Page 14 of Beneath the Fame

Especially being paired with Alec, who had a behind-the-scenes reputation of being super respectful and professional. I’d talked through my concerns with Teagan, with Ellie, even with Charlotte, and together they helped me wrap my head around it.

Evenembraceit.

I wasn’t so sure now.

My stomach was screaming at me to eat something, so I dug around in the fridge a bit before settling for a premade salad. I sat at my kitchen counter with it, shoveling the subtly dressed vegetables and cheese in my mouth one bite after the other as I stared at a much more enticing option.

The bar.

I’d promised myself I’d stop drinking my feelings—pouring it up in social settings was a whole different thing than drinking alone to wallow in my emotions. Maybe if a glass of wine was the only thing on my mind, it would be fine.

But I was giving some strong consideration to leaving the damn salad on the counter and taking a bottle of bourbon to bed.

Why the hell not?

If there wereanyoccasion where it would be appropriate, certainly this was it?

I didn’t need much convincing.

I was already out of my seat, fork abandoned when my bell rang, pulling my attention in that direction as if I could actually see it from where I was.

“Give me a moment,” I said—to the bar cabinet—before turning to go in the other direction, to answer the door. “I’ll berightback.”

When I came to Vegas to film the show, I’d had the option of temporary housing—a cute little condo or something that I could easily leave behind once we were done. But I was a big believer in…not necessarily manifesting, but moving in a way that was purposeful.

Once this show was done…I wanted to work on another.

I wanted to write one.

I wanted a deal with WAWG studios.

And with them being stationed in Vegas, it made sense to make sure I had a space for myself that was always clean, comfortable, and accessible.

Andsafe.

So instead of a temporary solution, I’d made the choice to purchase my home, in a beautiful, gated neighborhood—the same neighborhood a lot of other Black celebs in Vegas had gravitated to.

I wasn’t expecting visitors—had actually made it clear to a couple people, including my PR team, that Ipreferredto be left alone right now.

But whoever was at my door must have some sort of clearance.

I played a little guessing game with myself as I headed in that direction, wondering who it might be. When I arrived at the door and could peek at the screen connected to the doorbell camera, my eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Thatwas not who I expected.

I blew out a heavy sigh, hesitating as the bell rang again. I was sorely tempted to pretend not to be home, already sensing this wasn’t about to be a quick visit.

Instead…I opened the door.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, planting myself in the door frame, andnotpulling it all the way open.

Alec’s lips parted in surprise—likely because of my tone—but he recovered quickly. “I…was worried about you, after you didn’t show up today,” he explained. “I sent a text, but you didn’t reply.”

“So you thought…I wanted you to show up unannounced?”

“It sounds bad when you say it like that.”

“How would you say it?”

---