Page 79 of Claim to Fame

Not just affection.

No, affection was too mild of a word. But it was too soon for the alternative. Wasn’t it?

“Ethan.” He blinked back to the present moment at the sound of his name on her lips. “Are you ready?”

“I am.”

Hannah filled the brief minutes of the car ride to the theater with chatter about the people he’d meet at the premiere, which reporters were friendly and which ones were always hunting for a scandal, and he did his best to listen. But all he could think about was the overfull balloon feeling, the pressure against his sternum as the words he was holding back pressed forward, threatening to crack apart his ribs.

Tomorrow. You’ll tell her tomorrow.

This was her night, after all. She deserved to revel in her achievement, to be showered with the adoration she’d worked so hard for.

The car slowed and came to a stop and, even through the tinted windows, the flash of cameras pulled Ethan from his thoughts. Hannah took his hand in hers. “Stay close, okay?”

“Always.”

Then the door was open, and a harried-looking man stuck his head inside. “You two ready?”

“Ethan, this is Micah, my manager,” Hannah said. “Micah, this is—”

“Ethan, you’ll go first. Then help Hannah out and she’ll take the lead.” He turned back to Hannah. “Jackson is two cars behind you. We’ll do a reunion photo on the carpet, then head inside. Watch out for Johnny Blue on the left. He’s hunting for a scandal.”

Hannah rolled her eyes. “What else is new?”

“You remember what to say?”

“I’m so excited for everyone to finally see our little show on the big screen,” she recited.

Micah nodded, then stood back. “It’s go time.”

Ethan squeezed Hannah’s hand one more time, before exiting the car. He was immediately blinded by the flashes. It was disorienting, like stepping outside on a sunny day after having your eyes dilated, and combined with the noise of the city streets and the shouts of the assembled press, he wanted to retreat back into the car as quickly as he’d exited. But he was there to support Hannah, and he’d be damned if he let her down.

He turned his back on the press and focused on Hannah. She took the hand he offered her and climbed out of the car. As he helped her to her feet, the noise around them swelled, people shouting her name from every direction. He felt dizzy. Trapped. His heart raced as the faces in front of him blurred together and his first few steps were stilted, unnatural.

“Stay close,” she whispered through a smile.

He nodded, swallowing hard. So long as he remained focused on her, he hoped the rest of it would fade away. It was only a few yards to the door. He could make it a few yards.

He dropped his hand to the small of her back and let her lead the way, pausing when she paused, his eyes focused solely on her. She was a revelation, sparkling and effervescent as she turned for the cameras, charming and so at ease while inside he was barely holding it together.

“Hannah Banana!”

Ethan barely saw the man moving before he had barreled into Hannah, wrapping her up in a hug that lifted her off her feet.

“Jackson! Put me down!” she laughed.

He set her down, beaming, and held out a hand to Ethan. “Nice to meet you.”

Flashes burst in a flurry around them as Ethan accepted the handshake, wincing with each new burst of light aimed in their direction. Hannah wrapped her hands around Ethan’s arm, grounding him. “Jackson Hayes, this is Ethan Hart. Ethan, this is Jackson.”

Ethan tried to remember that Jackson wasn’t actually Hannah’s ex, just her friend, but when Jackson turned his stupid-wide, gleaming white grin in her direction, it was hard for Ethan not to imagine punching him in his chiseled jaw.

“Babe!” Jackson called, waving to a statuesque blonde woman who was still posing by the car. “Come meet Hannah!”

The woman took her time making her way to them, or maybe the floor length red dress she wore was too fitted through her legs for her to take larger steps. Either way, the cameras ate up every moment of her walk down the carpet. Hannah’s smile turned wooden as she watched the willowy blonde approach.

Jackson slung an arm over the woman’s shoulder. “Yvette, meet Hannah Banana. Oh, and her date, Ethan. This is Yvette.”

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