Extremely Famous (24 page)

“If you don’t want to tell me, I understand
.” I want to know, but now I feel guilty about unnerving him.

“No, it’s not that Sydney. I just… I don’t want to
speak ill of your boyfriend in front of you.” He slouches in his chair and won’t look me in my eyes.

“Oh.”

What could be so bad that he won’t say to me? Drew won’t tell me either, and he probably wouldn’t hesitate to throw Adam under the bus if it was Adam’s fault.

“Well, I appreciate your discretion Adam.” I don’t want to push him into telling me something I won’t like so I decide to let it drop. For now.

“Can I still ask mine?” Adam fixes his intense hazel eyes back on mine, drawing me in without any effort.

“Sure, but like I said, I’m extremely private and don’t like discussing myself.”

He smirks, drumming his fingers on the tabletop. “I’ve noticed. I think the fact that I had no bloody clue who you were and you never said a word to me sums it up nicely.”

I
cross my arms and smirk right back at him. “You never told me who you were either, Adam.”

“Right, I forgot. The only female I’ve ever encountered who didn’t recognize me. It was fucking brilliant!” He gives me a blinding smile, all perfect white teeth and shining eyes.

“Yes, well, I couldn’t let you get a big head thinking you were all that. Someone had to crush that massive ego you have,” I say with a chuckle.

“Well, you’re not the first one to
crush it, Sydney,” he whispers, more to himself than to me.

My heart stops momentarily, then restarts at a rapid pace. “What do you mean by that?” I ask cautiously, not sure if I really want to know the answer.

Adam waves his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it Sweetheart, it’s nothing.” He’s attempting to brush it off but I saw the fleeting look of hurt in his eyes. Maybe Drew was right and Adam did want to date me.

I decide it’s better not to pursue this subject with Adam. I don’t want to know, and I don’t want it to be awkward to work with him.

“So, my question,” he says.

“You didn’t ask me yet, I forgot.”
I shift uneasily in my chair.

“Are you alright?” His gaze penetrates mine and my heart drops into my shoes. Either Drew isn’t the only observant person I know or I’m projecting my pain visibly.

I pale under his scrutiny. “I’m fine,” I say in a quiet voice.

“I’m not trying to push you Sydney, but I know a lot has happened to you and you seem… I don’t know,
really sad lately.”

I fidget with my
water glass and look anywhere but at him. I don’t want to discuss it, but maybe I would feel better if someone knew what I was going through. Adam would understand. He’s been through a lot of shit too, with the whole Kiera situation. He made that clear when he followed me to my loft last month.

“I’m coping
. As best I can, I guess.” I flick my eyes up to his and see nothing but compassion behind his kind façade.

“It doesn’t seem like you are.” Adam gets up and comes around to my side of the table, squatting down next to my chair so we’re face to face.
Closer than he’s ever been, I notice a small white scar on the edge of his lower lip, so faint it’s hardly visible.

He reaches over and takes my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “The spotlight is a bitch Sydney. I know that, I’m sure you know that
damn well now too. It can be…” he looks around the room as if searching for the perfect word. “Suffocating.”

“Yes,” I whisper. “It is.”

“Don’t give up your life for it. You’re strong; you’ve overcome a lot to get here. It’s not worth it to let those bastards destroy you.” Adam looks just as tormented as me, as if he’s speaking for himself as well as for my sake.

“What if it’s not someone that’s destroying you? What if it’s your own memories?”
My voice is hoarse from unshed tears.

Shit! I don’t want Adam to see me crying
.

“Then you need to be stronger than the past. Embrace it as something that happened. You can’t change it
, you can only move on from it. I would know,” he murmurs softly.

I squeeze my eyes shut and a single tear escapes, streaking unevenly down my cheek.

“Don’t cry Love,” Adam says softly. I feel his warm hand caress my face, wiping away the salty trail.

I open my eyes and find him right in front of me, looking at me intently. It takes me a minute, but when I see his gaze flick to my mouth and back up
to my eyes, I realize that he’s looking at me with sad longing. Before I can register what’s happening, he leans in and kisses me.

His mouth is warm and comforting
and safe and for a moment, I forget where I am and kiss him back.
Fuck!
I’m vulnerable and crying and I can’t be here like this, especially not with our lips pressed together.

I bolt up from my chair, yanking my hand out from under his.

“I-I’m sorry, I have to g-go,” I stammer as I stuff my computer into my messenger bag.

“Sydney, I didn’t mean anything. You don’t have to leave,” Adam pleads with me.
“It’s not you. It’s someone else…”

“I can’t stay Adam. I’ll work on the ideas you ga
ve me.” I refuse to look at him. I can’t take any more pain or complications.

