Chapter 35 #2
The two of us have spent a lot of time together. Dinners that have turned into sleepovers. Nights watching the sun set behind the Pacific as we talk about everything. He asks questions, always wanting to get to know me better, and I do the same.
“I had no idea you two were a thing,” Terry beams as he adjusts his wire-rimmed glasses.
“Oh, it’s a thing,” Elias says at the same time I say, “It’s new.”
“Well, the fans are going to love you two.” Terry’s amused as he jots down notes on his clipboard.
The crew returns to filming, and Elias stays for the rest of the shoot, watching behind a monitor. Every time I steal a glance, he’s smiling, and my heart warms at his attention.
When Terry calls that we’re finished for the day, Elias crosses the room and slides a hand to the small of my back.
“You were perfect,” he praises softly. “You were made for this show.”
My heart flutters, because who wouldn’t melt at that?
I want to believe it’s admiration, but soon I’ll discover, it’s ownership.
“He made me feel seen. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't the girl who left home or the girl who lost everything. It was just...me.”
The words hang heavy in the space. I know I’m taking too long to tell my story, but it feels freeing to finally allow the words to slip free. To have others help carry the weight.
I glance beside me, Jett’s eyes meeting mine. He was the one who saw me first—my insecurities, my strengths, the real Wren Drummond. He gives me a small smile and dips his head in a way that says he’s proud of me while also encouraging me to continue.
“I used to think success meant freedom,” I say.
“That if I made enough money or hit a certain level of fame, I made it in life. I didn’t used to think that way growing up, not until LA.
But every door that opened came with another lock on it.
Only, it was locked from the outside and I couldn’t see it. ”
My voice trembles, but I keep going.
“The little things started piling up, but I’d chalk them up to harmless concern.
When I’d tell Elias I was showing a home with a male agent, he’d frown, getting this look in his eyes.
I’d reassure him everything was harmless, but he’d morph into this caring boyfriend.
Stroking my face and kissing my forehead as he told me he didn’t like the way my co-agent looked at me.
I wondered if I’d missed something. I’d tell myself Elias loved me and didn’t want to see me get hurt.
” I let out a humorless laugh. “I thought I was lucky to be loved like that.”
The show eats up our storyline of the adorable Midwest girl and the charming son of the top brokerage in LA. We were LA’s newest power couple.
We film open houses together, attend red-carpet events arm-in-arm, and smile at cameras until my cheeks ache while staring adoringly at my boyfriend.
It’s the night of our final filming session, and when he shows up to the office, he has a large bouquet of roses in one hand and a bottle of champagne tucked in the other.
“Congratulations, everyone,” Terry shouts, his headset resting behind his neck. “That’s a wrap of season three, and I’m pleased to announce, we’ve been renewed for another!”
Cheers erupt as everyone claps. Elias pops the champagne he brought before pulling me down onto his lap. He nuzzles his nose against my jawline.
“We did it, baby. They love us, you and me. We’re perfect for this world,” he murmurs against my neck as I fall deeper into his touch.
Warmth floods my chest as he praises us. Tabloids have been covering our story more often than not. It’s weird seeing my face flashed across magazine covers and on billboards. I can barely get on social media anymore with gossip sites and videos spliced together of our relationship.
“I was thinking…” my voice trails off as I sip my champagne, the golden bubbles tickling my throat as I swallow.
“What’s my beautiful girl been thinking about?”
“Since we’ve finished filming and have a few weeks off, I thought we could go home and visit my family.”
His grip on my waist tightens, almost painfully. I groan at his touch and his fingers loosen slightly.
“Do you really think that’s such a good idea?
” His voice is different, colder. I don’t understand what’s caused his mood to shift.
It’s not like we’ve never gone on trips before.
I’m not shackled to the agency. I’ve flown my parents in nearly every six months since I moved out here, rarely making the trip to Silo Bay, but it feels right for us to go there.
Our relationship is progressing and I want Elias to meet Grams and Gramps, even Greer, a chance for him to see where I grew up.
“You’ve got momentum, princess. You don’t want to go into hiding now. LA will replace you. Find someone hotter, younger. You don’t want that, do you?”
Younger? I’m twenty-five.
“It’s only a few weeks, Elias.”
“It’s LA, things change overnight. Besides,” he pauses to nip at my earlobe, “I booked us a trip to stay in an over-the-water bungalow in Bora Bora.”
