Page 68 of Written in the Oceans

“Hey, Shana. What’s up?”

“Rhylan. Have you looked at Just Jared recently?” she asks calmly.

My brows draw together in confusion. “No, why?”

“There are pictures of you all over their Instagram with some girl. It looks like you guys were at the marina and out to dinner in Mid City?”

My heart drops. I had the eerie feeling that paparazzi were in the distance when we were leaving the marina last week. I hadn’t even noticed them last night at dinner. I thought I was being overly paranoid and brushed it off, but my suspicions were right.

I should have been more careful. Been more discerning about where we went and who saw us, but I wasn’t. Instead, I became reckless as I plummeted into what it meant to fall head over heels for someone. For Ellie.

I’m not ready to share Ellie with the world. For them to tear her apart and poke at every imperfection or shortcoming as if their opinions were valid. I’m not ready to lose her.

My mouth dries, and any words I try to get out stop short of my throat. I cough into my fist before speaking again. “What are they saying?” I ask Shana, trying hard to stay calm.

“They’re speculating a new romance with a mystery woman. It’s hard to deny it. You two were pictured kissing. Who is she?”

“No one, Shana. Look, I’ve got to call you back.” I look over at Ellie still talking to Amelia. We meet eyes for a second, and her smile falls when she sees the look on my face.

“Rhy, you need to let me know these things so I can speak to them. Just Jared already reached out to me, but I didn’t confirm anything. Just give it some time and let me know what you want me to tell them. In the meantime, if you don’t want this blowing up, lie low.”

“Okay, I will. Thanks, Shana,” I respond before hanging up. I quickly walk to Ellie, my hands empty, no fresh grilled cheese sandwich or tomato soup, just a mask of unease over my face.

“Is everything okay?” Ellie looks up at me with concerned eyes. Both she and Amelia look at me, my sudden presence interrupting their conversation. I know she can sense the tension set in my shoulders. I try my best to keep a straight face so she doesn’t worry, but I’m doing a poor job of it. I can’t see this ending any other way than badly.

“Yeah. But we should go.”

“What are you talking about? I thought we were having lunch,” she says. Her hold on Andy tightens as she shifts her weight.

“Something urgent came up. We need to leave,” I try to explain. I turn to Amelia. “I’m so sorry. We’ll have to have lunch another time.”

“No worries,” she answers, taking a protesting Andy from Ellie.

I scan the area to look for Charles, but he and Oliver have disappeared. “Can you let Charles know we had to go?”

“Of course,” she says. She’s just as worried as Ellie is, both unsure of what’s happening but worried nonetheless. She looks at Ellie and smiles. “It was nice meeting you. I hope we see you again soon.”

“You too,” Ellie answers, a small smile on her face that quickly fades. She embraces Amelia, and we part ways.

I grab her hand, and we both walk swiftly back to my car. She does her best to keep up with me, her feet hitting the pavement in quick steps in contrast to my long strides. I’m silent, my face hard and stone-like. I place my hand on the small of her back to guide her to the car and open the door for her, waiting on her to get in.

And then it happens out of nowhere. It usually does. They hound you down. They hunt, watching their prey until the right moment presents itself. They catch you off guard, usually at moments when your weaknesses are so openly exposed. And then they pounce. Their movements are calculated to capture just that: the money shot.

I hear the clashing of clicks before I see them. Then they’re all over, surrounding us. The space around us is closing in, making it hard to breathe. I turn my body instinctively to cover Ellie, but it’s no use. They’re everywhere. They angle their cameras around and over me so they can take as many pictures of Ellie as they can.

Ellie’s face pales in sheer horror, etched with fear. I’ve explained this feeling to her. The constant scrutiny, the barrage of people that invade your personal space as if you’re on display, and the fact that common decency doesn’t exist. I laid it out for her the best I could, but I never thought that she would have to experience this firsthand. Never did I think that I would see the look on her face that I see right now.

“Rhylan! Who’s your new girlfriend?”

“Are you cheating on Bella?”

“Give us a kiss!”

“What’s your name?”

“Did you break up Rhylan and Bella?”

I’ve always been told to ignore the paparazzi. That’s what Shana always tells me. Their intention is always to get a reaction. A wild, out-of-control star is always much more exciting than a calm and boring one. But once the questions start being directed to Ellie, I lose it.

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