Page 23 of Joey

“I can understand you needing to hide. That would’ve been overwhelming,” Ethan said.

Joey inhaled and met Ethan’s gaze. “I can’t stay any longer. I have to leave.”

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Chapter 7

Ethan

Ethan swallowed down the lump that had stuck in his throat at Joey’s words. He’d always known Joey wouldn’t be there forever, but he’d hoped he had more time.

“If you believe you need to go…” Ethan said.

“If I don’t, you’re going to end up on the front page of the newspaper, spread across social media, plus wherever else people decide to put your picture up. They won’t leave you alone. Just as they don’t leave me alone.”

“They don’t know you’re here,” Ethan countered.

“And how long do you think those women will keep quiet? They’ll tell people where they saw me, then David will corroborate it, and then they’ll find out about you, and it won’t take long for them to realise where you live. If I know the media as well as I think I do, they’ll be camping outside within two hours.”

Joey gritted his teeth and shook his head, but Ethan focused on his words.

“What was that about David?”

Joey scoffed. “He knows who I am. He called me by my real name as I left today as if he’d known all along.” The crease between Joey’s eyebrows deepened. “He implied he would speak with the media and twist the truth of what happened here.”

“Fucking asshole,” Ethan murmured. He’d never liked the man, and this proved his reticence was well-founded. “I’d like you to stay,” he said finally.

Joey lifted his head, staring right into Ethan’s eyes. “I want to, but I can’t put you through that. It’s not fair after everything you’ve done for me.”

“Isn’t that my decision?”

Joey lowered his head to rest on his crossed arms, and Ethan sat quietly, letting him work through his thoughts. He pulled his phone from his pocket and searched for “Joey Reynolds.” He wasn’t looking for more information than what Joey had given him, but he wanted to see if anything mentioned where Joey was. As he scrolled through the results, only checking for glaringly obvious headlines, Joey’s phone rang.

Joey banged his head against his arms three times, then grabbed his phone and stared at it. “And so the circus begins.” He lay it face down on the table and wrapped his hands around his mug, which must’ve gone cold by now.

Ethan put his phone down, too. “I can’t see any news about you being here yet.”

“It won’t take long.”

Ethan raised his eyebrows and met Joey’s gaze. “What do youwantto do, Joey?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want. I signed up for this when I started taking on celebrity clients and then allowed it to continue when I employed more artists. My opinion no longer matters.”

“It matters to me.”

Joey’s eyes widened, and Ethan’s mouth curled at having shocked him. “I like you a lot, Ethan. If I had a choice, I’d stay. At least for a little while longer.”

Ethan rose and knelt beside Joey. “Then stay a little while longer because I like you a lot, too,” he murmured, staring up at him.

Joey cupped Ethan’s cheek, and Ethan closed his eyes as he nuzzled against Joey’s palm. He didn’t want Joey to leave, that much he knew, but could he deal with the repercussions of Joey staying? Mainly the media attention. Ethan had spent his life under the radar, quietly plodding through his days, hoping, though never expecting, to find what he believed he had with Joey. Life with Joey would come with additional interest, and could he cope with life in the spotlight? Having never had the experience of such a thing, Ethan couldn’t answer, though he wanted to think he could manage.

“Ethan…” Joey sighed.

Ethan dropped his head and stood, grabbing their cups with a small smile. “It’s okay. I understand.” He refilled the kettle and started a new drink. “Do you want another cup?”

“No, thanks. Ethan—”

“Look, I get it. Okay. I know you can’t stay here. I’m not going to throw a tantrum because you’re making the best decision for you. If you need to leave, as much as I don’t want you to, you need to leave. End of.”

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