jerking my head forward from the force.
“Ow!” I reach back to rub the spot and turn to find the source of my pain.
Elle stands behind me, her arms crossed. “What’s the matter with you, stupid? Go after her!”
I’m frozen in the hallway from shock after watching Brianna storm out the front door. “She’s not listening to me. There’s no point. Our ‘contract’ is void.” I use air quotes when I say“contract,” a bitter taste in my mouth at the word. “The whole relationship was a fake setup so I could protect her. And now she’s done.”
“I heard her little speech, but I’ve seen how she looks at you. This has nothing to do with a contract. That girl loves you, but she’s scared. Your pictures blew up yesterday, when you were off having your love fest. I’ve been keeping tabs. But it literally happens to every hot couple in Hollywood, little bro. You’re just the latest victim. Brianna doesn’t have any experience with this.”
“She’s had Hollywood boyfriends before.” I scoff at my sister’s lack of information. Brianna is used to this stuff.
“None of those relationships were challenged, because”—she grabs my face between her two hands, forcing me to pay close attention—“they. Were. Fake. Everyone in her fandom knew that. This time it’s real, and the media wants your blood to run in the streets.”
I push Elle’s hands off my face and take a step away. “Dramatic, much, big sis?”
“Look around you, Zack! She just fired you and marched off to the airport! I’m not the dramatic one in this scenario—your girlfriend is. Now GO AFTER HER!”
Elle pushes me to the doorway and then continues to shove me all the way to the front drive. Shock hits me hard as I look over at Mandy’s car to find Brianna standing at the open trunk, hunched over, her hands covering her face. She’s sobbing. My heart cracks at the sight. Elle is right: I need to go talk her down off the ledge. Brianna’s essentially trying to commit relationship suicide, and it’s all those freaking tabloids’ fault. There’s no way I’m continuing to let her be their victim.
I rush to her, still hunched over and crying her eyes out. “Bree, please ...” I say as I bend down in front of her.
She doesn’t move, so I instinctually step closer and wrap my arms around her.
“Don’t go,” I whisper.
“Zack, I’m so confused.” Her voice cracks as her sobs once again break through.
“Bree, nothing is going to keep me away from you—certainly not some bloodthirsty tabloids that only want our destruction. That picture, that moment ... it was when I realized I loved you. Not Colleen. You. ” I reach up, pulling her face to mine like Elle did when she forced me to listen a minute ago. “I’m so glad the world got to see it, because I could never love anyone more than I love you.”
Her sobs return full force, but her arms rise to wrap themselves around me, pulling me in. “I believe you, Zack. I knew you wouldn’t do what they said deep down.”
I want to question her about this whole scene if that’s the truth, but I don’t want to let her go. I don’t want her to step away when I finally have my Bree back, and the diva long gone. So instead I stay where we are, holding her on the driveway. I run one hand down her back, cradling her in my arms. Consoling her with my actions and reassuring her she can’t scare me off so easily.
I realize I need to put my emotions into words.
“Bree, we have to show them they can’t ruin this. It runs too deep between us to tear it apart. Please don’t let them get into your head,” I whisper, but her body jolts just the same.
“It’s not the papers—not what they said that’s confused me as much as ...” Her voice breaks off. She’s too hesitant to be honest with me.
“Hey,” I tell her, “you don’t have to be scared to tell me anything, ever. Do you hear me? We have nothing if we aren’t honest with each other. Tell me, whatever it is.”
Brianna pulls away to look up at me, her face stained with tears and makeup. I couldn’t care less, as long as she’s still here fighting for us.
She takes a deep breath before speaking. “Actually, it’s Char.”
“Char? What do you mean?” I push a few strands of her hair away from her face, urging her to keep talking.
“She’s been warning me, telling me this would blow up in my face.” Brianna shakes her head ruefully. “I mean, it does look like she was right. The paparazzi pounced the second they had the chance. But what Char meant was that I needed to be really careful around you .”
“Me? I don’t get it, Bree. What are you trying to say?”
“After Logan and all the opportunistic people in my life, she didn’t think I should trust you the way I have. She tells me all the time to watch my back. To keep things to myself. Once that letter showed up at Siren Song, she went into overdrive about ending the contract early.”
