“Splittsville, USA. Country Icons Hart and Wilde Call It Quits!”
Fucking hell. I’d kept an eye on the media ever since our divorce was filed on Monday. Everything had been relatively quiet the first few days, but it didn’t last long. Yesterday, Liv’s PR team alerted us to rumors that were beginning to circulate. Talks of infidelity on both sides and bitter divorce proceedings were running rampant. It was all bullshit. A way for sleazy journalists to make a quick buck. We were working on getting them removed, but no matter how fast we worked, they worked faster.
If I had seen this when we walked in, I would’ve turned around and told Charlie we’d bake another day, but it was toolate now. We were already here. The only thing I could do was hope the cashier didn’t pay any attention to tabloids. Thankfully, she was a younger woman who seemed completely unfazed by anything happening around her.
Just to be safe, I grabbed the magazine and turned it around so I wasn’t staring at a picture of myself.
When Charlie and I had everything unloaded, I helped her move the basket forward so we could put the bagged items into the cart. As the cashier rang up the final item, she looked up. All hope I had to go unrecognized vanished as her eyes grew wide with recognition.
“Oh my god,” she squealed. “It’s you!”
Shit.
“Hi,” I said, quickly looking around to find curious eyes glancing my way. Charlie shrank back near me, knowing all too well how hectic public attention could become.
She played with the end of her braid, staring up at me through thick lashes. “I’m, like, your biggest fan. I know all the words to every single one of your songs, and I’ve been to, like, three of your concerts.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your support.” I gave her a closed-lip smile. She stared at me, and I wasn’t sure what else to say, so I asked, “Would you like an autograph?”
“Yes! Oh my god, this is amazing. I can’t believe you’re here. My sister is totally going to think I’m lying when I tell her. Can we get a picture, too?”
“Of course, but would you mind not posting this on social media for a while? I’m just here to see family and want to make sure it stays that way for a bit.” I squeezed Charlie’s shoulder, grounding myself.
The cashier gave me an over-the-top pitying look. “Is it because of the divorce? I was so sorry to hear. I can’t believe your wife would cheat on you. That’s?—”
“She didn’t,” I said sternly. There was no way in hell I wasgoing to let that rumor fly in front of me or our daughter. “You should know not to believe everything you read on the internet.”
Her smile fell. “Well, I read this in Star Finder, actually.”
“Well, you should believe them even less,” I said, pulling two one-hundred-dollar bills out of my wallet and handing them over. “I’m sorry. It’s been wonderful meeting you, but I really need to go.”
“What about my picture?” she asked, pouting.
I didn’t answer her as I grabbed the cart and escorted my daughter out of the store. She’d gone quiet during the whole interaction, and I’m sure had a bunch of questions I didn’t have answers to.
Liv and I had been talking to a therapist about how to break the news to Charlie. We wanted to make sure she never felt abandoned during our separation. For the most part, her life wouldn’t experience a significant shift. Liv and I were apart more than we were together, so she was used to not having us at home all the time. However, the biggest difference would come in media perception. The last thing we wanted was for her to get caught in the shit storm that was public divorce.
We were blessed to be best friends given the circumstances, but that didn’t mean the act of separating wasn’t difficult. And people’s perception could change in an instant. We were already seeing that with the rumors flying around. I’d scrolled through the comments on one of my recent social media posts, horrified at what some people were saying. How could people get on the internet and be comfortable hurling insults at someone they didn’t know? There was no information to back up their claims, and they didn’t seem to care.
With the rumors, though, it was going to be hard to bring Cleo into this mess. We had to be careful. All it would take is one sighting, one anonymous tip and photo to a journalist, andshe’d be splashed all over the front page of some bullshit tabloid by morning.
How could I have been so selfish to drag her into something like this? I’d wrongly assumed I could hide away in Ashwood without anyone finding out I was here. If I were a betting man, I would be putting money down that the cashier was going to be out for her five seconds of fame. Who knew what bullshit she’d spew, or if she would leak our location? I wouldn’t be surprised if paparazzi showed up by the end of the day.
Pulling out my phone, I shot a quick text to my lawyer and PR team, letting them know about the interaction. At least if they knew about it, they could get ahead of any potential situation that may come up. I’d resort to bribery if I needed to, though it was never my first option. I’d leave that up to them, though.
Charlie and I wordlessly loaded the groceries into the truck. By the time she was buckled in and we were on the road back to the house, my anxiety was starting to spiral. How much had she heard? Did she understand any of it?
“You okay back there?” I asked, looking in the rear-view mirror. Charlie was staring out the window.
“Yeah, all good, Daddy,” she said. It didn’t feel all good, though. Not in the slightest.
“If there’s anything you want to talk about, you know I’m here, right? So is Mommy,” I hesitated before adding, “and Miss Cleo. You’ve got three adults who love and care for you very much.”
At that, she smiled. The relief I felt was instantaneous. “I’m the luckiest girl.”
“You are, sunshine. You’re very lucky.”
The spirits were lifted by the time we pulled up to the house. Charlie and I were singing along to the radio until I cut the engine. My truck was back and sitting along the curb, which meant Cleo had come back. I didn’t know why, but part of meexpected that something would spook her and she’d stay gone. I should’ve known better.
