22.Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Bonnie

Hank has been quiet all morning. Not that I blame him. It has only been fifteen hours since the Hot Scoop article dropped, but they have been the most stressful fifteen hours of my life. I didn’t sleep a minute, but neither did I turn my phone back on after plugging it in. I just sat wrapped in a blanket, trying my best to think of a way to fix everything. Trying to turn back time. Trying to understand why nothing good can ever last.

I only looked at my phone when the sun rose and I realized my friends were probably desperate to hear from me. I read the article, texted my friends to tell them I was fine and would see them in LA after I met with my publicist, and then I went back to wallowing.

Now Hank and I are sitting in a private sky lounge at LAX, waiting for Eli to secure a different way out of the airport because somehow everyone seems to have figured out that I’m here, and they all want a good look at the liar.

I’m amazed Hank still came with me. He has every reason to abandon me and go back to his quiet life, though I don’t think it will ever be the same as it was. When I told him that I could face Los Angeles on my own, after I realized he had already seen the article, he simply shook his head and led the way out to the car without giving a passing glance to the crowds gathered on either side of the hotel door.

He was silent during the flight, and he’s silent now, and the only indication I have of anything he might be feeling is the tremble in his hands that he can’t quite hide. He’s terrified, and I don’t think it’s all from the impending crowd outside.

I have no idea what Hot Scoop is going to say about Shelby, but with the hints they were throwing out, I can’t imagine it will be anything good. So help me, if they start blaming Hank for her murder, I don’t care what laws I have to break to take that website down for good. I would rather lose everything I’ve built than let Hank carry the weight of an accusation like that.

Eli comes back into the lounge, and based on his dejected expression, we’re going to have to walk through the mob to get to the car.

I let out a sigh. “This is your last chance, Hank. You can go back home and say goodbye to all of this. It’s okay. This was never part of the contract.”

Dropping his elbows to his knees, he huffs out a single laugh and rubs his eyes beneath his glasses. I don’t know how much sleep he got last night, but I’m guessing it wasn’t much.

“Seriously,” I say. “You can—”

“A sensationalized tabloid article doesn’t change how I feel about you, Bonnie.” He turns his head to look at me, his expression hard. “Do you really think so little of me?”

His question catches me off guard. “What? No, I think the world of you, which is why I don’t want to—”

“You think I could spend the last couple of weeks learning who you are and then turn around and pretend you aren’t someone worth knowing.” That wasn’t a question, and he clenches his jaw before he stands and tucks his messenger bag over his shoulder. He spent most of the four-hour flight writing in his notebook, and I can’t help but wonder how much of the next Gabrielle Frost book is in that bag. Or was he not working on the book at all?

He sighs, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. “I said this wasn’t going to be easy, and Hot Scoop is apparently going to make that statement truer than I’d like. But I’m tired of living in fear, and my feelings for you run deeper than a fake relationship that never felt fake to begin with. Do you believe me?” He holds out his hand, and though his fingers are still trembling, the determination in his eyes outweighs any fear he may be feeling.

I want to take his hand, I really do, but I can’t guarantee things are going to go in our favor. Fran wasn’t happy when I talked to her this morning, and I can only imagine the fury she’s going to be in when we get to her downtown office.

“Hank,” I say weakly, “what if—”

“Aren’t you tired of letting everyone else tell you how to live your life?” His eyebrows pull low as he studies me, but it’s the warmth in his brown eyes that pulls me in and brings my hand up to meet his.

Everything about him has always been so warm, and he’s right. This relationship hasn’t actually felt fake, even when I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t real. All of my relationships before were cool and calculated, everything planned and scripted. But Hank? Every moment with Hank has been nothing like I’ve ever felt before, like he is a sunny day and I’ve been in an air conditioned room for too long. I feel alive with Hank in a way I’ve never been.

As our hands entwine, his fingers are just as reassuring as his gaze, and I feel like I can breathe now that I know he won’t abandon me today. Eventually he’ll realize that being in my life is more trouble than it’s worth, maybe even later today when everything continues to crumble, but at least for now I can pretend he—

“Bonnie.” His voice comes out almost sharp, but it’s still gentle. He’s always gentle. “One day at a time.”

