Page 215 of Just for the Cameras
“Okay.” He lets out another sigh. “Are you good?”
“I am.”
“You’re not going to hide anything from me? Your feelings or anything like that?”
“No,” I answer, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“Because we’re in this together. I don’t care what anyone else around us says. This is between you and me and no one else, got it?”
“Yes,” I answer.
“Good. Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye, beautiful.”
We both hang up as the tears I’ve been holding back fall down my cheeks.
God, what the hell is wrong with me?
I need help, and I need it quick. I shoot Everly an emergency text. If anyone can help me, it’s going to be her.
“Wow,” Everly says, shaking her head after I finish explaining how Gretchen came to the zoo yesterday and basically uprooted my entire life. “You know, I was kind of into the whole badass female PR person, but that was…that was uncalled for.”
“I know. She scares me, but also, I approve of the strength she has, something I’m jealous of at the moment.” I sip my coffee, grateful Everly could meet me at the zoo. We pulled up seats at the Lemur Café, grabbed some subpar coffee, and are sharing a muffin—one we are not licking from the center because I’m not sure anyone does that besides OC.
“You have strength,” Everly says. “Think about how you handled Graydon this entire time. Anyone weaker would have thrown in the towel, but you stood your ground and now look where you’re at. You have the strength. You’re just a little shaken right now. And rightfully so.” She leans in closer. “Here you are, having the time of your life, fucking a mammoth of a man in front of a mirror, and then bam, you’re signing a contract about your breakup. I mean, if it were me, I would be rocking back and forth in the corner asking for my mommy.”
I let out a snort. “Well, you’re not my mommy, but you were my first call, that’s for sure.”
She presses her hand to her chest. “I’m honored, but this means I need to give you much-needed advice, right?”
“Yeah, that would be the requirement of being my first call.”
“Well.” She places her hand on top of mine. “My advice to you is to block out the noise and enjoy that man’s penis.”
“Everly.” I let out a boisterous laugh as I look around.
She casually shrugs. “What? It’s the truth. That’s exactly what I would do. Who cares what Gretchen says? Who cares what his coach or his pill of a father says or the fans? You like him, right?”
“I do,” I answer. “A lot. No offense to Hardy, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt this enamored with a man before.”
She chuckles. “Hardy will be fine. Trust me.” She winks. “And if this man has captured you this much, then stop worrying about everything around you and start worrying about what kind of lingerie you plan on wearing for him tonight. Seriously, Maple, take it from someone who worried a lot when it came to pursuing a relationship—it’s a waste of time. Take what you want and enjoy it. Fuck everyone else around you.”
I nod. “It’s just…he’s so high-profile.”
“You knew that going into this, though.”
“I know, but feelings weren’t involved then.”
She nods. “Ah, I see. Well, if feelings are involved now, then all the more reason to tell everyone to fuck off and serve yourself. I think as women, specifically empathetic women, we tend to want to please everyone around us and make sure people approve of our decisions, but for what? To make others happy? Screw that. We need to start taking care of ourselves, start caring about what the reflection in the mirror wants, not everyone else.”
She’s right.
I’m always trying to please.
Always trying to be selfless, to be the good girl, the person whoappeases everyone else around her, because I don’t want to come off as a bitch or difficult. But why?
