Chapter 13 Hope
HOPE
Song: If The World Was Ending by JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels
You became my main character
Something kept buzzing beside my head.
I ignored it, snuggling into Justice’s side and burrowing deeper into the mattress he’d laid on the back of his truck.
He’d been right, this was the perfect spot for a rendezvous.
The buzzing started again but this time from two different places.
With a sigh, I blinked awake and grinned up into Justice’s sleepy face.
“Morning,” I whispered. “How are you?”
“Mm.” He pulled me closer, burying his head in my hair. “Better.”
This dream-like moment, being here under the early morning light with our whole futures ahead of us, made me realize how important he had become to me.
I didn’t want any secrets between us.
“Justice?”
“Mm?”
I bit my lip. “I have something I need to admit to you.”
“Is it that you’re open to anal? Cause I can—”
“There you are!” Faye’s screech broke through my early morning post-coital bliss.
We jerked upright, both swinging to stare at her as she stomped through the trees toward us, Sam hot on her heels.
“Get up! We’ve got a big issue!” She waggled a finger at me. “Your secret’s out, Hope. And it’s bad. Really bad.”
“Secret?” Justice asked.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, finally registering that the buzzing sound was coming from my phone. “I should have told you.”
“Told me what?”
I began to search for my clothes, frantically pulling on whatever piece of clothing happened to be nearby as I babbled at him—unable to look at his face.
“At first, it was just a silly idea, a guilty pleasure. I wrote fanfiction about a life I wished I had but knew I never would. It started with vampires, then shifted to werewolves before landing on rockstars. Then they kind of took off, and the rockstar fanfic morphed into actual fiction, and then that became romance and before I knew it, I’d started publishing these steamy romances.
And somehow, without me even realizing it, you became my main character. ”
I whipped around. “I’m H. Stone. I started writing about the one man in my life who made me feel something close to love—and that was you.
All those things you did as a kid—the flowers, the care, the respect—it all manifested into my writing.
And I’m not sorry or ashamed of writing books that allowed me to dream.
I’m not ashamed of writing scenes so hot they turned me on, or giving my readers escapes from this fucked up world. I’m not and I won’t apologize for it.”
I raised my head, staring him down. I had one sock and a pair of underwear on, and I was very aware that I’d somehow made a shocking error while putting on my shirt which had resulted in a breast poking cheekily out of the collar.
But I didn’t care. Because finally, finally, my secret was out.
“That’s your secret?” he asked, staring at me. “You write sexy romances about a guy who looks like me?”
“And other attractive men. And sometimes women. And sometimes aliens. Rarely any mechanical items.” I bit my lip, waiting for him to respond.
“Where does the Stone come from?”
“It’s my mother’s birth surname. She took my dad’s when they married.”
Justice nodded slowly. “And that’s it? That’s the big issue? No kidnapped puppies? No secretly gross hobby like collecting toenails of famous people?”
I shook my head.
Justice grinned. “I’m proud of you and your filthy imagination. You’ve written books, Hope. Books that inspire and delight and turn people on. Do you have any idea how fucking cool that is?”
Faye, who’d been standing by the truck not so impatiently, interrupted.
“It’s not about your pen name — it’s the work thing.” She thrust her phone at me. “Justice’s moment with you last night went viral and that bitch sold you out.”
The bottom dropped out of my world, as I took the offered phone, staring at the screen.
“Oh god.”
The headline damned me before you ever read it.
Rockstar Justice Wild’s Girlfriend Accused of Bullying Employee: A Scandal Unfolds
Rockstar Justice Wild, known for his electrifying performances and wild antics on and off stage, finds himself in the midst of a scandal once again. This time, the controversy surrounds his new girlfriend, Hope Higgins, who has been accused of bullying an employee.
The allegations against Justice Wild’s girlfriend surfaced when the current employee at the virtual assistant company, OnTime, came forward with claims of workplace harassment and mistreatment.
The employee, Ms. Ciara Connells, described a toxic work environment where they were subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation tactics.
In response to the accusations, a representative for Justice Wild released a statement saying, “Justice is aware of the situation and takes these allegations very seriously. He and Ms. Higgins await the findings of the independent review.”
The scandal has sparked a debate among fans and critics alike, with many questioning the impact this controversy will have on Justice Wild’s career and personal life.
Some fans have expressed disappointment, while others have come to his defense, arguing that he should not be held responsible for the actions of his girlfriend.
This is not the first time Justice Wild has found himself embroiled in controversy.
In the past, he has been known for his wild behavior, including public drunkenness and legal troubles.
However, his music has always remained popular among his dedicated fan base, who continue to support him through thick and thin.
As the investigation into the allegations against Ms. Higgins unfolds, the future of their relationship remains uncertain.
For now, we hope Justice continues to focus on his music, with a new album set to be released later this year.
Only time will tell how this scandal will impact his career and personal life in the long run.
