Page 55 of Paparazzi Perfect
“No, Karson, this is too much.” She put the money down, pushing it my way.
I took her hands in mine and squeezed gently. “It’s not too much. I don’t want you to worry about money. I’m selling the boat, but obviously he can’t find out, so it might take a while. I don’t know when I’ll see you again, but at least now we can talk.”
“I’ll keep the money here for both of us, in case we need it later. And Karson, thank you.” She circled her arms around me. “I’m so glad you came. I’m going to miss you. And I can’t believe I’m saying this… leave!”
The golden flicker of the candle lit up the darkness, casting a magical glow over the contours of her waist and her gentle curves.
Her gaze fixed on me as I pulled on my clothes.
“You’re making itimpossibleto leave, you know that, right?” I smiled, pulling on my runners.
She blew me a kiss as I backed away through the doorway and into the shadows of the night.
14
THE CONTRACT
DIARY ENTRY
So much has happened lately that I’ve decided to keep a journal.
Where do I start? I met a guy. Then lost him. And now, I’ve got him back… sort of.
His crazy-ass father is keeping us apart with threats and manipulation.
Karson’s amazing, but I don’t even know when I’ll see him again. I miss him. But that doesn’t matter because Dad’s life depends on us staying apart.
His father’s a ruthless bastard and will stop at nothing.
It’s kinda hard to stay positive with all this going on… and my contract starts today! Honestly, I just want this nightmare to be over. Then we could go back to how we were before his father went completely unhinged. But we need to wait. I know we can get through this.
Time to get ready!!
Ivy x
IVY
I was happy when I’d woken up that morning, not just because of my contract either. I’d video called with Dad the night before. Sure, he didn’t say anything, but when the supportworker held the tablet up, he gave me a beautiful smile. It’d filled me with joy.
Seeing his old smile made me think it was a sign from the universe that he knew, somehow, that I was succeeding in my career and that I’d met someone special.
I stepped out of the shower, dried off, and rubbed in my moisturizer before slipping into my favorite white top and faded Levi’s shorts.
Attempting to stifle a yawn, I ran the comb through my hair. I’d gone to bed early to be at my best for the day, but I’d barely slept at all from excitement. As I smiled to myself in the mirror, a current of energy rushed through me.
I can’t believe it’s happening!
Even though the situation with Karlos was toxic, it wouldn’t sour it for me. “You’ve got this,” I said out loud as I walked into the kitchen. I pulled up a stool as the smell of something delicious wafted my way.
“Hey, Ivy,” Suki and Sass said together. “You’re just in time. Lila’s making banana pancakes. How do you make them again, Sass?”
“Two ingredients. Banana and oats. Well, three if you count the water,” she said, leaning against the countertop with her arms folded. “Mix it together and throw it into a pan. That’s my kind of cooking.” We all chuckled.
“Thanks, Lila, they smell incredible!” I smiled, admiring her new light buzz cut.
“Pleasure. We wanted to do a fun breakfast to celebrate before your big shoot today.” She flipped another pancake.
“Yeah, it’s brilliant. I’m excited for you, Ivy,” Suki added, pressing her hands together in a prayer motion and drawing them up to her face.
