Page 82 of Dream (Fighting Fate)

Sadness fell over him like a shadow. “The pap will follow you. They’ll pester you until they find out what you are to me and how we know each other.”

A hollowness was starting to settle inside me. “How long will they follow me for? If they find out?”

His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know. If they don’t see us together again, maybe a few months. Maybe longer.”

I raised my chin, trying to be strong. “What will it mean for you if the pictures come out? Will it be bad for your career?”

A tiny crease formed between his brows. “Not at all.”

I stared at him as it all clicked into place. Pictures of us together wasn’t bad, but he’d prefer it if they didn’t get out. Dropping my gaze to my lap, I let it all sink in. “Okay,” I said, forcing myself to accept it. “I promise I’ll wear my hair up for the next few weeks.”

“I really am sorry, Liv,” he said again. And I didn’t doubt it. Not at all.

“Is it all right if I have a quick shower before I go?” I asked quietly, slipping from the bed.

His hands clenched in his lap. “Of course. I’ve got Amy bringing some fresh clothes for you, as well as some makeup remover.”

Oh my God. I’d forgotten about the makeup. I must look horrid. Striding to the bathroom, I tried to ignore the fact that I was naked, but what was the point in covering up, really? It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen me like this before.

Stopping in front of the mirror, my eyes widened. Holy shit. I looked like I’d been punched in both eyes. If I wasn’t feeling so empty, I would’ve laughed. I looked ridiculous.

As a knock sounded on the main door, I sighed and turned for the shower. It was time for me to get out of here. Stepping under the flow of hot water, I drenched my hair and tried my best to wash the crap off my eyes. Using the shampoo on the shelf, I washed my hair carefully, combing the knots out with my fingers.

“Amy just dropped the stuff off,” Josh said from the doorway. “I’ll leave it here for you. And here’s the face wash stuff,” he added, placing a tube of something on top of the shower screen.

I knew I should’ve been making more of an effort to make this situation less awkward, but I just didn’t have it in me. “Thanks,” I said quietly. It was all I had.

Using the face wash, I finished up in the shower and hurried to dry myself. I didn’t worry about drying my hair. There wasn’t much point if I was only going to tie it up. Giving it a quick towel dry, I twisted it into a messy bun and wrapped an elastic hair tie around it.

Grabbing the underwear and clothes Josh had left for me, I slipped them on and assessed myself in the mirror. Everything fit me perfectly. From the jeans, to the tank, to the pretty little flats on my feet. Sighing, I glanced at the handbag on the counter. I knew it had been left for me because I could see that my dress and shoes and been placed inside it. Sitting on top, was a pair of sunglasses and a tube of lip gloss. It felt very excessive, but I assumed there was a reason for it all.

Applying the lip gloss, I slid the sunglasses to the top of my head and hooked the bag on my arm. If I was meant to be playing a part in this mess, this was the best I could do. I was no actress, after all. But maybe that was the problem.

Chapter 50

Josh

I’d lain awake for most of the night after Liv had fallen asleep the night before. Guilt had set itself up inside my mind, reminding me of every little reason why I was a selfish asshole when it came to her—the biggest being the fact that I’d just drawn her into the media spotlight without so much as a second thought. The next being the fact that, for the first time in my life, I hadn’t used protection. I was single-handedly ruining her life in record fucking time.

As I sat perched on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to come out of the bathroom, I knew I needed to man the fuck up and stop this shit with her. I needed to let her go, and leave her the fuck alone. Or I really was going to ruin her life.

My breath caught as she stepped into the room. She was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a tank, but she looked so much more like the Liv I knew from the beach, it made me second-guess my decision to let her go.

“I’m ready,” she said, pausing in the middle of the room. Her lips were curved up to indicate she was happy, but her eyes told a different story. It hurt to know it was me who had done this to her.

Standing, I forced myself to move. All I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and tell her everything was going to be all right, but it wasn’t something I could promise. Coming to stand right in front of her, I searched her face, letting the memory of her burn into my brain. With gentle fingers, I brushed the stray pieces of hair away from her eyes. “I wish there was something I could say to make this better.”

She met my gaze, drawing in a steadying breath. “Me too.”

Each second that passed, looking into her eyes, caused my will to crumble a little more. “Go straight to the concierge when you get downstairs,” I said, needing her to leave. “His name is Michael. He knows what to do.”

She watched me for a while, before she nodded her understanding. “Bye, Josh,” she whispered.

Leaning forward, I placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. “Bye, Liv.”

I made myself stand still as she strode for the door. Then for another few minutes after that. Because I knew if I moved right now, I would only chase her and beg her not to leave, and that couldn’t happen.

After a while, I knew I couldn’t put

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