Page 282 of Accidentally Under Your Tree

She shrugged. "Fine."

"You seem like you're not."

She jerked her shoulder again. Brushing the curls around her temple back, she took a drink of her wine.

"Was it just the stress of…everything?" I let the one word describe the Rose and Lawrence situation, and the following conversation with her parents.

She shook her head. She finally looked at me.

My pulse was heavy and sluggish. I saw what was coming while wishing to be wrong, hoping that I could say the right thing. Something that would set her at ease.

She set her glass down with a clink. "Did you see that picture of us?"

"Yeah, but it's not bad. The response seems…kind."

"Does that sort of thing happen often?"

"People recognizing me?"

"Sure, or strangers taking pictures of you and posting them online?"

My stomach churned. "Not often."

She'd gone perfectly still, and I understood the tell for what it was.

"Are you okay? Do you feel unsafe?" I asked.

"No. Nervous would be a better word."

"Why?"

"I just…" she swallowed. "I don't like it. I know it must seem small to you. But my social media is a LinkedIn for my work. I don't…I don't cultivate attention. I don't want it."

"We can keep our relationship quiet, private, just like you said we should. We could be more careful about how we are in public. Rose and I talked earlier about announcing a quote-en-quote breakup sooner rather than later. Lizzy, it doesn't happen often, I promise. You'll see that."

"Unless the show gets picked up."

"Even if that happens, we won't be famous. We'll have a slightly larger group of people who know us, but not a lot."

"I don't know…"

"I'll shield you from it."

"How?" The word was hardly more than air, as if her throat had grown tight.

I clenched my teeth, at a loss.

"It's okay," she sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as me. "It was exciting while it lasted."

"No, don't talk like that. You know what happens less than a random posting a picture of me?" I waved my hand in the chasm growing between us. But she'd hidden her face. "This. A connection like this. I was drawn to you from the first time I saw you. And it's grown stronger every time since—every time I've kissed you, touched you. This is exceptional. I've never felt it before, and I'll never feel it again."

"How do you know?" she whispered.

It was so obvious. I couldn't believe that I had to say it aloud. "Because there is no other you."

She met my eyes, unshed tears clinging to hers. "I don't know if I can, Will."

"No, Lizzy," I pleaded.

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