I step back. “Whoa ... she wanted you to fire me?” I’ve had lingering concerns about Char this entire time, second-guessing myself every step of the way, but it looks like my instincts were on point.
“Basically. Even after the roses on my bed.” Brianna laughs bitterly. “She thought maybe you’d done that.”
“What!” I can’t believe Char has been planting this shit in Bree’s head the entire time. The entire time!
“While you were gone that morning, packing your stuff to come here, she kept telling me to go to a hotel. Alone. That I should just hide out for a couple of days. That Clinton had things under control. I told her no, because at that point, I just wanted as far away from Hollywood as possible.” Brianna looks up at me, wiping tears from her cheeks. “And I really wanted time with you. I told her not to worry. That everything would be better if I left.”
“Let me guess—she threw those words back in your face.” I cross my arms, wishing this were Char’s way of looking out for Brianna, which I wouldn’t fault her for at all. But not when she’s undermining me every chance she gets. That I can fault her for, and I will if it’s her intention. Which I’m pretty sure it is.
“She did, just before I came to you. Char thinks the only way to kill this story is for me to return by myself and perform at the Diva Tribute tomorrow night.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa ...” I put my hands up. “I told her to cancel that. There’s no way you need that kind of pressure right now. She told me she’d handle it.”
“I guess she disagreed.” Brianna sighs. I feel her exhaustion with this whole scene right to my core. “But I think she does have a point, Zack. If I show up looking unfazed, the story will go away quicker.”
I look Brianna right in the eye. “Why didn’t you tell me all this, Bree? Why did you put up those walls and shut me out?” My words are quiet, my tone even, but my heart pounds, because I’m not sure I’ll like her answer.
Brianna looks away from me—across the driveway and off over the pasture, toward the stable and beyond. “Because, Zack, you’re too good to have to deal with all this. With the pressure of fame and all eyes watching you at all times. It will break you. It will break us eventually, so I thought ...”
“You thought if you walked away now, it would save us heartache later on.” I finish for her.
Brianna nods, looking down at the ground. “I was wrong, Zack. So wrong. This hurts more than I thought possible.”
“That’s because it is wrong. We shouldn’t be trying to save each other from heartache, Bree. We should be holding on as tightly as possible. This is the real thing, and not many people are as lucky as we are to find it.”
I step into her, once more putting my arms around her and drawing her close. I press my lips to the top of her head when she puts her arms around my back, holding on with everything she has. I lean down, bringing my lips to her ear. Then I whisper my final question.
“Are you in this with me? Are you ready to fight for us, baby?”
She nods. “I’m ready to fight all of them with you, Zack. I’m so sorry I almost gave up. Thank you for not letting me.”
“Never. I’ll never let you give up.” My arms tighten around her when she sighs, this time in relief. This whole thing has been exhausting, but I think it might have brought us to a deeper level together. If we can weather these storms, then nothing can separate us.
“Now, can I have my job back?” I ask with a hint of a tease. Then I kiss her cheek.
“No.” Brianna’s reply is firm. “You’re fired.”
“What?” I pull back in surprise.
“Clinton is my bodyguard now. I messaged him right after talking to Char, but I think it’s for the best. I just need you to be my boyfriend.”
I can handle that. “That’s the best job anyway. I think I’m pretty good at it too.” I wink. “But what am I doing for money now?” I laugh. I don’t need anything right away. I’ve saved every paycheck from Brianna, and each one was more than I made in six months at the dojo. I’m set for a while.
“You are good at it. We’ll figure out the rest.”
“Yes, we will.” It’s the two of us now. I lean down and touch her lips lightly with my own, holding her.
Brianna kisses me back with relief; with apology. And with love.
When I pull away, it’s with a renewed sense of purpose. It’s time to slay some dragons.
“Do you still want to show everyone they haven’t torn us apart?”
There’s a sparkle in her eyes, and finally, a smile on her face. “Why? What do you have up your sleeve now?”
I smirk. “Oh, just something that will stop that story in its tracks. Are you willing to put everything out there?”
Brianna tilts her head. “Just what do you have in mind? The look on your face is making me nervous.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t be worried. It’s nothing a little pie won’t fix.” I wink at her and walk us back into the house.
That pie had better be ready and waiting for us. I’m eating the entire piece this time. I might even add some ice cream.