Page 24 of Affinity

It took almost five minutes to make our way out of the parking lot with all the paps not getting out of our way. I couldn’t remember it ever being that bad, and I hoped they weren’t going to continue their intrusion into our lives.

“Is it always going to be like that?” She looked so small as her body shrank down into the seat as if she could hide away from life.

“It’s never been like it was today. If I had known, I would have demanded we make an online order. If it continues, we’ll get security. You didn’t ask to be put in a situation like that one.”

She straightened up in her seat, and I could see her staring at me out of the corner of my eye. “Neither did you.”

I didn’t, but growing up as a child actor, I was used to having no anonymity. Luckily, the days of my father constantly putting me in the spotlight were over.

As we pulled up to the gate of my—our neighborhood, I spotted more paps and watched as Abbi drew back into herself.

“Are you okay?”

“If I say no, will it make any difference?” she asked shakily.

A bitter chuckle escaped me. “I may be an asshole, but I’m not that much of an asshole. If you don’t feel safe, I’ll do anything in my power. You only have to say so.”

After pulling into the garage, I helped Abbi out of the car. Her legs were still shaky as I guided her into the living room and sat her down.

“I’m going to grab the groceries. Take all the time you need to get your bearings,” I called over my shoulder.

“Reeves,” she called out.

“Yeah?” I turned around.

“Thank you for caring. I don’t know if it’s an act or real, but for what it’s worth, I appreciate it.”

She appreciated my fake caring?

I couldn’t get her words out of my head as I made trip after trip from the garage to the kitchen. I hadn’t realized her opinion of me was so low. Did the rest of the world think the same thing? Could I ever redeem myself in the eyes of the world or the woman in my living room?

On my last trip, I found Abbi in the kitchen, putting away the groceries, humming to herself. I watched as her ass swayed back and forth before I put the last of the bags down on the counter and stepped away. I needed to retreat into my lair (what I now called my bedroom since my house wasn’t my own anymore).

“Hey.” Abbi’s hand landed on the back of my arm. “Are you okay?” I didn’t like the concern I heard in her voice. Maybe it was fake? Maybe she was fake, and that’s why she thought I’d been acting.

Without turning to look at her, I answered. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Her hand slipped away. “I just thought . . . I don’t know. I’ll put these away. It will be kind of fun to make my own system.”

“Have fun. I’ll be in my room or outside if you need me. I need to learn my lines.” I already had them memorized, but I hated how much it unnerved me to see her in my kitchen, making it her own.

Instead of grabbing my script, I picked up the latest Stephen King novel and headed to the back of the property to get lost in my book. I hoped being outside would give me a little clarity into my new situation. I loved looking out onto the city, especially at night when all the lights were shining. It reminded me of how small I was in this big world.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get into my book, which was abnormal for me. My mind kept going back to the grocery store, Poppy, and Abbi. To get it all out of my head, I decided to hit the pool to do some laps.

Stripping out of my clothes, I dove in and let the water slide over me. I focused on breathing and the glide of my body through the water, only thinking of my movements and breathing until I couldn’t go any further. I came up at the end of the pool with my arms resting on the warm concrete facing the house and laid my head on them as I caught my breath.

Taking a few deep breaths, I opened my eyes to find Abbi lounging out on a chair, watching me with heated eyes. Maybe diving in without putting on a pair of trunks wasn’t the wisest decision. It was going to take some time for me to get used to not having the house all to myself and being able to walk around without any clothes on if I wanted to. I was lucky there was no way for anyone to take pictures in my backyard, or I would have been in the tabloids weekly, showing all my goods for the world to see.

“Is that something you normally do?” She sat forward as if she was waiting with bated breath for my answer.

“When I can’t clear my head, it does the job.”

Abbi stared at me as if she had x-ray vision and could see my junk through the concrete. “I’m sorry to intrude. I only came out here to ask you what you wanted for dinner.”

“How long will those avocados last?”

“A few days. They were still a little hard. Why?” She cocked her head.

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