taking photos or all the other people from shooting videos.
The valets sprang into action and assisted in keeping the crowd at bay and helped us to get over to our waiting SUV.
Once we were safely inside, Shelby let out a loud breath. “That was insane! I thought they were going to crush us.”
But Noah only had eyes for me. “Reina’s right. It’s time for me to get a bodyguard. The idea that someone might have hurt you . . .” His voice trailed off, and he kissed me as if to reassure himself that I was okay.
Meanwhile, he was the one I was worried about. We’d been happy in our little bubble for so long, behaving like normal people, that I’d forgotten myself. I’d forgotten who he was and how those pictures were probably going to end up on the ENZ website and in my favorite magazines with everybody wondering who I was.
But the thing that concerned me most was how he could have gotten hurt. I’d already seen a fan physically attack him in the name of adoration—what if the next one had a knife? Or a gun? “I definitely think you should look into getting more security,” I said.
Shelby added, “We can get somebody out to your house to install a state-of-the-art home system, too.”
As we drove to the airport, Noah’s arm around me and holding me tightly against him, I wondered if I could always live like this. Zoe Covington was doing it, but even she’d admitted it was hard.
I squeezed his hand. I could do it for him. I could find a way to cope with all of this craziness, if that’s what it took.
Problem was, I didn’t think I was going to get that chance. Not once I told him everything.
So I did what I’d been doing—I didn’t say anything. It was so much easier to pretend I didn’t have this secret looming over our heads and to just continue life like normal. Gladys came back and paid me the rest of my fee, and I realized that I was going to really miss Sunshine. I asked if I could come by and visit sometime, and she replied by shutting the door in my face.
I was also going to miss being so close to Noah. But me moving back to my now-empty apartment didn’t change much. Either I went to his place or he came to see me every night. Then about a week after Las Vegas, he asked me if I had plans.
“Depends. There’s this movie star I hang out with, and he might want to do something.”
“Forget that guy,” he said. “There’s this film festival I have to go to. I’m getting an award for Best Actor for The Last Goodbye. You should come hang out with me instead.”
“I could do that.”
“There’s going to be press. And fans,” he warned me.
“I’ve already been through all that with you before. I can handle it. You don’t have to worry about me. I’d enjoy seeing you win an award.”
He told me it was casual; he was going to wear just jeans and a T-shirt. I got a little more dressed up by putting on one of my nicer button-up shirts and my fanciest pair of jeans. The ones I only broke out for special occasions. Just in case I was photographed again.
The night of the festival, he came to pick me up, and when we arrived at the event, the car had to go through several checkpoints, as the streets had been closed down, just like they’d been at the Oscars.
He explained, “This film festival is tied into a street carnival that the city throws. Traffic will be insane afterward, so I rented a hotel room across the street so we can wait it out.”
I could see for myself why such a thing would be necessary. There were people everywhere; the car was moving along at a snail’s pace.
We finally made it to the theater where the awards were being given out. I saw a glimpse of his costar, Rubie Jorgenson, talking to a reporter. Reina and Morgan met us at the car. Reina was going to take Noah around to the fans and journalists, and Morgan was there to babysit me again and do whatever Reina needed.
Noah kissed me, promising to see me soon, and I could tell the exact moment when everybody realized that he was the one getting out of the SUV because of the explosion of lights and people screaming his