“It’s kind of disgusting.” I choose a piece of pizza and take a bite. “But it’s fun. We’ll see how it goes.”
“You’re so not into the mushy stuff, are you?” Matt asks with a chuckle.
“Not really.” I shrug, and then realize that’s a lie. I love the mushy stuff with Leo.
“I get it.” He nods.
“You’re not either,” I remind him.
“There’s a time and a place for romance.” He disagrees. “But I decide when and where that is.”
“God, you’re bossy.”
He just laughs at me and clinks his glass with mine in cheers.
“Uh, Sam?” Stacey is moving through the room, her phone in her hands and she’s frowning down at it.
“Yeah?”
“Have you seen this?”
“What?” I ask as she pushes her phone in my hands. Matt leans close to look over my shoulder and swears under his breath as my world stops moving.
It’s a photo on an on-line gossip page of Leo and me from the photo shoot last week in L.A. Lori has been cropped out of the photo.
Of course.
The caption below is, Leo Nash with his new girlfriend, actor/producer Luke Williams’ sister.
No name.
“What is it?” I hear Leo ask, his voice closer than before and I feel my cheeks heat in anger and embarrassment and pure betrayal.
“Fuck.”
***
Leo
Sam’s face has turned bright red as she stares blankly down at Stacy’s phone, her hands are shaking and Matt is glaring at the phone as if it’s going to bite.
“What the fuck is wrong?” I ask as I approach her. She wakes the screen back up and shoves it at me.
“That’s what the fuck is wrong.”
The photo is from last week in L.A., the exact photo Sam said she didn’t want leaked.
Melissa just lost her motherfucking job.
“What the hell, Leo?”
“What’s going on?” Luke asks as he joins us.
“A photo got leaked,” I murmur and pass it to him. He scowls down at the phone and back to Sam.
“Sam, this isn’t new. You were in L.A. with Leo. What did you expect to happen?”
“I specifically told that bitch of a publicist that she didn’t have my permission to use my photo.”
Luke turns his accusing eyes to me, his face hard and eyes narrowed.
“Hey, man, I backed her up. I’ll fire the bitch who leaked it.”
“Are you going to fire everyone who leaks this shit?” Luke demands and shoves Stacy’s phone back to her. “Sam’s worked hard to stay out of the tabloids.”
“I’m aware.” I stand strong and cross my arms over my chest.
“I told you.” Luke points his finger in my face. “I told you this would happen. This,” he points a the phone, “is why I warned you to stay the fuck away!”
“Don’t talk to him like that!” Meg steps between Luke and me, her hazel eyes glaring at Luke. “He already said he backed Sam.”
“Stay out of this,” Luke mutters to her but she stands her ground.
“I will not. This shit happens. You should know that. Hell, she knows that. She works for a magazine.” Meg plants her fists on her hips, and I want to tell her to back off, but I know it’ll be futile.
She’s in protective sister mode.
“Meg.” I begin but she holds her hand up to me to stop talking and my eyebrows rise in surprise. Matt grins at her. Isaac, Nate and the others have come out of the game room to see what all the commotion is about.
“He’s put my sister in a position he doesn’t even understand.” He points his finger at me again, his voice rising as Mark moves up beside him.
“How in the bloody hell can you say he doesn’t understand it?” Meg roars. “He lives in that world every goddamned day! You’re no more of a celebrity than he is, you know. If anything, he’s even more submerged in it.”
“This is not about who is more famous,” Luke interrupts.
“Leo would never hurt Sam.”
“He’s not good enough for my sister!” Luke exclaims and a cold sweat breaks out on my face.
He’s right. I’m not.
But I’ll be goddamned if I’ll let her go.
“Luke,” Sam softly interjects but he shakes his head.
“No, you told him you didn’t want this kind of publicity, and what happens? That bullshit,” he points to Stacy’s phone. “This is bullshit.” He turns to me. “You’re supposed to fucking protect her, not feed her to the fucking wolves! You promised!”
“Are you kidding me?” I grip Meg by the shoulders and move her to the side toward Will, knowing he’ll keep her out of the way. “You think I don’t know what fame, your fame has done to your sister?”
“Leo.” Sam’s voice is full of warning, but I ignore her. I’ve had enough of this bullshit.
“Your fame, all of your fame,” I point to Will and then turn back to Luke, my heart hammering in my chest, “lost Sam her motherfucking job. She’s been unemployed for over a month because she wouldn’t sell her family out.”
Luke’s jaw drops and his eyes fly to Sam’s, who now has tears in her eyes. “Is this true?”
“Fuck this,” she whispers and shakes her head. “I’m out of here.” She pushes through the bodies that have gathered around us and slams through the front door, Natalie close behind.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Mark asks, his hands on his hips.
“Her boss wanted her to do a story on Luke and Nat last year after they got married. She refused.”
“But you just said she’s only been unemployed for a month. We’ve been married for over a year.”
“I wasn’t finished.” I push my hand through my hair. “About a month ago, the bastard bitched her out for not telling him sooner that she was connected to the Montgomerys. More specifically, Will Montgomery.”
“Sonofabitch,” Will whispers. “I would have done an interview for her.”
“She wouldn’t have asked you to, man. She loves you. All of you.” I look around the room, at Sam’s family. Jules has tears in her eyes, the men’s mouths are clenched, fists balled. “She would never put her family in any magazine, especially knowing how fiercely private you all are.”