Justice took the phone from my limp hand and tossed it back to Faye.
I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. A strange numbness began in my face, flowing down my chest and torso and to each finger and toe.
I couldn’t feel. Couldn’t hear. Couldn’t think.
I could see Justice fixing my shirt and wrapping a blanket around my shoulders, and in some distant recess of my numb mind, I registered that he’d pulled on his jeans, but hadn’t bothered with a shirt.
But I didn’t feel a part of it. I didn’t share in the interaction. My emotions had turned me to stone.
Don’t think. Don’t think. Don’t think.
Seemingly satisfied with my state of dress, Justice pulled me into his arms, holding me tight.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “So fucking sorry.”
A fracture cracked my smooth facade of numbness.
“It’s not your fault.” I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “Ciara is the issue.”
“No, baby.” Justice pulled back, gently brushing the hair from my face. “I’m the problem.”
More cracks splintered, and I began to tremble. “You leaked this?”
“Fuck no, but I’m the asshole who asked you to be seen with me. They wouldn’t have come for you if not for me.”
Faye made a sound behind us.
“Can we get Hope home before we assign blame? I want to minimize the opportunity for the paps as much as possible.”
Within minutes Justice had me in his truck, squished between Faye and Sam and wearing the black cowboy hat I’d purchased him pulled low over my head.
“Vultures,” Faye cursed as we drove through the gates of the Higgins Family Orchard. The TV crews and photographers had arrived, all of them there for me.
And all of them there because they knew about Ciara’s accusations.
A sob caught in my throat as Justice gunned it up my driveway toward Gran’s house.
I wanted my own bed—not this borrowed one in a house that didn’t feel like mine. I wanted to be back in Capricorn Cove where it smelled of the sea and crisp forests. I wanted to hide under a rock for a million years. I wanted to turn back time and never accept this job.
And all of this came from one person.
Wasn’t it ironic how one person could fundamentally change the course of your life?
My days off because of the investigation had granted me time with Justice I’d never otherwise have experienced.
But now that was coming back to bite me.
Faye pulled the hat off my head and hurried me inside.
“Quick,” she ordered Sam. “Swap clothes with Justice.”
Sam and Justice did as told while she pulled a large hoodie from my coat rack and wrapped herself in it.
“If I keep my head down and skin covered, we might just be able to pull this off.”
“Pull what off?” I asked her.
“We’re going to be your decoys, driving around town to give you guys some peace. It won’t last forever, but we can try.”
I huffed out a laugh. “Faye, I’m whiter than white. No one is going to believe a gorgeous black woman is me.”
She turned mulish. “They’ll see what they want to, mark my words.”
Sam pressed a kiss to my head. “Hang in there, little red. If anyone can pull this off, it’s Faye.”
I watched them exit, Faye hunched over while Sam helped her into the truck and off they went.
It took a beat but from the front window I could see some of the paps take off, chasing the truck.
“She actually did it,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Damn she’s good.”
“Hope, we need to talk.”
I turned to see Justice standing at the door. His hands were tucked in his pockets, his expression guarded.
“I didn’t do it,” I said, automatically.
“Oh, sweetheart, I know.” He pulled me into his chest, wrapping me in a tight hug. “You don’t have a mean bone in your body.”
I murmured something against his chest.
“What was that?”
“I said, I do when you’re in me.”
I’d expected him to laugh or at least smile, instead his expression grew colder, more distant.
“Hope, I’m sorry.”
My heart seemed to slow at his tone, and somehow I knew what was coming.
“For what?” I whispered.
“I never should have asked you to become a part of this. This life isn’t what I want for you.
It’s not what I want for anyone. They’ll make accusations, pay people for dirt, and if they can’t get that, they’ll make up crap just to see how you react.
” He shook his head, his arms slowly loosening around me.
“I’m sorry, baby. But the best way to make this stop is to stop with the charade. ”
My heart pierced.
“What do you mean, charade?” I asked, my voice a hoarse whisper.
“We’re not real, Hope. And I can’t keep asking you to pretend with me.”
“Is that what we were doing last night?” I asked. “Pretending?”
He glanced away. “This isn’t real.”
“Isn’t it?” I pressed a hand to his chest. “Sure feels like it is.”
He paused, his head dipping as his hands flexed as if he were trying to stop them from reaching for something.
For me. Reach for me.
He met my gaze, his eyes filled with a storm of conflicting emotions. His hand reached up to cup my cheek, his touch laden with unspoken words. Gently, he kissed me, his lips moving against mine with a tenderness that spoke volumes.
He made love to me with a fierce hunger, brooking no room for thought or feelings, forcing me to shut out the outside world until we fell into an exhausted sleep.
I woke to the sun high in the sky, an empty bed and a single note.
I’m sorry.
My heart shattered.
“Damn you, Justice,” I sobbed, wrapping my arms around my knees as I curled in on myself. “This isn’t how our story is meant to end.”