Chapter 33 #2
Apparently, most, if not all, of the business owners in town were here.
Jake was talking to Luke. Clearly, they had put aside their differences for the time being.
Her feet led her to where he stood, like a magnet.
Jake sensed her approach and glanced up to give her a wide smile.
Her heart jumped in her chest. When she was only a few feet away, Jake excused himself and wrapped his arms around her.
She melted into his embrace, breathing in his familiar sandalwood scent, instantly calming her anxiety.
She wanted to ask him what was going on, why there were cats and dogs everywhere, and why half the town was here, but she held on to Jake with both hands. Her heart melted when he kissed her on the top of the head.
“Hey. You okay?”
She nodded. There was so much she wanted to tell him. She didn’t think it was the right time to talk about the fact she was done with LA.
“Come here, let’s find a quiet corner.” Jake pulled away, grabbed her hand firmly in his, and led her to a side office, shutting the door behind him.
“Jake, what’s going on?”
“We were going to keep it a surprise so your reaction would be genuine, but I think you should know the plan.”
“The plan? What plan?”
“It was really Marley’s idea.” He stalled.
“What was her idea?”
Jake’s sigh was heavy. Gia steeled herself, her scalp prickling with dread.
“I have it on good authority there will be a swarm of paparazzi coming into town any minute now.” Jake folded his arms across his chest.
Paparazzi? How did they find out where I am?
“Your ex-boyfriend called his daddy, and word got out about what happened to him.” Jake’s lips were pressed together tightly.
“Oh.” Shit. The last thing she wanted was to bring a locust into the quiet mountain town that didn’t even have a hotel or reliable Wi-Fi service.
“Yeah, so I talked to Marley, who came up with the idea of a fundraiser you just so happen to be hosting when they all show up looking for a scandal—an event to help get some of these animals adopted. Marley talked to Alina, who then rounded up everyone else. Free publicity, I think she called it.”
Gia listened, taking in the information. “That’s… actually a great idea.”
There’s no stopping them from coming, so we might as well put them to good use.
“We think it would turn the attention away from what that asshole did and make people focus on the good you’re doing here.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “But I did nothing… Marley did it all.”
“She won’t mind. Besides, if any of the cats get adopted or people donate money, it’s a win-win situation in her book,” Jake reassured her, pulling her in for a hug.
“This is such a mess. I’m so sorry,” she murmured against his chest.
Jake squeezed her tighter to his chest. “Sorry? For what?”
Panic flooded her chest. “Jake, they ruin everything. They’re going to bring bad news here, and I just—” It was getting hard to breathe.
“Hey, hey. It’s going to be okay. I promise.” He stroked her back in soothing circles.
Her breathing slowed, the edges of a panic attack ebbing away under his touch. His scent grounded her. Remind her she was safe.
“I know you’re worried, but we have a good plan. Everyone here volunteered their time to make sure it goes smoothly,” he said.
She pulled back, looking up at him, brows pinched together with confusion. “They did?”
He worked a hand into her hair, cradling her head. “Yes. They want to protect you as much as possible. You’re one of us now.”
One of them?
“And we protect what’s ours.” His voice was full of conviction.
Ours.
A warm and pleasant buzz filled her to the brim.
Jake was right. This small mountain town was theirs, and it needed to be protected from vultures like Alex and the paparazzi.
She never should have told him where she was—though in hindsight, she didn’t recall ever telling her where she was from.
There was no telling how he got the information, but if history was an indicator of his vindictive behavior, she would hazard a guess he tipped them off to her hiding spot as revenge for making him look like a fool.
Well, maybe he shouldn’t have drugged me.
It made her wonder how often he’d done it in the past. How many times did she lose track of time when she was with Alex? Too many to count, but now was not the place to relive those years of her life. She’d need to reconnect with her therapist and unpack those memories later.
Right now, her chief priority was helping to pull this off, raise some money, and re-home some pets.
“Okay, tell me what you need me to do.”
Blinding lights obscured her vision. Frozen, she stared into the lens of the camera aimed right at her.
“Gia! Over here! Look over here!” A flash and the sound of shutter speed capturing her image in real time. “Smile for the camera!”
The demand was outrageous. Here she was, standing in the middle of a crowded room, and they still wanted her to perform. Pushing down the anger rising in her, she remembered her role.
Smile. Do what you do best. Act. Pretend to be happy.
At the small of her back, she felt a large hand and, without looking at its owner, she knew exactly who it was.
It wasn’t necessary for her to pretend to be happy. She was happy, and it was in part due to Jake. His azure eyes, crinkled at the corners, looked down at her. She could tell Jake was worried about her.
His eyes seemed to ask if she was okay.
She leaned into his side with a reassuring smile.
I am now.
His shoulders relaxed, though he pushed back a photographer who got too close.
Jake made her feel safe even when she was being circled by sharks who smelled blood in the water. He was her protector, and he would never let anything or anyone hurt her ever again.
Bolstered by the blanket of safety, she picked up the kitten she had been playing with when they swarmed the community center and stepped forward. With Jake at her back, she nuzzled the kitten closer to her chest and smiled at the cameras.
Within minutes, pictures of her would flood the internet, and it would be on her terms.
“Thank you all for coming,” she said, voice firm as she looked into their eyes, asserting her dominance of the situation.
“We would love any donations for our town’s animal shelter and clinic.
As you can see, there are many adoptable pets that need a home.
” She held up the scruffy tuxedo kitten in her arms. “Like this cutie right here.”
The cameras flashed as she placed a gentle kiss on its head, and she felt his purrs more than heard them.
“Gia! Can you tell us what happened with Alex?” someone shouted near the front.
“Who?” she asked, acting like she had no clue who they were talking about.
“Alex, your ex,” another voice chimed in.
“No comment. Here, take this kitten.” She handed the furball to the nearest photographer, who held it as if it were a bomb. “If you’re not here to help, please leave,” she stated before turning her back and walking away, ignoring the shouts of protest.
She walked up to Marley, who raised her hand in a high five in greeting.
“Nice job,” Marley said.
Smiling, she returned the high five. “Thanks, Marley.”
Luke came over with a bright smile on his face. “The donations have started coming in already!” He grabbed her shoulders gently. “Gia… thank you. This is going to make such a huge difference. I don’t think I can ever thank you enough.”
Gia smiled, tears in her eyes. Luke grimaced and dropped his hands when Jake clapped him hard on the shoulder in a gesture she knew meant hands off.
She watched Luke walk away, floating on cloud nine.
“You did good, Kitten.” Jake pulled her into his arms.
“You really think so?” she asked.
“Best performance yet. You deserve an Oscar award.” She smiled, nuzzling into his chest. “Thao would have loved being here, seeing you like this.”
There was no stopping the tears that fell. She sensed the truth, but more than that, she felt his presence. “It feels like he’s here with us.” For the first time in a while, she could feel her brother again.
He tipped her chin up, bending his head as she stood on tiptoes to meet his kiss. “I know what you mean.” Jake’s eyes glittered with emotion.
The cameras went wild, but she didn’t care who saw.
She didn’t care about anyone else’s opinion of her anymore.