Chapter 75

* Elena *

This impromptu date night idea turned out to be easier said than done; I soon found out. I thought I was ready, and I still am to some extent, but I’d underestimated the amount of attention our outing would garner. Since it was already so late at night, I foolishly thought that no one would be around, but I’d forgotten about the staff at the restaurant.

Since I’d been coming here for a while now, ever since I started shooting my series in the city, and no one had ever bothered me, and neither was there ever a write-up about my visits to this place, I thought things would remain the same. That’s one of the reasons I’d grown so fond of the place, that and the fact that the food was nothing to sneeze at, and it was one of the only places open so late at night.

But I guess it was too much to ask for them to overlook the shock of seeing Ryder and me together after everything that had been going on in the press lately. It would’ve been hard to miss the looks of surprise and the questioning looks thrown our way from everyone, diners and staff alike, as the hostess showed us to our table.

Ryder was being very protective, almost shielding me with his body as we were led to our table, and I know he was remembering how fragile I once was and how much I hated the attention we used to get wherever we went. But though I could do without the attention and just wanted to enjoy a nice evening with my guy, I was feeling anything but docile.

I knew when I made the decision to post that picture that something like this might happen, but I’d underestimated the haste in which it would occur. I thought it would be the next day, at least before the news broke of us being out and about in the city together, but no sooner had we been seated than my phone started going off, and within ten minutes, paparazzi were lined off on the sidewalk outside the establishment.

“Do you want to leave?” Ryder reached across the table to take my hand.

“No, it’s best if we just rip the Band-Aid off. They’re bound to find out sooner or later since there’s already so much speculation in the gossip columns. I just didn’t expect this so soon.”

There had been a lot of speculation in the beginning from some quarters as to whether or not the image had been photoshopped or whether my account had been hacked, but that soon ended when he posted his own picture. There were a lot of people rooting for us, but there were also those who were against us getting back together for one reason or another.

Now I was wondering if I’d been too hasty in releasing that photo. At the moment I made the decision to upload it, I had all but forgotten the mess that had been the last five years. All the lies and manipulations that had been played out in the press.

I’d been excited about our new beginning and had overlooked everything else that was bound to follow a move like this. For once, I wanted our relationship to be about just us, with no outside interference and no judgment from people we didn’t even know.

“If you change your mind, let me know.” He squeezed my hand, and we both looked at the menu, pretending not to be bothered by all the hoopla going on outside the plate glass window. I actually felt worst for the other diners than I did myself because these poor people hadn’t been expecting to have their meal interrupted by flashing camera lights from outside.

I’d been emboldened by the positive response to the picture I’d posted earlier, but I’d almost forgotten how invasive things could be when you put yourself out there like that. I’d also forgotten in my excitement how easily and quickly the adoring public can turn against you for the slightest thing; now I was almost wishing I hadn’t shared and had just enjoyed each other for the time being until our reunion became known some other way.

I’d been single for the entirety of his marriage, choosing to throw myself into my career, and though there had been coverage here and there in that time, there was never anything very exciting to print about my personal life except for my stints in the hospital which I now know had been leaked by Rachel.

I’d grown used to not being hounded by paparazzi since my life had become so boring in those years and had somehow gotten myself into a false sense of security, but all it had taken was one picture, no make that two, to get the ball rolling again and I was back in the center of the storm.

I felt almost like a novice because I hadn’t cleared things with my PR team before jumping in feet first, but wasn’t that the whole point? Hadn’t I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to do things the same way this time around? Besides, I had nothing to be ashamed of and no reason to hide the fact that we were a couple again.

The longer I sat there under the scope and lens of the paps outside the window; the more resolved I was to do things my way this time. “Does it bother you?” I asked Ryder, who was busy buttering a slice of warm bread that the server had placed on the table.

“What?” I blushed pink when he placed the bread on my plate before taking a piece for himself. Not gonna lie; the old Ryder wasn’t as attentive. Though he had his good points, he’d been more into big gestures, while for me, it was the little things that counted most. “Elena, what is it that you think is bothering me?”

“The cameras outside. I didn’t take your wants into consideration when I suggested coming here. Maybe you’re not ready….”

“Are you kidding me? I’m more than ready for this. In fact, I think it was the perfect idea. It kills a lot of birds with one stone. Most importantly, we don’t have to make some sort of public announcement; it’s out there for everyone to see; let them draw their own conclusions if they want.”

“What about your team? They might not be too happy.”

“I don’t have a team any longer. Didn’t you say one of the conditions of you taking me back was that I had to drop everyone from before?”

“I was talking about Scott, Matt, and Mary, not your whole PR team and personal assistants.”

“I thought about it, and that’s what’s best. If any of those people had my best interest at heart, none of what went down the last five years would’ve happened. It’s best to have a whole new start, don’t you think?”

“I guess, but...”

“No buts, baby. This time around, I want people around me who are just as invested in my personal well-being as they are in my professional life. I don’t ever want to fall into the same trap again. No need to worry, though. I think the Saunders group is working on something.”

“Really? That’s awesome; his wife is a very nice lady. She’s nothing at all like you’d expect.”

“Oh, right, I forgot you two met.”

