Page 25 of Pretty Wild

He glances down, the hint of a smile toying with his lips as he looks at the spot where my finger jabs into him. “Proceed,” he encourages, his eyes glinting with mischief.

Clearing my throat, I rip my finger off his body and continue. “My name is Ryan.”

Barely finishing my sentence, he asks, “So who is Jade?”

Getting frustrated, I reply, “Me.”

He closes his eyes for a moment and exhales. “Okay, you can see where I might be a little confused here, right?”

I let out a growl in frustration. “You are maddening. Let me finish!”

Propping his hands on his hips, he stands there casually, waiting.

Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes for a second to calm my heartbeat and say, “My nameisRyan, but my middle name is Jade. I use it when I want to…blend in.”

His eyes fill with questions, but he doesn’t interrupt.

“Do you know who Douglas Marcotte is?” I finally ask.

Marcus slowly shakes his head no. “Should I?”

“He’s a movie producer in Los Angeles.”

He shrugs his shoulders, as if the name still means nothing.

“Just,” I start, realizing this isn’t going as well as I thought it would, “trust me. He’s a big deal, and…he’s my dad.”

“Okay,” he says, still not quite understanding.

“My dad is a major name in Hollywood, and my mom is Jade Holmes, the former Miss California, Miss USA, Miss Universe, model, and the face of Feeding Young America, a charity that helps children who face food insecurity. They’re pretty much a big deal where I’m from, and because of that, I’m incredibly recognizable.”

I leave out the part about my reality show, including the eruption that took place on national television less than a week ago.

None of this seems to ring any bells with him, which is so wild to me, because last I saw, my life was still trending. But then again, this is why I picked Nowhere, Wisconsin. I’m able to blend in easier and hide away in my little cabin.

“Listen, all I’m saying is people know me, and at times, I like to have some anonymity. In order to do that, I go by my middle name. I used it yesterday at the diner when I met Ellie, but the moment Hallie spotted me, the jig was up. She recognized me from my show, but they were so cool about it. They promised to keep my identity to themselves. That’s why they called me Jade.”

Those rich, hazel eyes bore into my soul. After a few second, he asks, “Show? What show?”

I kick at a rock on the porch in front of me. “I have my own reality show.”

To that, he rolls his eyes. “Of course you do.”

Instantly, my nerves are heckled. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing, Princess,” he replies with a cheesy grin.

I huff out a sharp breath and shake my head. “You’re unbelievable. Are you always this big of a jerk? I’m a little surprised you have friends,” I tell him.

He just lifts his shoulders. “You seem to bring out the best in me.”

“Why are you even mad? Who cares if I gave you a different name than I gave someone else?”

“I’m not mad,” he insists.

“Clearly,” I sass. “You just left because it was time to head home and give your dog a bath, right? It had nothing to do with finding out your friends were calling me by a different name. Well, buster, I hate to tell you this, but your face gave you away. I could tell you were pissed, but since you didn’t hang around long enough for me to explain, you’re hearing it now. So, quit being a jackass.”

A single eyebrow shoots toward the heavens. “A jackass?” The corner of his mouth curls up.

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