He grabs my arms and holds me still. “Look at me.” I can’t, I can’t take it. “Sydney please!”

Shaking, I slowly look up at Adam through my wet lashes. I’m weak. If I were strong, I would stare him down defiantly, challenging him to an argument about what he did. Slap his face, pound on his chest, yell at him, do
something
… anything.

He looks terrified. It’s startling to see. Adam is always fun and happy. He’s not emotional or complicated. This is a side of Adam I’ve never seen before.
Maybe he just hides his pain better than me.

“I’m sorry. It was just the moment Sydney, trying to comfort you. I don’t know what I was thinking,” he says firmly, refusing to let me go.
“It’s, it’s all me, Syd. Some shite I’ve been dealing with back home…”

“I understand Adam.” I shift uncomfortably, “Please let me leave now.” My heart is hammering in my chest and I can hear my pulse rushing behind my ears.

His hands loosen and I bolt for the door. I don’t turn back as I speak. “Thank you for dinner. I’ll call you when I’ve finished the designs.”

I hear Adam
curse in frustration as I hurry from the room and make my way out front. Steve, having noticed my rushed departure is close behind me. We exit the restaurant and the SUV is nowhere in sight.

I turn to Steve
in a panic. “Where’s Bruce?”

I need to get out of here. I see a few people on the sidewalk. They’ve noticed me and are whispering to one another.

Anxiety threatens to overwhelm me. I’m stuck on a sidewalk in New York, about to have a nervous fucking breakdown over Adam fucking Reynolds and I can’t get away.

“I called him. He’ll be here in a second. You didn’t tell me you were leaving,” Steve says patiently.

“Shit!” I curse to myself. My whole body starts shaking from the adrenaline rush that accompanies a panic attack.

Just as I think I’ll have to sit on the sidewalk and put my head between my knees, the large black SUV pulls up to the curb. Steve grabs my bag, puts his arm around my waist, and hauls me up into the back seat. He sits next to me and pulls the door shut.

“Go,” he says to Bruce.

In a very un-Steve like manner, he wraps his massive arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his chest as I break down. He doesn’t say a word as my tears ruin his shirt. He just lets me cry, seeming to know that
what I need is for another human being to hold me.

We get back to the brownstone and Steve carries me all the way up to the master bedroom and lays me gently on the bed.

“Let me know if you need anything,” he says quietly. I hear the door close behind him and once again, I’m completely alone.

I wake up early, the icy fingers of fear sliding down my spine. Someone is watching me.
I shoot up from the bed, clutching the covers around me. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but I see a figure sitting on the couch across the room. Before I can scream, I realize that the shadowy figure is Drew.

“Drew?” I ask cautiously.

He looks up from where his head was hanging down, his elbows on his knees, and focuses on me.

Something is very wrong.

“You weren’t supposed to be home for a few more days,” I say quietly. Why isn’t he happy to see me?

“A lot of shit is going on Sydney. I felt that it w
as best for me to come back now.” This is bad, his voice is rough and uneven. He won’t come over to me even though we’ve been apart for a week.

“Are you drunk?”

He barks out a laugh. “Not nearly enough.”

I get out of bed and
slowly walk over to the couch, sitting on the other end and folding my legs underneath my body. “I missed you. So much.” As much as I don’t want to break down right now, I start sobbing hysterically.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on
, Sydney? Drinking at all hours, crying in your room for days, meeting that motherfucker Adam Reynolds at a bar?” Hostility radiates visibly from him, his shoulders are tight and his eyes are flashing.

I should have known that Evan was worried enough to tell on me.
I’m too upset to be mad at anyone but myself.

I get up
on shaky legs and fetch the small scrap of paper off of the nightstand. Handing it to Drew I hold my breath as he looks at it.

“Shit,” he mutters under his breath.

“I… I found it while you were gone. I didn’t want to mess up the press tour by letting you think I needed you,” I say in between sobs as tears streak down my cheeks. “We should be getting ready to have our baby.”

Drew looks at me a
nd I can see his heart breaking. “Sydney, you mean more to me than all of that press tour bullshit. I can’t believe you were dealing with this alone. Or with Adam Reynolds.” His gaze turns hostile. “Why have you been seeing him Sydney? You know I don’t want you alone with him!”

I bristle at his directive
. “Adam owns the penthouse I’m remodeling. My dream job. I didn’t know it was his until I already accepted the project.” Wiping my face, I stare at my hands miserably.

