Page 106 of Stay for Me
“Did you talk to your publicist?”
Jacob nods and brushes my hair back. “I did. Catherine is going to work up a press release so that we control the narrative. She wants to release a statement and photos of us together in town after the play.”
“What photos?”
He clears his throat. “I probably should’ve mentioned it first. She wants us to have a photographer she trusts come and do a very informal shoot.”
I’m not sure how I feel about someone doing a photo shoot because we’re dating.
“I know it’s uncomfortable,” he says quickly. “I hate that it’s this way for me, but if we can make the story less like we were hiding it, it should be better, andmaybethey’ll give me some space. Catherine knows how I feel about it. She knows most of your story, and agrees that the kids should be shielded as much as possible. She’s a mom, too, and understands that the kids come first.”
I’m touched that he feels this way. Also, I know nothing about this world. If I want a life or even a chance at one with Jacob, then I have to be willing to take the bad along with the good. “Okay, we’ll do what she says is best.”
Catherine knows the world of paparazzi, journalists, and media. I do not. I can get through other situations, but I’m lost here, so I will defer to the professional.
“I have to warn you”—Jacob’s voice is low—“it’s still going to be bad, Brenna. The press will want to find a story, true or not doesn’t really matter to them, and I won’t be able to protect you. I wish I could, and the fact that it will be out of my control is going to fucking kill me.”
I sit up, crossing my legs and facing him. “Part of the deal when we decided to go forward was knowing there’d be challenges.”
“Yeah, but this isn’t just a challenge, it’s almost like a new life. The things we’ve enjoyed here, they’re not like that there.” He runs his hand through his hair.
“I’m not naïve, Jacob. I’m aware that this isn’t going to be easy, but you’re worth it.”
The way his eyes flash makes me wonder if that’s the first time he’s ever heard anything like that. He looks slightly scared and more than a little stunned.
“You say that now.”
“Are you afraid I’m going to think otherwise later?”
Jacob looks away and when he turns back, that crooked grin is there, masking whatever he’s really feeling. “Maybe. Do you change your mind often?”
I want to call him out, tell him that I’m not blind, and remind him that he’s dating a shrink who knows all the tricks and signs of deflection. In the back of my head, I hear Luke, and I remember how much he hated it.
So many times, we’d be fighting, and I would turn it into therapy. He would yell louder, get angrier than he was before and tell me how tiring it was being married to someone who couldn’t let him work it out for himself. I always had to fix things—fix him—and he hated it.
I don’t want to do that with Jacob. He’s not my patient. He’s my boyfriend. One I’d like very much to continue seeing. Therefore it’s in my best interests to just be honest.
“No, I don’t change my mind. That’s what I’m saying to you. I’m here. I’m in this with you, and I’m ready for whatever obstacles we have to face. As long as you’re in it with me, I’m here.”
The words do what I hoped they would, and the playful smile that was there falls into a look of seriousness. The tight lines around his eyes sharpen. “And if it gets to be too much?”
I lean in, my fingers tracing those lines until they soften. “Then we talk, and we work it out. This isn’t something I’m willing to give up on.You’renot someone I’m willing to give up on.”
“Why?”
Because I’m in love with you.
“Because you make me happy.”
His eyes close, and he grips my hand, holding it to his face. “I’m going to be a handful.”
“I never had any doubts that you would be.”
“My career is demanding. I fought against this because of that. You dealt with a lot because Luke was away all the time for work, and now you’re jumping back in again.”
“It’s different this time. Luke never had a choice. You can turn roles down, can’t you?”
He nods. “As long as I’m not under contract. Like I said, I don’t want to put you through the hell you endured before. You came here wanting simple, and I’m far from that. I don’t want to disappoint you or the kids, Brenna. I want to be the hero in your story.”