I nod. I can give him a day. I want to give him so much more, but experience has taught me not to hope for too much for myself. It’s easier to make sure everyone else is happy because my actions are the only thing I can control.

Though his expression is still hard, he pulls me close and gently touches a brief kiss to my lips. It’s as comforting as it is a reminder of what he told me yesterday, and I take courage in his unwavering strength. When I first met this man, I never would have guessed he could be this solid and sturdy, but Hank is likely the strongest man I know.

“This is going to be rough,” I warn him, holding him close enough that I can steal another bolstering kiss before we go face the masses.

He smiles, his hand tightening around mine. “I’ve been through worse.”

His next kiss is more like it was last night, enough to get lost in. While a lounge at the airport isn’t the most romantic of places, it’s so much better than walking through a crowd of angry used-to-be-fans.

“Can we just run away?” I ask against his mouth.

I feel his smile on my lips. “Trust me. It doesn’t make the problems go away.”

“I guess you would know.”

Chuckling, he takes a step back. “Are you ready? How do you want to handle the crowd?”

I stand up straight, calling on every ounce of confidence I have. “Together. This relationship isn’t fake, no matter what they all think. ”

“Do you want me to kiss you?”

Though I know he’s asking if we should kiss in front of our audience, I can’t help but tease him. “Hank, if you don’t know how to read the signs, especially after last night, I may need to set you up with another session with Clyde.”

He rolls his eyes, but then he leans in and captures my mouth, just as I wanted him to. His hands move to cradle my head, and I tug him as close as I can get him, determined to enjoy this as long as I can before everything falls apart.

Eli has to clear his throat to get our attention again, or we might have stayed here forever.

Hank takes hold of one of my hands again and smiles at me. “I’ll follow your lead, Bonnie.” He’s not trembling anymore, and I hope he stays that way. I hope we can get each other through whatever is waiting for us outside those doors.

The crowd bursts into a flurry of questions and comments as soon as we pass through the doors and into the California sunshine. Airport security is keeping them back, but the flashing cameras and shouted questions are still as overwhelming as ever. My instinct is to run away, as it always is, but I take a deep breath and don’t stop walking until one particular question stands out from the others.

“How is filming going for the Frost movie?”

Hank and I both turn toward the man who asked the question, our steps slowing in unison. Everyone else quiets down, though it won’t last for long.

Before I can come up with a diplomatic answer that won’t give anything away, Hank speaks first.

“No one could have been a better choice to play Gabrielle than Bonnie,” he says. He keeps his voice low, which forces everyone to remain quiet. I don’t know if he’s doing that on purpose or if he’s just nervous, but he seems to have taken command of the entire crowd, which isn’t easy to do. “I was worried that the adaptation would fall flat, but Bonnie has been crucial in bringing life to something so near to my heart.”

“Is that why you started up this fake relationship?” someone else asks. I don’t see who.

Hank must have seen because he narrows his eyes on someone in the crowd. “There was never anything fake about my feelings for Bonnie.”

Several people throw out questions at once, though they’re all along the same lines and all directed at me. Is any of this real? They all know I’m going to say yes, regardless of the truth, and that is what Fran would want me to say. In fact, Fran wouldn’t want me standing here talking to reporters at all. But even though my publicist has always been good for me, Hank is right. I’m tired of letting everyone else decide my life for me.

“It wasn’t real,” I say boldly. A hush runs through the crowd again, and I turn my gaze to Hank. He seems to be holding his breath, waiting to see what I’ll say. I smile. “Not at first, anyway. But as I’ve come to know Henry, I’ve started to realize there are more important things than public opinion.” Before I can say anything else, Hank uses a finger to turn my face toward his and catches my mouth with a soft kiss, one that I meet with the same enthusiasm I did in the lounge. The cameras start flashing like crazy, and while Hank isn’t quite as relaxed as he was before, he still matches me beat for beat.

A moment later, Eli ushers us into the waiting SUV and shuts the door behind us, closing off the frenetic energy of the crowd.

“I think I could get used to that if it always ends in a kiss,” Hank says. He’s shell-shocked, but one corner of his lips is pulled up in an amused smile.

I laugh and pull him toward me, determined to take advantage of this time alone while we’ve got it.