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The paparazzi found me again. The man from earlier is standing on the front lawn of the inn, with a long lens on his camera, snapping photos of me and Brent.
I thought I’d lost him.
“Hey, get off the lawn!” Brent yells.
The man ignores him, continuing to snap photos.
“Brent, no, don’t say anything to him. He’ll use anything you give him and spin a story out of it.”
“Is he paparazzi? He’s taking photos of my parent’s inn. How is that allowed?”
“These people don’t care about any of that,” I tell him. “Get inside quick before he can take any more. I’m so sorry.”
We open the front door to his house and slip inside.
I rest my head against the door for a minute to get my bearings. “This is why I lied,” I say. “These vultures will find someone anywhere if they get enough for a story or some photos. And as soon as it’s out that this is where I am, they’ll be swarming the place.”
“We need to tell my parents,” he says. “They need to know someone is taking photos of the inn.”
“You’re right. We need to tell them now. This is a mess and it’s all my fault.”
Stepping inside the house, he calls for Nora and tells her to get her coat on so we can leave for dinner. Neither of us tells her what’s happening. Instead, we act like everything is normal. As soon as she’s all bundled up, we head to the inn. Brent walks in front of me with Nora, and he doesn’t look back once.
When we get inside, we shake off our coats and Nora runs into the dining room where Suzanne and Tom are relaxing before dinner.
“Grandma! Pop! We’re here for dinner!” Nora says as soon as she sees Suzanne and Tom.
“Hi silly goose. It isn’t dinner time yet. I told your dad to be here at 6:00 but it’ll be ready soon,” Suzanne says as Nora climbs into Tom’s lap. She gives him a peck on the cheek and snuggles him.
“DAD! Why did we come early? You said it was time for dinner?” she says.
I follow Brent into the dining room where his parents are. One look at my face and Suzanne notices something is wrong.
“Hey, you two,” she says, glancing between us. “Is everything okay?”
“Of course it’s okay, Grandma,” Nora says. “Dad is probably just hungry and wants to eat early. Right, Dad?”
We stand there for a beat as Suzanne and Tom study me and Brent.
“That’s right sweetheart,” Brent says in a monotone voice.
“Hey Nora, why don’t you come with me to the office. I have a game on the computer I think you might like,” Tom says.
“Ohhhh that sounds fun.” Nora bounces off his lap and follows her grandpa into the office. Tom puts his hand on Brent’s shoulder and gives it a squeeze. As soon as they’re out of the room, I feel like I might throw up.
“Mom, there’s something Penelope needs to tell you,” Brent says, throwing me right under the bus.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth and I wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans.
“My name is Penelope Maxwell and I’m an actress. I’ve been in some big movies and the paparazzi tend to follow me around everywhere, trying to get my photo,” I say. “When Brent found my car broken down, I didn’t want anyone to know who I was, so I lied. I’m so sorry I deceived you, Suzanne, and I get it if you want me to leave.” Tears well in my eyes. Blinking, I force them away and clear my throat, ready for whatever answer she gives.
“Wait, I don’t understand, so your last name isn’t Smith?” she asks.
“No, I’m sorry.” I pause, taking a breath. “I should’ve told you who I really was. I just didn’t want anyone to find me, and I found myself loving it here more and more the longer I’ve been here.”
The dam of tears bursts. I can’t stop them from falling, and if I could be anywhere but here, I would be.
Standing up, Suzanne walks over to me and wordlessly pulls me in for a hug. She rubs my back in circles for a few minutes until my sobs subside and I can breathe normally again. Taking my hands in hers, she walks me over to the couch and we both sit.
