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“But what is it for you?”
“Whatever it is for him,” I muttered, letting out a sigh. “I’m not stupid enough to let myself really fall for him.”
“I don’t think you can decide whether or not you fall for someone,” Maeve said carefully, spinning her wedding ring around her finger. “I didn’t exactly want to fall for Tyson. It just…happened.”
I shook my head, sinking lower into the plush velvet couch in Tyson’s den. “I think you were looking for something.”
“Yeah, but with someone like Tyson? No way. I said I wanted to marry a wealthy man, but not a rock star. There’s so much shit that I have to deal with now. The women, the fame, the parties, and lunatic fans—you know what it entails.”
“Not for me.” I shuddered. “I don’t think I could do this long term.”
Maeve shrugged, eyeing the TV as more pictures of Jackson and me flashed across the screen. “I think it’s something that I’ll get used to. There’s a lot of fun in it, and the band has a lot of moments where they’re here—like now. Plus, I can go on tour with them some. That’ll be fun.”
“I guess that works for modeling…but not so much for teaching.” The moment I said the words, I realized that Maeve and I were in completely different situations. She was really married to Tyson. I was just playing house. “I don’t know why I even said that,” I added quickly, giving her a sheepish look.
Maeve frowned. “Oh, Lena.”
“What?”
“I’m so worried he’s going to hurt you.”
I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “No way.” But my heart didn’t lie, and deep down, I was already feeling the dread of what was to come. I shifted in my seat as Maeve grabbed the bowl of chips on the coffee table.
“I swear I crave salt so bad when I’m on my period.”
Laughing, I glanced back at the TV. “Yeah, I think it’s about time for me to start craving ice cream. Forget the salt. Mother Nature always brings me mad cravings for sweets.”
Maeve giggled. “Remember that time you pounded an entire package of Oreos?”
“Yes.” I cringed, shuddering. “That one-hundred-percent came back to bite me the next day. I think I haven’t even touched an Oreo since—not the birthday cake kind, at least.” My stomach churned at the thought, and mentally I made a note of it. If Maeve had started her period, it would be about time for me to start mine.
But I was never really all that regular.
“Does your mom know yet?” Maeve’s question pulled me from my thoughts.
“No,” I admitted, bracing for what was to come.
“Oh my god, you have to tell her before she sees this,” Maeve said, nearly spilling the chips as she spun on the loveseat to face me. “You can’t let her find out through the tabloids. That would be horrible.”
“I think no matter what I tell her or how she finds out,” I began, sharply exhaling, it’s not going to go over well. You know how she feels about people like Jackson.”
Maeve made a face. “Just tell her it’s fake.”
“But I’m bound by the NDA not to tell her that it’s fake.”
“Okay, but she’s your mom, Lena. Who is she going to tell? Your dad? Like, I think being honest is the best way to deal with the shit storm it’s going to bring from back home.”
I sighed, my stomach churning for one reason or another. “Yeah, maybe I should just tell her the truth. I just know regardless, she’s going to be pissed at me.”
“You’re not a child anymore.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to cause rifts in my family just because of some fake arrangement.”
“One that’s going to pay off their debt,” Maeve pointed out. “Maybe you should throw that in there too.”
“Oh jeez.” I facepalmed. “That might make it even worse.”
But she’s right. It’s time to tell her.