“Yes, she wants me to join her charity organization when filming is done. I already looked over the proposal, and I can’t wait to get started.”

“Yeah, that whole family seems nice and down to earth. I wouldn’t mind spoiling you the way her husband spoils her.”

“That’s so sweet; you can get started anytime you’re ready.” I all but forgot the room full of diners and the flashing cameras outside as his words and my handheld in his filled me with a warmth I’d been missing for way too long.

“Would you really let me spoil you this time without any complaints?” His saying that reminded me of the past when I felt awkward having him spend too much money on me because I had my own. I didn’t realize at the time that that was his way of showing his affection and not because of some guilt he felt for one of his screwups, and so I’d refused anything I thought was too extravagant.

Now I know that he genuinely wanted me to have those things, and it didn’t make me look like a gold digger to accept. It was also Rachel who’d made me start seeing this in that light and had made me very self-conscious about accepting too much from him. She’d made it seem like I was sending the wrong message to the young fans who followed my every word and action, something she knew would get to me.

I didn’t want those young girls and boys thinking that it was okay for your partner to mistreat you and then wash it all away with an expensive gift, so I’d started to see things her way and had gone along with her suggestion that I refuse some of his more extravagant offerings.

Now I know that she’d been jealous of me and was using that as an excuse all along. I can’t blame it all on her, though, because I was the one that had been so gullibly stupid.

I had come to realize that I had let too much outside influence dictate our relationship in the past. I’d been so busy worrying about how the world saw me that I’d neglected my own wants and the things I needed from a healthy relationship.

Not that I’m excusing his actions, but now I can see and accept my faults as well. We’d both let others have too much say in our personal matters, and that had led to too many misunderstandings, something I meant to avoid at any cost this time.

We weren’t the same teenagers we had been when we first got together, we were no longer the two innocents who had found each other in the midst of stardom hell, and we certainly no longer needed anyone, friend, family, or foe, to tell us how to live our lives. As if he’d read my mind, his next words touched on the same subject.

“I plan to call your mom and Sydney tomorrow. After this, I don’t think it would be wise to put it off much longer. I don’t want them to get mad at you on my behalf.

“I appreciate that, but I want you to know that the only thing I want you to apologize to Sydney for is the thing that happened between her and Scott. You said it was Janie behind those posts, so you just need to make that clear.”

“Since you didn’t do anything wrong, you shouldn’t be held responsible. As for our relationship, you don’t need to apologize to anyone for that. That’s between you and me. I forgive you, and that’s all that matters. By now, they’ve both seen and heard the truth about your marriage, so the only thing they can have against you is the way you treated me when we were together, and for that, I’m the only one who you need to apologize to, and you’ve done that.”

“I hear what you’re saying, and I appreciate the sentiment, but I kinda see it differently. They love you. If it was anyone else but those two, I might let it slide, but if I don’t make things right with them, it can make things difficult for you. I don’t want any blemishes on our new start, and since I was the one to screw up in the past, I should be the one to make it right.”

“True, but I don’t want you to think that you have to prove anything to anyone. You’ve done more than enough for me to give you another chance. That should be enough.” I think I was a bit worried about how things would go if he approached those two.

When I told him before that he needed to apologize, my head wasn’t in the right place exactly. But the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that those two would put him through the wringer, even if he does apologize. Sydney, especially, is not going to let him off the hook that easily, and quite frankly, I don’t want anything to mar the happiness I feel now.

But maybe he’s right. Maybe clearing the air would eliminate a lot of hard feelings, and I plan on going above and beyond to prove to both Sydney and Mom that I knew what I was doing and was more than happy to do it. I just hope they give him enough time to prove himself.

***

* Ryder *

I didn’t let on, but I was kind of pleased with the free publicity. I’d been racking my brain trying to come up with the right way to let the public and our fans know that we were back together. Sure, by now, everyone knew the truth behind my sham of a marriage, but I hadn’t given any interviews, hadn’t set the record straight with my own mouth, so there was still room for a lot of speculation, and the court of public opinion could go either way.

This time around, I knew what not to do, so that was something, I guess. And since I didn’t have those liars around me to cloud my judgment, all I saw was her and I and what I wanted us to be. As far as I was concerned, the vultures outside the window were doing us a great service, so why not use it to our advantage?

I knew they wouldn’t miss a thing, not the fact that I had taken her hand again after buttering our bread, and not the way I was looking at her in the dim light of the restaurant. Anyone who cared to look wouldn’t easily miss the love and admiration I had for her, and that’s exactly what I was banking on.

I don’t know when I picked up this vindictive streak, but somewhere between the time I first saw her post and now, I had made up my mind to be petty as shit. I plan to show all the people who have come between us that we are stronger and better than ever. Maybe that’s why I threw caution to the wind and leaned over to brush her lips softly with mine.

The flashes went crazy then, and there were even a few whispers from the other diners, some of who used that opportunity to take some pictures of their own. Good, by tomorrow, the Internet will be buzzing about us. I wasn’t even worried about Janie’s impending arrival any longer. Nothing was going to put a damper on our reunion; I won’t let it. And since I was here, I was going to make sure that Janie didn’t get within ten feet of her, or I’d make her pay worse than she could imagine.