Page 21 of The Fake Script
“The chatter will die down if we don’t say anything. I’m telling you, Emma really doesn’t want to be in the public eye. I promised her I’d keep her away from all that.”
“Fine,” Mom says, turning to Madison.
“Yeah, okay,” Madison agrees with a small smile, her perfect calm surprising me.
I let out a breath of relief and lean against the table. Disaster averted. Now, I just have to hope Emma doesn’t read those magazines and will never hear a word of this.
9
The Last Book in the Series
Emma
My bedroom door slams open, and I wake up with a start.
“Oh my gosh, Emz!” Alice squeals, hopping into my bedroom. “You’re dating Auston Buckley! You could have told us he found out who you were.”
I rub my eyes. Am I still dreaming? “What? No I’m not.”
She sighs dramatically. “I knewit was a second-chance romance.”
I sit up, adjusting my bangs. “Your love of love is getting to you again, Alice. There is nothing happening between me and Auston.”
“Then what’s this?” she demands, shaking her phone. “It says here his team has already confirmed the rumors.”
All the blood drains from my face. “What? Give me that!”
I snatch the phone from her hand, studying the screen. It’s a picture of Auston and me talking near the trailer yesterday. My heart rattles as I read the caption that, indeed, claims that Auston and I are a couple, and that it’s been confirmed from his side.
Tugging my slippers on, I snatch the lanyard with my credentials that Robyn gave me yesterday and storm out of my room.
“Emz, where are you going?” Alice calls after me, but I ignore her. Instead, I march outside. He’d better be here. Lots of crew members are already working on the set, and some of them even say hello, but I can’t see who. All I’m seeing right now is red.
I show the security guard the lanyard, then stomp toward Auston’s trailer and hammer at his door. After a few seconds, he opens it, blinking rapidly when he sees me.
“Emma, what are you doing here?It’s only seven.”
I push past him. “Where do you get off telling people we’re together? Are you crazy?”
“I didn’t say anything, I swear,” he says behind me. “I’m so sorry ab— Wait, are you in your PJs?”
I glance down and then cross my arms over my “I’m a mood reader” top. “Well, I didn’t have time to dress. And don’t change the subject!”
He rakes a hand through his hair, just like he used to do when he was frustrated by a math exercise. “Look, I’m really sorry. Things tend to blow out of proportion online. The paparazzi see people together and jump to conclusions.”
“Why would anyone even assume we’re together?” I ask, pacing around the small space. “It doesn’t make any sense. We barely talked outside the trailer.”
“I know. It’s the yearbook picture, I guess,” he says. He swallows hard, making his Adam’s apple bob.
Crossing my arms tighter, I glance away. Crap. How did they find out?
“Wait,” he says, taking a step forward. “You remember? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Why didn’t you?” I growl, still pretending to be mad when really, the mix of emotions in my body is so confusing, I don’t even know what I’m feeling.
“Because I thought you didn’tremember me.”
“Of course I remember.” As if anyone could forget Auston Buckley. As if I could forget that he ditched me on the worst day of my life.