“What!” Drew roars
, startling me. “That motherfucking piece of shit.” He jumps up and paces the room angrily. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

He
whirls suddenly and drops to his knees on the floor in front of me, his vivid green eyes even with mine. “Did he try anything with you, Sydney?”

I drop my gaze and that’s all the confirmation Drew needs. He gets up and starts
pacing the room again, his eyes flicking angrily towards the walls of the bedroom.

Uh oh, he’s going to punch another wall.

“Stop!” I jump up to get in front of Drew and cling to his chest, not wanting him to start breaking more bones.

His face is purple, the veins in his neck are pulsing, and his eyes are wild with rage.

“Did he… shit Sydney. Did he try to fuck you?” His chest is heaving with anger, his heart pounding furiously under my hands.

“God no! Drew, no way. He kiss
ed me and I left immediately. That’s it.” Holy shit he’s going to kill Adam. “I was never alone with him any other time. One of the guys was always with me.”

He calms down a fraction and wraps his arms around me, burying his head in my neck. We stand like that for a long time, just holding each other tight.

When he finally breaks his hold and steps back, I can see that his eyes are shining with unshed tears.

“Syd, let’s sit
.”

“What? I can’t take anymore Drew. Are you breaking up with me?” I choke out.

“Fuck no!” he growls. “I might want to break that fucker’s neck, but I’ll never leave you Sydney. I just know how he is. Please, sit, baby.” He directs me to the bed, sitting down and pulling me onto his lap.

He’s silent for a while,
rubbing a hand up and down my leg, the panic welling up inside me with every passing second.

“Drew, you’re killing me here. Please just tell me.”

He sighs sadly and tugs on his hair with his free hand. “You know the phone call I got in L.A?”

“Of course
.” This is bad, really bad. That call pissed him off more than I’ve ever seen him, including just now when he found out Adam tried to kiss me. That says a lot.

“I’ve been trying to stop them, Sam’s been trying to stop them. Hell, I’ve had an entire legal
team trying to stop them, Sydney.” Drew is unable to meet my eyes, instead watching his hand slowly move up and down my leg.

“Stop what?” I whisper
in a broken voice.

“Someone saw us
, Syd.” He chokes on the words. “There are pictures of us at Chad’s house in Brentwood. They’re publishing them tomorrow.”

I let his words sink in. Brentwood. Chad’s
. Pool. Skinny dipping. Hot outdoor sex.
Holy fuck!

I think I
must stop breathing because Drew is yelling at me to look at him, but all I hear is the whooshing of blood behind my ears. I feel his hand force my head down between my legs.

“Breathe Sydney!” he tells me as my head spins and becomes desperate for air.

When that doesn’t work Drew lays me back on the bed and he curls up behind me, wrapping his arms around my trembling body and holding me tight against him. Over time, my breathing steadies and my heart slows down. After a while, I’m able to somewhat function and I roll over to face Drew.

“People… people are going to see us
… having sex?” I choke on the words, tears running noiselessly down my face. How much can one person cry?

“No baby, they didn’t get pictures of that. We were under the cabana, thank
fuck. But everything else? I’m so sorry Sydney. It was my idea, I shouldn’t have…” his voice breaks. “The thought of anyone seeing you like that, fuck!” He lets go of me and runs his hands through his hair, yanking on it in frustration.

I can’t move. I would think I was catatonic except I’m pretty sure
you can’t actually be aware that you are catatonic. So I guess I’m just frozen in place. I thought Drew finding out about Adam was going to be bad, but this? This is so much worse.

“My parents, my co-workers…
I swallow loudly, “they’re all going to see me?” I whisper. Then I suck in a breath, “Your parents? Holy shit, Drew.”

Drew jumps up from the bed and yanks a suitcase out of the closet, throwing it on
to a nearby chair.

“Get up and get packed,” he says to me.

“What? You just got home, why would we leave?” I’m astonished that he can even think of doing anything except hiding in a hole for the next year or so until the public forgets about us.

“We’re going away, on a vacation.” He starts putting clothes into the suitcase, haphazardly chucking in whatever he can get his hands on.

“But…” Drew interrupts my sentence.

“Sydney, it’s either stay here and watch this horror unfold or get the fuck out of here and try not to think about it. Which do you prefer?” He
stops packing and stares at me until I can manage a response.

“Leave,” I say, joining him in the closet to start pulling my clothes out.

“I’ll be right back, pack for warm weather,” Drew says as he takes out his phone and starts dialing.

He goes into the hallway so I won’t be stressed out by his conversation, but Angry Drew has an abnormally loud voice so I can hear everything
he says.

