You’d have thought that I too was starring in the movie, from the way the crowd reacted at seeing me. Feeling a little sheepish at the attention when I was nothing more than Alyssa’s escort for the night, I waved. Alyssa stepped up to me, wrapped her arm around my waist, and cuddled close. I knew it was nothing more than an act, but that didn’t stop me from stiffening.
Flashes of light burst in front of us as fans and the media captured this fake moment. Inwardly I groaned. This wouldn’t help my case with Hailey, especially if she saw the photos and video footage. If I was lucky, she would be avoiding anything to do with Alyssa and me and would never see any of this.
A production assistant indicated for us to keep moving toward the theater. But that didn’t mean we got to escape to the safety of the building. We still had to deal with the various entertainment reporters.
Alyssa held my arm, like the adoring couple we pretended to be. It was easy for her. She was an actress. I was just a singer and songwriter. That didn’t require me to act beyond what was needed for the band’s music videos. Even my years of pretending to be someone else were pretty useless right now.
We approached the first reporter and her camera operator.
“Hi, Alyssa,” the tall redhead gushed in that overzealous way common among entertainment reporters, which often left me inwardly rolling my eyes. “Megan Keyes with We Talk. You look absolutely gorgeous. As always.”
Alyssa smiled graciously, her reaction no doubt genuine. “Thank you, Megan.”
“And you…” Megan looked momentarily thrown as to what to call me. Which wasn’t surprising. I hadn’t really decided myself what name I wanted to use career-wise.
Alyssa gave my arm a light squeeze, reminding me what she had told me in the limo: Let people get to know the real you, and everything will be all right.
“You can call me Nolan.”
Alyssa beamed at me, but not for the same reason Megan assumed. I smiled back, even though it would only further cement everyone’s belief we were a couple.
“Nolan,” Megan said, “you look particularly yummy.” To Alyssa she added, “You have very good taste.” She then asked a few quick questions about the film before we were hustled to the next reporter. She barely had enough to time add “Congratulations, you two” before we were gone.
Alyssa waved to a group of teenage girls screaming at her and waving banners that proclaimed NOLYSSA, WE LOVE YOU and NOLYSSA FOREVER!
“Nolyssa?” I said under my breath.
“Nolan and Alyssa,” she explained. “That’s what our fans have been calling us.” She directed her smile at me. “They’ve accepted you as Nolan. They want to get to know the real you, too.”
“How long has this been going on? With the joint name, I mean.”
She looked at me, slightly taken aback. “They were referring to us as Tylyssa for a while before this. The name changed after the paparazzi leaked your real name.”
No wonder fans reacted the way they had when it looked like Hailey had been trying to seduce me away from Alyssa. But what would happen when Alyssa and I ended our fake relationship? How would these die-hard Nolyssa fans react?
I hoped that if Hailey agreed to move to L.A. to be with me, the fans would realize that she was the right girl for me. But in the end, it didn’t really matter if they agreed or not, as long as they left her alone and moved their attention to another celebrity couple.
“Kiss her!” a girl called out. Before I could react, Alyssa leaned in and kissed my cheek. Camera flashes went crazy.
I scowled at her. “Why did you do that?” I said, a little more forcefully than was warranted.
She smiled sweetly. I didn’t know if that was for my benefit or for the benefit of those watching us. “Because if I didn’t, they’d keep hounding you to kiss me. This way they’re semi-appeased. At least I didn’t kiss you on the lips.”
She was right, but it didn’t make me feel any better about the situation.
Alyssa and I endured being interviewed by two more entertainment reporters before we could finally enter the grand theater. And like with Megan, they commented on our relationship. Alyssa did her best to redirect the conversation to the movie.
Once away from the crowds and the media, our mini entourage found our seats and we settled in for the movie. Since we were no longer in the eyes of the media, we could stop the loving-couple routine. Now we were just two friends out to see a movie—a movie Alyssa happened to star in.
Sadly, because I’d been so involved in my own personal dramas, I’d had no idea what the movie was about. Her previous movies had been romantic comedies. And yes, the title, Forgiven Chances, didn’t exactly scream chick flick, but I hadn’t paid much attention to that either.
Alyssa’s character entered a convenience store with a homeless teen she was going to buy food for. But the store was being robbed and one of the assholes overreacted. He wasn’t armed with a gun like his friend.
He was armed with a knife.
My hand unconsciously shifted to where my father had stabbed me.
Chapter 40
Nolan
FIVE YEARS AGO
My father stood in front of me and Hailey, blocking our escape route. I tightened my hold on her hand, warning her to remain silent.