Page 51 of She's the Star

“No,” he practically shouts. “I saw that look you just gave each other. You’re going to marry him, aren’t you? You’re going to marry the nanny and live happily ever after.”

“What?” Why on earth does he think we’re getting married? As far as he knows, we just started dating.

“You’re going to be married and I’m going to be alone,” he wails.

“Teddy,” I say sharply. “Stop. Nolan and I are not getting married, and even if we did what happens between me and Nolan isn’t any of your business. You might be Maddy’s father, but that doesn’t give you a say in my love life.”

“I know.” He bangs his head lightly against the couch a couple of times before abruptly sitting up and pulling on the ends of his hair. “I know,” he repeats, louder this time. “I thought I had a chance…but now that I know you’re in love with someone else, I’m frustrated and I can’t get over it.”

I want to groan because I’ve been telling him he doesn’t have a chance for over a year and having a fake boyfriend was supposed to make this easier, not harder. “We’ve already talked about this.” I try to say it gently, but I’m pretty sure my annoyance bleeds through.

His face crumples and he slowly pushes himself to his feet. “I hope you’re very happy together,” he says. Then he stumbles toward the door, flings it open, and exits without another word.

A couple of seconds later one of my security guys peeks his head around the doorframe. “Is everything okay? Do you want me to shut the door?”

“Yes. And can you make sure Teddy gets…wherever he needs to go?” He starts to pull the door closed and I toss out a quick, “Thank you.”

A frown settles on my face as my brain keeps snagging on the fact that Teddy was genuinely upset. I’ve never seen him like that, and it worries me. There is no telling what he might do next.

Nolan glances around as he reenters the room with Maddy on his hip. “Did he leave already?”

I nod.

“Was he drunk?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. He doesn’t usually drink very much, but he was agitated and angry.” It’s my fault and even though he isn’t my responsibility, I can’t help feeling guilty. I lied to him, and to make things even worse, it doesn’t feel like as much of a lie as it did. I like Nolan and I enjoy his company.

Nolan absently brushes the hair off Maddy’s forehead. “Are you worried about Teddy?” he asks. “Is there someone you can call? Does he have a manager or…uh…a handler?”

“He does. You’re right. I am worried and I should make sure he’s okay.”

Maybe that’ll ease my guilt.

I call Brian first, and then talk to Teddy’s manager. Neither of them make the unsettled feeling dissipate, but I’m not sure what else to do. I couldn’t control Teddy even when we were dating.

TWENTY

NOLAN

Amber doesn’t have a show tonight, so after Teddy leaves, we order lunch and then she has a short meeting with Brian and a couple guys in suits. When they’re done, we spend the afternoon on the terrace which boasts a private pool and a couple of gigantic overhead fans that keep the air moving but don’t do much to keep us cool.

By midafternoon, it’s so hot that Mina gets in the pool and doesn’t get out. She keeps her phone within reach and tucked safely in a towel, checking it periodically. Brian comes and goes and the third time he joins us outside, he sits down in the shade to talk to Amber and takes off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves.

It’s difficult to keep myself from staring at Amber on a regular day. But the white bikini she’s wearing makes it a million times harder. I lose my train of thought more than once, and when I go inside to refill our water bottles I almost walk right into the glass door.

By the time dinner rolls around, we’re all sticky, sweaty messes.

Mina orders food and then goes to her room to grab a shower. Brian leaves to get ready for an event he’s attending that evening and after I grab a quick shower, I take Maddy so Amber can do the same.

When Mina returns, Maddy is rummaging in a bag of toys, taking out one at a time and setting them behind her, and I’m sprawled on the floor nearby.

“The food will be here in ten,” she says. Her cheeks, forehead, and nose are an angry red.

“Yikes. You got too much sun. Do you need aloe?”

I start to get up, but she waves me off. “I already put on lotion, and it’ll turn into a tan by morning.”

“Are you sure?” I’ve seen sunburn before, and that isn’t going away without taking a layer or two of skin with it.

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