Page 21 of Discover Me
Then reality crashes back reminding me of where I am. Tom's office. The band is outside and we have less than ten minutes before Tom comes back demanding an answer. This is insane and I need to stop before this goes any further.
I gently push Micah off of me, the Beta stepping back immediately, respecting the gesture even though I can see the confusion in his eyes. We're both breathing hard, the air between us crackling with interrupted tension.
"I'm glad to see you're okay," I say, trying to catch my breath and organize my thoughts. "But you don't have to do this. I'll make sure you get the paycheck if you need it or whatever, but fuck. This whole thing is messed up."
Micah blinks at me. "What?"
I move past him to the desk, flipping through the pages of the packet Tom left. My eyes scan the documents, looking forthe NDA Micah signed. When I find it, anger floods through me. "That sneaky ass bastard. Did he explain what you were signing?"
"He said it was an NDA." Micah moves to stand beside me, looking down at the papers. "That anything discussed in this room couldn't leave this room."
"No." I point at the document, at the fine print above his signature. "You signed the first page of this fucking thing, agreeing to be my boyfriend until we release our next album. It's not an NDA, it's the actual contract. Fuck, no, it's fine. Just go home and I'll—"
Micah sighs, dragging his good hand down his face. "That's what I get for not reading more closely. Should have known better than to sign something without reading it properly first."
He looks tired suddenly, exhausted in a way that goes beyond physical. There are shadows under his eyes that match my own, and I notice details I missed before. The way his clothes hang a little looser than they should, like he's lost weight. The tension in his jaw that suggests constant pain. The careful way he holds himself, protecting his injuries.
"What does the contract really entail?" Micah asks, his voice softer than before. That whiskey scent of his is almost muted, confusion lacing in my expression but I focus on the issue we have on hand currently.
"Some pictures. You staying at my house for appearances." I flip through more pages, skimming the requirements. "Dinners out and stuff. Public appearances, social media posts, the whole fake relationship package. Simple things, really, except for the part where we're lying to everyone. But it's fine," I continue, already pulling out my phone. "I can fix this. I'll call our lawyer, explain that Tom misrepresented the document. We can get you out of it."
I unlock my phone and immediately grimace. My social media notifications have exploded, hundreds of alerts flooding my screen. I tap on Instagram and my heart drops into my stomach. "Shit."
"What?" Micah leans over to look at my phone, his shoulder brushing mine. The contact sends another jolt through me but I try to ignore it.
There on my Instagram feed is a photo of me and Micah. We're in the office, my hand on his face, his hand on my chest. It looks so fucking intimate and real because it was. Fuck, I should have known Tom would have a camera in here. I just didn’t know that he would work so fast.
The caption reads:When you know, you know. Meet Micah <3
"How..." Micah stares at the screen. "Why am I on your socials?"
"Because Tom prepares for everything." A growl punctuates my words as I tighten my grip on my phone. "He fucking knew what you signed and immediately went to make it official. Probably had someone waiting to watch the cameras and steal a photo the second we were alone."
The post already has thousands of likes and comments. I scroll through them quickly, seeing the mix of support and jealousy and curiosity. People asking who Micah is, people saying they're happy for me, people declaring they're heartbroken that I'm off the market. The narrative is already being written, the story Tom wanted already spreading across the internet.
"I can't fix this," I admit, shoving my phone back in my pocket. "Tom's out of control. The second this went public, it became real. Breaking the contract now would create a PR nightmare." But I need to fix this. The confusion and wariness on Micah’s face is fucking with my emotions. Some part of me wants to protect the Beta, the other part of me wants to take him and…
Fuck.
Micah just stands there, processing. I watch a range of emotions flicker across his face. Shock, resignation, something that might be acceptance. He takes a breath, wincing slightly as he reaches over to cradle his side. "Just some dinners and stuff, right? I can handle that." His voice is steadier than I expected. "It'll give me something to do other than sit in my fucking house all day staring at bills." He sighs, running his hand through his hair. "Your manager made a really sweet deal and fuck, I know it's exploitative, but it'd pay off everything. I could actually breathe for the first time in a month." He looks conflicted as he says those words as if using me to make his life easier hurts more than the predicament of being pushed into the public eye.
"What are you talking about?" I turn to face him fully.
"The Alphas who did this," Micah gestures to his cast,, "got out on bail. Until they're charged with what they did to me, I don't get a payout from any lawsuit. Insurance helps some but not much. I'm drowning in medical debt and can't work for at least another month. Maybe longer."
Sudden anger floods through me on the Beta's behalf but there’s nothing I can do. I already gave my statement and anything I touch might just make it worse for him. The only recourse left is to do the very thing Tom wants. "Can you really pretend for a month?" I ask, needing to know. "Live in my space, go out with me, act like we're together when cameras are around?" The moment the questions are out of my mouth, my mind starts wandering. It’s not such a strange prospect and the longer I dwell on it, the more I kind of want it.
Micah shrugs. "What do I have to lose? My dignity? Pretty sure I lost that when I fell off a roof and got rescued by a rockstar."
I snort and then fix my expression, trying to stay serious. "The fans will rip you to shreds when we break up. Or at least try to onsocial media. They'll blame you for the breakup, say you weren't good enough, that you used me. It gets ugly."
Micah shrugs again. "I don't really do social media and I live in a small ass town. It's fine. Let them say whatever they want. I probably won't even see it."
"And this..." I gesture between us, at the space where we kissed, at the connection neither of us can explain. "What about this?" My face goes red as I take a small step back. I don’t do embarrassed or awkward but the intensity in Micah’s expression as he meets my eyes, the desire lingering there goes straight to my cock. I bite my lip to keep from making an embarrassing sound but it does nothing for my scent.
Micah's expression softens even as his nostrils flare, the muscles in his jaw tightening a little. "Let it happen naturally, I guess? I…” He clears his throat, suddenly looking a bit more sheepish. For such a large man, it looks adorable. “I still have the flowers you bought. Can't get you out of my head no matter how hard I try. The pain in my chest is gone with you standing here and as much as I say fuck biology, it feels like something more than just circumstantial attraction."
"We're going to have to pretend to be a real couple," I say, testing the words, some part of me hating ‘pretend’. "Act like we're falling in love even though we barely know each other."
