AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay,” she answers timidly.
I hug her again. “Call me before you leave Los Angeles and we’ll meet up.”
She nods and tells me good-bye. I’m hesitant to leave her and when I look back, Cole is standing there next to her. I can only hope that he doesn’t care what his mother thinks and he’ll fight to keep Millie happy. As soon as I come around the corner, Josh is in a heated conversation with a man I’ve never seen before. I stop, staying back in case he’s discussing business. I don’t want him to think that I have to know everything, but I do hope that he shares.
He spots me and smiles as he reaches for me. The second our hands connect I feel like I can breathe again.
“Joey, this is Barry, one of the producers from the show.”
I shake his hand and immediately mold into Josh’s side.
“It’s nice to meet you, Joey. As I was telling Josh, we’d like to broadcast your life.”
“What do you mean?” I ask with a bit of confusion.
“They want to make a reality show about us, follow us around. That sort of thing,” Josh answers. The thought of having cameras follow me around again does not excite me at all. I didn’t even want to go on the show to begin with, and I really don’t want to share my life with anyone other than Josh and our families.
“Um. . .” I say, hesitating. I look to Josh for an answer.
“We’ll get back to you, Barry. Joey and I need to talk about it first.”
“We’ll make it worth your while. Here’s our proposal.” Barry hands Josh some folded papers, which he quickly places in his pocket. He pulls me behind him in a rush until we’re outside and being ushered into a black town car. Once the door shuts, his lips are on mine with his fingers tangling in my hair.
“I’ve missed you,” he says over and over again in between kisses.
two
Joshua
I’ve waitedfor this moment since the season finale of Married Blind. This is how Joey and I should’ve been right after the show—in our personal car, heading to the hotel and in each other’s arms—but instead she was with Bronx and I was left chasing after her.
It’s taken me weeks to find her and it’s not like she was missing. She was there, just out of my reach. But now I have her and she’s agreed to spend the rest of her life with me. Asking her to marry me, even though we’re technically already married, in front of the live audience was risky. My proposal could’ve backfired and honestly, I half expected it to. There could’ve been a slap across the face, which I likely deserve. She could’ve said no and I would deserve that as well, but I wouldn’t have given up. Not on her. Not on us.
As much as I fought falling for her, I was doomed from the moment I kissed Joey on stage right at the start of the show. I had never felt that way before. My body was zinging, everything was in hyper-color and I felt so alive. It’s cheesy to say she was made for me, but there isn’t any other way to explain the connection I feel with her. Walking away at the end of the season was never going to be an option for me, and no matter how many times I told her we were just friends in the house, I knew deep down I was lying to myself.
Joey nestles into the crook of my neck. Just holding her like this is worth the pain and suffering I’ve been through during the past few weeks. The agony of not knowing how she really felt was killing me slowly. I adjust slightly, trying to bring her even closer and kiss the top of her head, letting my lips linger there.
I don’t know how to be a husband. I suppose most men say this at some time in their lives, but the difference is they most likely had a solid upbringing whereas I had utter shit. My father is not the type of man I want to be. . . however; Hollywood predicts that’s exactly how I’ll end up. Like father like son, right? Aside from a few celebrities, marriages do not last here. The time away from each other, the constant rumors, and the never-ending temptation, are a surefire way to destroy your life, your marriage.
“I’m going to be strong for you,” I absentmindedly say out loud. Joey pulls her head away from my shoulder and looks at me, her forehead furrowed in confusion. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth and now it’s too late.
“What are you talking about?”
I quickly avert my gaze out the car window and see that we’re a block or so from the hotel. Glancing at the driver, I frown—not at him, but at the situation I’ve now created for myself.
“We’re almost at the hotel,” I murmur, pushing her hair behind her ear. It’s crazy to think that her hair has gotten longer since I’ve last seen her, but I swear it has. Right now, my wife doesn’t look like the one I fell in love with. Joey, inside the house, never wore make-up and her hair was always in a ponytail or in a bun. I look at her now, and while she’s still gorgeous, I don’t like seeing all that crap painted on her face. I hate that I can’t run my fingers through her hair because the spray holding the curls in place prevents me from doing so.
The second the driver pulls up to the curb, light bulbs flash and the continuous clicking of cameras start. I take her hand in mine and ask if she’s ready. This is our first public appearance, outside of television, and the press is going to be all over her.
“Whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand. Okay?”
“Okay,” she says, nodding, squeezing my hand for good measure.
I take a deep breath as the driver appears on the passenger side of the car, along with hotel security. As he opens the door, the noise grows louder. Our names are called, questions are hurled, and when Jules’ name is mentioned I try to walk a bit faster to get inside the sanctity of the hotel. I think about hanging my head, but I don’t. I stand proud and let them take my picture, because right now I feel like I can conquer the world with my wife by my side.
My wife.
Just thinking those words brings me a sense of calm. My life feels like it’s finally heading in the right direction and it’s all because of Joey and her willingness to take the risk of being in my life. If I were Joey, I’d run for the hills and not look back. I’m not worthy of her love, but I’m going to do every damn thing I can to prove that I deserve it.