I squeal, unable to contain my excitement. “Really?”
“Really. You said you’ve always wanted to go.”
“I didn't see the manipulation, which was foolish. I was twenty-five; I should’ve been smarter,” I admit. “He was using everything to his advantage. Twisting the truths until they favored him.”
Jett’s watching again. Only this time, his eyes are glossy.
We fly to Bora Bora a few days later on the agency’s private jet, where Elias convinces me to join the Mile High Club. It’s a dream, or so I think, until we land.
Bora Bora is the real dream. The photos on the internet don’t do this island justice.
We step into the overwater villa, and I feel like I’m transported to another life. I watch as the turquoise water laps beneath the glass floor panels. We spend the first day doing nothing but touching, laughing, and drinking champagne out of bottles.
“I told you, baby,” Elias says, sprawled naked across the outdoor lounger on the deck, skin tanned and looking perfect. “You were made for this life.”
I smile because it feels true. Elias has a way of making me believe everything he says.
The sun is warm against my bare skin, the smell of salty air wrapping around us like our own cocoon.
Dinner is served at a private table on the beach that night. Candles dance in the breeze as the waves lap against the beach.
He takes my hand in his, kissing my knuckles as he murmurs against me.
“Look at how far you’ve come, princess. In Ohio, you were invisible; now you’re someone.”
My gut twists at his words. “I wasn’t invisible.”
He shrugs, chuckling softly. “But you weren’t anyone special there. Now you’re bigger, larger than life. Mine.”
Maybe he’s right. I sure didn’t feel like anything special in Silo Bay. Certainly not special enough to keep Jett from disappearing.
Later in bed, both satiated in a tangle of limbs, I’m drifting off to a blissful sleep when I hear him whisper, unaware I’m still awake. “You’ll never have to go back. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I didn’t realize how serious he was.”
We'd barely made it off the tarmac when my phone began buzzing. I’m sunburned, happy, and stupidly in love, but I guess the real world is done waiting on us.
I gasp as I glance at the screen.
Photos. So many photos.
Me in a white bikini on the beach, my ass hanging out in the thong bottoms I bought for Elias’s enjoyment. His hand grips my ass as his tongue plunges into my mouth.
Another photo of me. Sunbathing topless, my breasts blurred out.
I swipe to the next one. We’re on the lounger, naked with a white sheet barely covering us. It was a private moment, a moment after rather rough, hot sex.
The tabloids talk about how Buying LA’s golden couple enjoyed an intimate island escape.
Bile threatens to spill across the floor of the town car we’re riding in.
“Oh my god,” I tremble. “Elias. How? How did they get these?”
He shrugs, typing away on his phone, with no ounce of concern. “Does it matter? You look fucking gorgeous, princess.”
I blush, focusing on his compliment, before I shake my head. “These were our private moments.”
“Jesus, Wren.” He sets his phone face down as he turns toward me, irritation tugging at his features. “You need to calm the fuck down. This is good for you. This exposure will only help you climb in this industry.”
“I don’t want this kind of exposure. I don’t care about climbing the industry. I only want you, us.”
His jaw clenches. “You’re overwhelmed. Focus on staying beautiful, and I’ll handle the rest.” He cups my cheek. “Move in with me.”
He doesn’t ask, but says it like a statement. I’m shocked speechless, but a month later, we’re unpacking my belongings into his oceanfront mansion.
I twirl the material of my skirt in my hands, trying to ground myself. “I should’ve seen the red flags then, but he made me feel crazy for caring. Like I shouldn’t care about photographs, as long as I was in them.”
No one says a word, as if they know what’s about to come.
Terry is waiting in the reception area of Hearst Properties when Elias and I show up for work on the first day of filming season four.
“There’s my favorite couple,” he shouts, and my female co-workers glare daggers at me.
The energy has shifted amongst all of us. They’re cattier, meaner, constantly throwing digs. I feel like an outcast, but Elias tells me it’s jealousy. They wish they were me, and when they tried to get his attention, he only had eyes for me.
“We need to go over a few things, Wren,” Terry informs me as I follow him into the conference room.
Elias stops me, a soft hand on my wrist as he pulls me toward him. He plants a soft kiss on my temple. “Go ahead and get settled for work, princess. I’ll talk to Terry for you.”
A part of me is relieved. Terry gives me the creeps. His eyes always seem to linger on me a little too long, and he’s always finding a way to touch me. It makes my skin crawl.