“Jane, get the plane
ready to leave in three hours…”

“
Yeah… Call her first and make sure it’s okay…”

“
No, Rhys is doing that…”

“
He can deal with that bullshit!...”

“
Sorry!... No, he can call me to run it by me…”

“
Yeah…yeah… what do you think?...Okay, bye.”

He disconnects and must make another call immediately.

“Rhys! I need you to figure out a statement….”

“
I don’t give a fuck!”

“
They bettah not even try that shit!... I swear… “

“
No!... No!... What the fuck Rhys, I said no!...”

“
Yeah, wicked pissed. I wanna fuckin’ punch the shit outta somethin’, whadda you think?…”

“
Get me his numbah… just do it!”

He’s still making calls when I walk into the bathroom to gather my toiletries, thankfully out of earshot. I’m done packing by the time he returns to the bedroom and zips up the suitcase.

“Everything okay?” I ask meekly.

Drew gives me a dark look as if to say
‘not a chance in hell’
and hauls our luggage down the stairs. I trail behind, feeling betrayed when I catch Evan’s eye, knowing that he told Drew about Adam. I’m not the one who writes their paychecks, so I can’t blame them if Drew demanded to know what was going on with me. It’s not as though I’ve been acting normal lately, so Drew was certain to drill them as soon as he got home. He probably threatened their jobs.

Less than an hour after Drew pulled the suitcase from the closet, we’re climbing into the SUV and leaving the underground garage.

“We just have one stop before the airport,” Drew says to me. I glance at him and surprisingly, I see a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. How can he be in a good mood with a metric fuck-ton of shit raining down on us?

I look outside as the Mercedes slows to a stop. “Hey, this is Leah and Ryker’s building
.” Drew sits there, smirking.

The door opens and Leah comes piling in, squealing at the top of her lungs.

“Vacation! I’m so excited!” She hugs me so tight I think I’m going to explode, then takes the seat in front of us.

“Hey guys,” Ryker says calmly as he follows Leah into the car.

“You guys are coming with us?” I ask, feeling much happier than I was a few minutes ago.

“Yep! Your man called us up and neither of us have anything that can’t be postponed, so we’re coming with you!” Leah says.

“I just have one phone interview that I can’t miss, and a photo shoot that they agreed to do next week,” Ryker tells us.

“Where are we going?” I ask Drew.

“Your mom said we could use her house in Belize,” Drew says modestly.

My mouth drops open.
“You arranged all of this within the last hour and a half?”

“Ummm, not exactly. When I got the call from Sam that we lost the final appeal, I left Tokyo knowing that we were probably going to want to skip town
. I called your mom before I got on my flight. The plane and the company,” he nods at Leah and Ryker, “Those I arranged in the last hour.”

Leah turn
s around in her seat to face us. “So, why do you need to leave town?” Interested to hear the answer, Ryker turns around as well, wanting to know what we have to say.

My face b
urns with what must be a deep scarlet blush and I can’t look my friends in the eye. “Uh, well…” I stammer, unable to finish my sentence.

Drew stiffens up,
equally embarrassed, but manages to speak. “When we were in California, Chad let us borrow his Brentwood home for an afternoon.”

“I remember you telling me that,” Leah says.

“Yeah, but I didn’t tell you everything,” I whisper.

Drew shifts uncomfortably in his seat
, a slight pink tinge on his cheeks, and continues. “So, we ate lunch and swam some and apparently there was a photographer with a long lens somewhere in the trees.”

“Okay,” Ryker says, “So what? We all know that those parasites are ruthless.”

Uncomfortable to say it out loud, Drew clears his throat. “Ummm, we didn’t feel the need for swimsuits, since, ummm, Chad’s yard is very private.”

Silence... Dead. Awkward. Silence.

Their shocked faces show that they finally understand what the problem is in this scenario.

Leah
loudly breaks the tension, screaming, “Oh no!” Then her mouth twists up as she realizes something. “Wait, that was two weeks ago. Why is this a big deal now?”

“Because I had a team of lawyers trying to stop them from publishing the photos!” Drew snaps. “And we finally lost our last appeal. They’re printing them tomorrow.”
His shoulders sag with defeat.

Leah’s mouth
forms into an ‘o’ and Ryker sits there with wide eyes.

“Yeah, I know,” I say sadly. “There’s really nothing to say about it.”

“Have you seen them?” Leah asks us.

“No,” Drew says through clenched teeth. “They won’t let anyone have copies, they want the
‘exclusive’
and convinced the judge they could be leaked if they had to release them.” He spits out the word exclusive as if it were poison in his mouth.