The home screen lights up the dark room with another incoming call. “I really think you need to take this one. Anna’s calling again.”
He groans, reaching for the phone and answering the call while he lies in bed.
“What do you want, Anna?” His eyes widen. “Where? When? How?” He quickly sits up, dragging a hand through his bedhead, tugging on the strands in frustration. “I’m putting you on speakerphone. Kate’s with me.”
“Morning, Kate,” Anna says sweetly. “Sorry to wake both of you up, but this is a time-sensitive situation.”
Jake turns on the lights, and his look of concern immediately skyrockets my anxiety. What type of urgent situation in country music happens at 6 a.m. on a Sunday?
“As I was telling Jake, TikTok is blowing up with pictures of Jake and a so-called mystery woman from last night’s concert. There are pictures of you two kissing on the side of the stage.”
All the blood drains from my face. Although I knew thiscouldhappen at any moment, it hits differently when itdoes. My pulse quickens as I try to focus on my breathing, hoping to avoid getting too worked up. I need to hear what Anna has to say. Find out what her plan is. Calm the fuck down.
“The good news is the pictures and video are blurry, so no one has been able to confirm Kate’s identity…yet. The trending theory is you’re an up-and-coming model or an influencer.”
Of course,that’swhat everyone would think. Why wouldn’t they? Jake’s dating history has been nothing but a string of twenty-something blondes—everything I’m not.
Jake intertwines his fingers with mine, pressing a soft kiss to my temple, doing everything in his power to calm my nerves.
“What’s your plan, Anna?” he asks, his face devoid of any readable emotion.
“That’s up to you. My recommendation is to take control of this narrative immediately. Break the news about your relationship and Kate’s identity today. Stop the speculation. The longer we remain silent, the crazier the internet will become.”
Jake grumbles. “Is that really necessary? Won’t something else go viral on TikTok, and this will become a non-story?”
“Yes and no. Social media is finicky. It’s impossible to know what will take off and for how long. However, TMZ has already picked this up, and my inbox is flooded with messages from other publications.” Anna pauses for a few seconds. “I’d give it less than a week before this is everywhere.”
“Fuck,” Jake groans, dragging a hand down his face. “Is there any way to keep our privacy for longer?”
“Not really,” Anna responds matter-of-factly.
“What do you think, Kate?” Jake asks, looking at me.
What am I thinking? No idea.
My brain is swirling with a thousand thoughts, imagining countless worst-case scenarios, none of them making any logical sense. Is it possible for me to hide backstage and see whether this dies down? Celebrities have secret girlfriends all the time. Can’t we figure out a way to keep our relationship private?
I shake my head, knowing all of this is crazy and unrealistic. I don’t want to hide that I’m dating Jake. I want people to know we’re together and happy. I just don’t know whether I’m prepared for what that will really mean.
I sigh, resting my head against Jake’s shoulder. “I don’t know. This isn’t my area of expertise. If you want to talk about ad campaigns, I’m your gal. Figuring out how to handle this situation is out of my comfort zone.”
Jake kisses the top of my head, squeezing my hand tightly. “I want to protect Kate as much as possible. I’m used to the press and social media’s viciousness, she’s not.”
“Understood,” Anna replies. “Would you be open to officially going public in a few days? Perhaps we do a hard launch on Instagram with some curated photos. It would give Kate time to tell her work and anyone else she’s kept in the dark about your identity.”
Jake looks at me, wanting my approval before responding to Anna’s recommendation. I nod silently.
“Okay. We can make that work,” Jake answers. “Anything else you need from us?”
“Yeah. One more thing. This might be a little delicate.”
Shit. What else could be wrong? Also, does this woman ever sleep? I don’t understand how she’s not running on fumes after being at the concert with us and now dealing with everything, especially since she’s been monitoring it for hours. How is she so damn chipper all the time?
“What now?” Jake turns his palms up, having no idea what Anna’s about to say.
“It’s about Brian.”
Fuck my life. What does my ex-fiancé have to do with any of this?
