A baseball-sized lump was at the bottom of my throat, but I needed him to feel how much I felt the same. My hands gripped his so hard. “I love you, too. I don’t know when it happened, but I realized it after the interview. I haven’t been able to stay away from you.”

Relief showed on his face before his lips were on mine.

After that, as I wound my arms tight around his neck, pressing myself to get as close to him as possible, nothing else mattered. Everything would be fine. The public, the media, school, and even my job would all work out. It would have to because, for once, I wasn’t going to hide anymore. I loved Kian. I was going to stay by his side, no matter who came after us. There was just no other way. I couldn’t stay away from him.

I clasped on to him tighter, and I wasn’t going to let him go. As if feeling everything I was thinking, Kian lifted me. His lips never left mine. I knew where he was taking me, and my legs wound around his waist. I’d stay all day with him in bed. All day. All night. All week. Just us. That was it. Screw everyone else.

As he took me to the bedroom, laying us both down onto the bed, I welcomed his weight. I savored it because he was here.

He was mine.

When Kian told me he wanted to take me somewhere, I didn’t question the time. Three in the morning was almost normal for us now. That was when we went places, like earlier in the week. We filmed our first interview together. It was kept a secret. I was nervous, but Laura said it went great. And if Kian’s publicist approved, that was all that mattered. I was learning it was better to get along with the petite and feisty bombshell, then go against her. She proved to be invaluable. Since my own interview, when I mentioned Justin by name, social media exploded. Someone found out his full name, and outed him where he went to college. A girl came forward, saying he raped her. A second. A third, and two more. Laura sent someone from her team to the town to monitor the situation. She worried Justin would speak out against Kian or myself. He had no grounds to speak publicly against us and she had no idea what he would say, but she was waiting to see if he threw any retribution our way.

That was the reason we went out this morning. Kian told me we had a meeting with Laura, but he turned into my old job’s underground parking lot.

I was mystified. “We’re meeting her here?”

Kian only grinned. “Come on.”

My frown grew when he pulled out keys for the restaurant. It deepened when he led me to a back private banquet room. I didn’t want to meet with Laura where I used to work. It was after closing time, but sometimes the employees stayed behind. Someone could find us, and eavesdrop. I opened my mouth, ready to tell Kian my thoughts when he flipped on the light.

Erica was standing five feet from me. “Surprise, Jordan!” Her hands spread wide in the air.

It’d been five months since my interview, and life hadn’t lessened up. Instead of being hated and blamed, people were enamored with me. Well, they were enamored with Kian. He never left my side. Anytime I had to leave the hotel for something, he was always beside me, holding my hand and shielding me if he could. We hired official security, too, but everyone could see his love for me. They were enthralled with it, much like how I was.

A lot changed over the months. I worried I would lose my job and my scholarship for school, but I was reassured by both that my positions were still there whenever I could return to normalcy.

Erica laughed when she found out I wanted to return to being Escape’s hostess. She shook her head and waved her finger at me, saying, “If you think you’re going to be a hostess again, you’re not looking around you, Jordan. You’re a full-blown celebrity. The attention hasn’t faded, and I don’t think it ever will, especially because you don’t want this. That’s so obvious.” She’d grunted in laughter. “I swear, that makes the public love you even more.”

I sighed when she said my name.

There were still some mix-ups with her, Wanker, and even Jake. They all started to say Jo first, faltered, then attached the rest of my name. This was the first time Jordan came easily from Erica’s lips, and it brought tears to my eyes. It felt like a part of my old life was still there, with me. It was like my old self hadn’t completely vanished.

And Erica said my name now, she beamed at me.

My mouth dropped.

She wasn’t alone. An entire group of people stood behind her. Wanker was next to Erica, smiling, as he readjusted his glasses. Jake was behind them alongside Tara, who gave me a tentative wave and smile.

I gazed around the group.

My old boss, Paul, was standing to the side. Bruce, the bartender, lifted his drink in the air. Even Henry was there. He was standing next to the bar. There was no welcome on his face though. He had a glazed look in his eyes, and his mouth was twisted, so he was half-smiling and half-frowning. Bruce noticed the look and cleared his throat. When Henry glanced to him, Bruce gave me a pointed look. Henry’s eyes widened, and a forced smile was plastered over his face right away. He was dressed in Escape’s uniform. A tray was set on the bar between Bruce and him, and I realized then that he wasn’t there for the party, whatever party it was. He was there to work.

Genuine laughter bubbled up then.

Henry had to serve me. I was going to make his night hell. Well, I’d make him take a few drinks back to the bar for me. Bruce would know it had nothing to do with the drinks but making Henry sweat a bit. My former work nemesis had it coming.

Erica came up to hug me then, whispering, “Happy birthday!” She squeezed me harder. “Kian told us your real birthday date.”

“Oh.” I laughed lightly. That’d been another lie from me. New person, new life, even a new birthday. “If it makes you feel better, I forgot it was my birthday today.”

Pulling back, she gripped my hand. “Don’t forget some things, not the important things. You don’t have to hide anymore, Jordan.”

I held her hand back. “Thank you.” I meant it.

A wave of emotions rose up in my throat, choking me, but she moved aside. Wanker was next, then Jake, and finally, Tara, who seemed tentative while hugging me. Her body relaxed when I hugged her back.

Before she stepped to the side, she said, “I know Jake told you, but I wanted to tell you myself. Susan and I aren’t friends anymore. I just wanted you to know.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

Susan hadn’t gone away like I hoped. Even though everyone got over the fact that I’d been right under the paper’s nose, Susan hadn’t. She was trying to dig up any dirt she could on me, despite that everyone knew my worst secret—Edmund. That wasn’t good enough for her.

I was worried about how far she would go, and I told Kian, too, after receiving an ominous email from an unknown address the other night.

It said, You’ll pay.

Kian’s private detective found the computer it was sent from—one of the paper’s computers, and the most obvious person who sent it was Susan.

Kian reassured me Susan would be taken care of. When my eyebrows arched up at those words, he gave me a small grin before placing a tender kiss on my forehead. He added, his lips a caress before he pulled away, “Not in that way, but she will be handled. She can’t hurt you. I won’t let her.”

I hadn’t asked, and I hadn’t heard from Susan again, but one never knew with her.

“I’ll admit…” Snark stepped in front of me, bringing me back to the present. Folding me in his arms, he held me for a second before letting go. “I wasn’t a fan of your boyfriend, but he’s grown on me.”

I glanced over my shoulder. Kian had migrated to the back corner. He saw me looking for him and gave me a reassuring nod. Paul stepped toward him, and Kian’s attention was pulled toward my old boss.