Page 104 of The Road Less Traveled By

I sigh heavily before I put my sunglasses on, Vince’s eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror. I see Emerson and Chris get out from the car behind us, trying their best to clear a path.

Vince moves to get out of the car, but I practically jump through the middle console to grab his arm. “Wait.”

“Are you okay?”

His eyes dart all over my features as I answer. “You’ll be okay in front of me, right?” I ask, and his eyes soften immediately.

“Bree, I’m fine. I recovered, and this isn't as crazy as last time. I’ll be in front of you the entire time, and I’m not going anywhere.” His hand reaches for my face, and I lean into his soft touch, the world around me ceasing to exist when we’re together. Thank God for tinted windows.

“I don’t want you getting hurt because of me again.”

“I’d put myself in the line of fire a million times over if it meant you were safe,” he whispers, his lips dangerously close to mine.

“Don't say that, Vince.”

“I meant every word, angel. Every day, I wake up in your arms thankful that it was me he hit, not you. Now, let's end this fake dating contract so we can go back home and I can soothe all your worries.” Vince taps my nose and exits the car.

I lean back in my seat, take a deep breath, and when my door opens seconds later, I grab Vince’s hand. The two of us rush inside the small shop, effectively avoiding all the cameras.

“Good?” he asks me when we get inside.

I do a quick sweep of the place and spot Alex in the back, not looking in our direction. “I’m good.”

My sandals glide against the floor, and when I sit down across from Alex, his mask slips back up, and his fake smile takes a seat at the table. “How lovely it is to see you again, Bree. You’re looking like an angel today.”

“You can’t call me that,” I tell him, his face twisted in confusion. “That nickname belongs to someone else.”

“My apologies.”

The two of us sit in silence for a few minutes as we drink our coffees. Alex bought me one before I got here, and he got my order right, which surprised me when I took my first sip.

“Can I ask you something?” I say, slicing through the silence that engulfs us.

“Go for it,” he agrees, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Why do you hide who you are from the world? Why do you act like an asshole in public when I saw a glimpse of the real you in that bookstore months ago? That version of you was much more…real, and I liked your company that day. It was different.”

“How do you know that was the real me? Maybe that was another persona I put on that the media seems to love.”

I sigh heavily before I answer. “Because I’ve done the same thing. I’ve worn the same mask, faked the same smiles when cameras were around, and I eventually got sick of it. It’s hard adjusting yourself to different situations, so why do you do it?”

He takes a moment to think about his answer, and before I think he’s going to give me some fake answer, the mask drops. “It’s easier. Hollywood assumed I was this young asshole, so instead of fighting it, I embraced it. You have to be tough, and a bit of an asshole, to show people you have what it takes.” He runs a hand through his hair. “If people assume I’m some playboy, when I actually do it, nobody’s surprised. It’s a good way to keep my name in the headlines, but I guess too much of it won’t help me get cast in things if all directors see when they look at me as a womanizer. That’s where you came in.”

“And Lily? Where does she fit into all this?” I ask, wanting to know the truth I’ve suspected the entire time.

“We’re…complicated. The two of us never seem to fit. Every time it was going well, one of us would mess it up. I’d compare us to two perpendicular lines. We’ve crossed paths, but then we keep going without one another since it never seems to work out how we want it to.”

Wow, that was incredibly poetic and not at all what I was expecting. “Do you want to know what I think?”

“It can’t hurt, right? Hit me with your best shot, Bree.” He smiles sadly.

“I think you’re so afraid of messing up the long-term you both seem to want that you run away before anything bad can happen. You keepyourself at an arm's length to protect your heart, but one of these times, you’ll realize that the possibility of getting your heart broken is worth it in the end.”

“And why will it be worth it?” he asks, his eyes lifting to meet mine.

I turn my head to where Vince stands against the wall, locking eyes with him as I speak. “Because feeling true love is the best feeling in the world.” I turn my head to Alex again. “And I’m a person who would rather experience it all with the possibility it ends poorly rather than lock myself away and never feel it at all.”

I used to be a girl who thought she was never destined for love. It felt easier to lock myself away and fall into romance novels where the couples live happily ever after.

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