Page 147 of Shy Girls Can't Date Celebrities
An ache sizzles behind my forehead, and I grit my teeth as I rub the tender area. Erika and her team have painted a bad picture of Mr. And Mrs. Hayes and how they’ve acted over the past few years. If it’s giving me a headache, I can’t imagine how much worse it is for Wyatt. Ugh. They’ve all got to stop fighting over him and just let him heal.
“Oh, they didn’t,” a despondent voice says behind me.
I turn around and find Portia standing there, staring at Wyatt and his mother with mournful eyes.
“It was the emancipation papers,” Portia says weakly. “I can’t believe they convinced him to sign them.”
“What are you...” I pause, taking a moment to really hear her. “What do you mean?”
“The team pushed for over a year to get him to sign.” Portia shakes her head. “He always said no. He didn’t want this.”
My hand rushes over the space on my chest, as my heart thunders with overwhelm.
Portia steps forward. “Wyatt, don’t you...”
“Portia!” Richmond calls, stepping out of the restaurant.
Portia’s shoulders fall and she turns with her head drooped.
I notice Mrs. Hayes’s eyes light up. “Portia!”
Richmond beckons Portia over as he strides into the lobby. “Portia, you’ve got a job to do.”
Portia nods and follows Richmond toward her security, who escort her to the elevator.
Before I can process Portia’s commentary, I turn back to Wyatt and his mother.
“We just want to be the ones to help you through this,” his mother says with desperation. “You’re our child, sweetie. We don’t want to be shut out of your life.”
Wyatt pushes her hand off him. “Can’t you see how hard you’vemade things for me?”
“We were trying to get our points across before the team shoved us out of the room. Wyatt, we remember all their tactics and manipulations. We can help you.”
Wyatt winces again, rubbing his temples. “Just stop. It’s not happening.”
I step in and take Wyatt by the hand. “Come on. You need to get upstairs.”
“Josie,” Mrs. Hayes says my name in a forceful way. “Would you want your parents around if you were going through something like this?”
My heart thumps inside my chest as she stares me down. “Yes, of course. But Wyatt...”
“Wyatt thinks we don’t have a relationship,” Mrs. Hayes blurts, picking up her shopping bags. “But this no good management company is filling his head with lies.”
It’s not that I completely trust Erika and the rest of the management team, but Wyatt feels a gut reaction to his parents. He feels like their fractured relationship is the only part of the last few years he can remember.
There’s no way I’m letting his mother continue to attack him in the foyer. I tug on his hand, and he gladly steps away with me.
“Wyatt, your father and I want to see you again,” she says, making one last ditch effort. “We want to make things right. Any way we can.”
Before Wyatt can contemplate answering her, his security approaches and escorts us to the elevator.
I can’t help myself, and take one last look over my shoulder before we leave the lobby. Mrs. Hayes stands alone, shopping bags in her hands. She blames the management team for her fractured relationship with her son. But they’re not the ones who have been yelling and hurling accusations around.
Ugh. This is such a mess.
Inside the elevator, Wyatt wraps his arms around me. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m the one who’s sorry. You shouldn’t have to go through that. Especially with your parents.”
