Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 129110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
I open the box and kiss him. "It's beautiful."
He lets out a deep but satisfied sigh. "I was sure you already saw it," he smiles sheepishly. "I was followed. Pretty confident there are pictures of this everywhere. It's sort of been... a thing." He rolls his eyes with a sad sort of look. "Had them say it was for my Mum. Mum was not happy to learn it wasn't," he laughs.
"Speaking of..." I reach for the papers. "Here," I hand them over. "I signed the NDA."
"Elle," he looks up in shock.
"I gave you a hard time about doing so and I'm sorry. If this helps everyone from not-"
"No." He tears it up. "You were right not to. I don't need a document to define us."
"Asher, you sort of do-"
"Here's the thing, Elle, I lo-" He stops as his phone dings.
Nooo! Was he going to tell me he loves me?
He lets out a groan and answers. "Hello?"
I hear Mona on the other line and silently groan.
"The jewelry store- that damn necklace. The owner leaked what you had inscribed. I told you it was a bad idea."
I trace my fingers over the inscription.
Yours Forever.
"Congratulations, Asher. Now the public is guessing who your new mystery girl is and we look ridiculous for putting out the statement about your Mother."
"Okay. We can-"
"This is bad Asher!" She interrupts. "You cannot take her to England with you now!"
He looks up with an apologetic expression. "I gotta go," he locks my stare, hanging up while she's still in the midst of yelling. "See? Not everyone sticks to NDA's anyway. Guess whatever he got paid made it worth it."
I slowly nod.
Mona calls back but he doesn't answer.
"Everything okay?"
My phone dings and as I look down the look on my face must say it all.
"What’s going on?" Asher leans in.
Travis texted that picture he had someone take. It looks like we're embracing.
Travis: Unlike you I'm not a total dick, so I thought I'd show it to you first. Drumming up lots of interest, especially now.
"Nothing." I quickly move it away.
"Bullshit." He grabs my phone, his eyes bulging. He looks up. "Elle?"
"It's not what it looks like."
"The photo or what he wrote?"
"The photo. He made it look like that on purpose. He was just in my ear," I shake my head.
"I didn't know you still spoke to your ex." He looks hurts.
"I don't! I didn't! It's all because of your stupid agreement!"
"My what?"
"Come on," I roll my eyes. "Even you can't be that out of the loop."
He raises an eyebrow.
"You or your people sent an agreement to everyone I know. Everyone. Travis didn’t even know about us. I don't talk to him anymore, and now it’s a thing. In doing that you made it a thing!"
"I... I had no idea."
"Well maybe that’s part of the problem," I'm getting angry. "He was made aware of our friendship. Friendship, Asher. Which he rightfully called bullshit on. I met him for coffee to try to fix things and he had a photographer there. Now he's planning on doing something."
"I- I had no idea."
"Yeah, he's an ass! He always got in these moods. He has an even worse ego than you!"
He shoots me a look.
"So that’s why you signed the NDA."
"I was trying to fix it. I thought if I did it would help, but I'm clueless on the inner workings of lying so-"
"Why didn’t you just tell me?"
I shrug. "I thought like everything else you already knew and-"
"Elle, you have to be honest."
"You want to talk about honesty?"
"You can’t seriously be mad at me for this. I didn’t do anything!"
"That’s just it, Asher, you did nothing!"
"I'm being pulled in fifty million directions here, Elle. I'm just trying to make it work for everyone involved."
"I'm not a business transaction that you need to negotiate, nor is it okay for you or your people to go behind my back. There should be two people involved, Asher. Just two. Me and you."
He looks like he’s going to say something but stops. Then he lets out a long sigh. "I'll call Mona. It'll be fine. They’ll pay him off before he can do anything... and this inscription thing can be spun."
I start shaking my head, my voice low. "Why can't you just say you got it for your girlfriend?"
"You know I can't do that."
"What's wrong with me?"
"What?"
"What's wrong with me that everyone has to work so hard to make sure I stay in the shadows?"
"Nothing," he implores. "It's not about that. It's about keeping my private life private."
"At what cost?"
"At the cost of my career. My music. And you."
"So you're okay with lying to your fans? The people that support you?"
"My team supports me so I can create art."
"Right," I swallow.
His phone rings. "I should probably take this."
I slowly nod as he takes out a card. "Mona was talking about England. I got you a ticket to spend Christmas through New Years with Mum and I. Offer still stands if you want." He answers his phone and leaves the room.