Page 105 of Merry Me
I groaned.
The girl didn’t scream, bless her…but she did move, fast. Within seconds, the store filled with the pitter-patter of rapidly approaching footsteps, hushed shrieks, and the telltale glint of camera lenses.
We were surrounded.
There was no more running. No more pretending he wasn’thim. And certainly no more hiding the fact that he was holding my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Easton stood slowly, pulling me up with him, his sunglasses coming off in one smooth, practiced motion as he led us out of the clothing store and into the concourse so we weren’t caged in on all sides. He gave me a small, almost apologetic smile, like he hated dragging me into the spotlight but wasn’t letting go, either.
“You ready?” he asked gently.
“Nope,” I said, plastering a fake smile. “But I guess we’re doing this.”
The crowd descended fast, like a glitter-storm of teenage shrieks and phone cameras. Questions exploded from every direction, a frenzy of excitement and disbelief:
“Easton! Are you filming a new movie here?”
“Who is she?”
“Is she your girlfriend?”
I felt my body tense like it had its own defense mechanism, like I could become smaller just by willing it. I wasn’t used to this. The stares. The flashes. The demands tobe somethingfor other people. I could barely make sense of the buzzing in my ears, the pounding in my chest.
Easton threw me a careful glance, gauging my reaction. I stiffened slightly, unsure how to respond. My heart twisted, my nerves fluttering anxiously.
Then, without hesitating, Easton stepped closer, sliding his arm confidently around my waist. My breath caught at his touch, his warmth radiating against me.
“Yeah,” he said, his voice clear and calm above the chaos. “This is Natalie.”
Just my name. Simple.
But then he added, “She’s the love of my life.”
And just like that, the crowdfell silent.
I stared at him, my mouth slightly open, my eyes wide in disbelief. “Easton…”
He squeezed my waist lightly, never taking his eyes off mine. “No hiding, Nat. I can’t do it. Not with you.”
My throat closed up, something tight and hot coiling in my chest.
One of the girls near the front stepped forward, blinking up at Easton like he’d just rewritten every romance novel she’d ever read. “You mean it? She’s really your girlfriend?”
Easton smiled. Not the cocky grin he usually wore. Not the movie-star smirk that lit up a billboard. This was soft. Real. The kind of smile you gave when you were proud of something. Ofsomeone.
“Yep. She’s the only girl I’ve ever loved,” he said simply. “And the only one I ever will.”
Every last scrap of oxygen vanished from my lungs.
My cheeks flamed, my pulse racing wildly. “You’re insane,” I whispered, barely audible.
“And you’re beautiful,” he replied simply.
I swallowed, somehow managing to turn toward the crowd of shocked faces. “Hi,” I managed awkwardly, lifting a small wave. “I’m Natalie.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say anything else, because the word all of them were looking for—girlfriend—it felt enormous, weighted with meaning and promises I wasn’t ready to publicly unpack. Not yet. Not here.
A ripple of delighted gasps ran through the crowd anyway…like they’d heard something I actually hadn’t said.
