Page 83 of Meant to Be

“What did Berry say?” she asked.

I shook my head and sighed. “She’s just protective of me. That’s all.”

“Tell me what she said, Joe. Please.”

I sighed again, then said, “She called it a ‘red flag.’ ”

“Shit,”Cate whispered, biting her lip. “She thinks I’m some kind of star fucker—”

“Don’t say that—”

“Gold digger—”

“Stop. No.”

Cate closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Look, Cate. She doesn’t know you,” I said. “She’ll come around. I told her it was a load of crap. And honestly, I probably should have stayed and talked through everything. But I just got pissed—”

“Did your mother see the article?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Berry showed it to her.”

“Does she think it’s a red flag, too?”

“I don’t really know. I didn’t see her before we left.”

Cate nodded, then asked a question that broke my heart. “Are you embarrassed to be with me?”

“No!” I said as forcefully as I could. “I’m proud to be with you.Soproud. And I couldn’t care less what the tabloids say. I left to make a point. I’m sick of Berry and my mother getting involved in my life, and I’m not putting up with this crap anymore. These stupid concerns about my name and reputation and appearances and what people think…It’s all just nonsense…. I just want to be happy. And you make me happy.”

Cate hesitated, then stared into my eyes, and said, “You make me happy, too, Joe…. But—”

“Butnothing,” I said. “Please don’t let this affect us. Please.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll try not to.”

I took off my seatbelt and leaned over to give her a big hug. She hugged me back, but whispered in my ear that she was sorry.

“Don’t be, baby. You didn’t do anything.”

“Okay,” she said as we separated. “But I’m going to kill my mother.”

I shook my head and said, “No. It’s not her fault, either. The tabloids manipulate people all the time. We just need to talk to her and explain, so that this doesn’t happen again…. We need to protect her.”

“I’ll talk to her,” Cate said.

“No.Wewill,” I said. “We’re in this together, Cate. Me and you.”

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