Sebastian
There’s no second thought aboutit. No hesitation. No need to think about it.
I’d walk through fire to save Devin from living out her worst nightmare, despite how angry I am with her dismissal of my love.
“I’ll do it. Tell me what you need from me to make this work.”
Everyone’s eyes cut to me, and the weight of them feels like the world as Veronica continues on. “This is going to be a lot of work until we find out who is doing this to you. You will need to carry on the premise of a real relationship. A few photos snapped of you at a club opening isn’t going to cut it. Once this hits the news, you’re going to be a bit of a big story for a little while. People are going to be interested in the two of you for a few weeks. You’ll need to appear to be in a serious relationship—dinners, dates, believable stuff until we can make sure this person isn’t going to release Ms. Miller’s name, or that by the time they try, it won’t matter.
“Until my guys can get into the offices and sweep for bugs and hidden cameras, do not discuss anything personal there,” she continues. “The two of you might want to limit the calls and texts on your personal phones until we clear those as well. We have no clue how this person is getting access to your life the way they are, so let’s not hand them everything they are looking for, okay?”
I nod as Veronica prattles on, but all I can think about is how this is going to be the end of Devin and me. Distance is only going to give her more time to push me away for good. It will give her all the time she needs to reconstruct the walls around her heart I’ve worked so hard to break down. Even with the excruciating pain that it brings me, I know I will do it. If I can protect her and fix this, I’ll endure the pain a thousand times over. That’s what love is all about.
Devin’s emotions play across her beautiful face, and I hate the pain I see. I want to comfort her, but I also know I can’t let my emotions cloud my judgment. I need to handle the problem at hand, and then I can worry about what comes next.
The unaddressed relationship issues between us sits like a giant pink elephant in the corner of the room, waiting to be acknowledged. Curiosity and uncertainty vacillate between the sets of eyes bouncing from Devin to me.
Madison looks weary, as if she’s not sure which way she wants this to go. My mom looks sad, while my dad looks sympathetic. Mark looks as if he’s not exactly sure how he feels about this, while Devin looks like she’s going to vomit.
Veronica quirks an eyebrow and waits for my agreement.
I need to see that look erased from Devin’s face, so I have no other option but to say, “When do we start?”
No matter which way I answered the question, Devin was going to be hurt. This threat needs to be neutralized, and then I can work on rebuilding things with her. I need to make her see me more as a partner instead of a fling.
“There’s a restaurant opening tonight for Nadia Anderson’s new place in Soho. You need to be there. It’s being covered by all outlets. It’s a great coming out for you guys. I’ll give Arianna a call and tell her to get ready. You have two hours to get there.”
Nadia Anderson is a renowned chef with book deals, cooking shows, and even her own line of cookware. Her popularity grows and grows every day. This opening is for her second location in the city. I think she has a spot on the Times Square Marquee. Everyone will cover the opening. It’s the perfect place to go with Arianna and get the ball rolling.
Veronica exits the room, and I watch as Devin asks Madison where the bathroom is. God, I hope she isn’t going to be sick over this. How did everything get so fucked up? How did this turn into staging a fake relationship to save her? Settling down was supposed to help Midtown, and while this may not affect the company at all, it has the potential to ruin my princess.
Fuck. I can’t think about it now because Madison and Mark are both heading toward me from different angles.
Madison gives me a skeptical look. “Are you sure you want to do this, Sebastian?”
“What other choice do I have?” I ask, utterly exasperated. “She’s going to be hurt either way. Her career is the most important thing to her. She made that very clear this morning. This is what I have to work with. It’s the best option to save her reputation.”
“Devin isn’t the only one this is hurting,” Madison adds. “I know you want to save her, but you may lose her in the process. Will you be able to live with that?”
I shrug. “I guess we’ll find out. It’s not like this is anything more than a fling to her, right?”
Madison frowns. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Me too.”
Madison steps away, heading toward my parents, and Mark takes her place in front of me.
“I came over here ready to rip you a new one,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest. “You promised you wouldn’t let anything happen to Devin. But after hearing what you just said to your sister, I know you’re keeping your word. I can’t ask for anything more.”
My only response is a nod. There’s nothing else to say to Mark. He’s right. I did promise him nothing bad would happen to his sister, and I failed. I’m doing the only thing I can to make this right.
He unfolds his arms and clamps a hand down on my shoulder. “I know Devin said some shit earlier that was hurtful, but it’s bullshit. She knows it. I know it, and you know it. She doesn’t handle stress and anxiety well, and she lashes out at the people she cares about most. Everyone sees this is something more between you two. Don’t write her off just yet.”
There’s no time for either of us to say anything more because Veronica walks back into the room and claps her hands to get our attention.
“Sebastian, you are picking Arianna up at 8:00 p.m. and arriving at the restaurant by 8:30 p.m. I alerted our friend at theEnquirerthat you happen to be going to dinner tonight with the woman they featured this morning. If we stick to the plan, by the end of the week, you guys will be the hot couple with a stupid name like ‘Sebianna,’ and no one will believe the woman in the photo is anyone other than Arianna.”
As Veronica takes a step to the right, Devin’s face becomes visible behind her. Her eyes are rimmed red and slightly puffy. Frown lines mar the skin around her lips and her forehead. The sight of her pain and sadness hurts deep inside my heart, but I do my best to ignore it for now. It’s the only thing I can do at the moment. This is the only way.
