Your Endless Love (The Bennett Family 9)

“We need more details. Who are the lucky ones? Amy? Alex? Come on, one of you has to budge.”

I smile mysteriously. “Nope. I have to prepare my girl for going public properly.”

“Aww, did you hear. He called her my girl,” someone says in the back.

On and on it goes, and after it ends, I head straight to my floor, flanked by bodyguards and avoiding Preston. I know exactly what he’ll tell me, and I’m not in the mood to hear it. I’ll deal with the fallout in the morning. I suspect said fallout will include extreme paparazzi attention and an explosion in interview requests.

It’s why I told Summer to drop whatever plans she had for the weekend. No way would I be able to protect her from the press. I stop by Summer’s room first and knock at the door, but no one answers. Maybe she’s waiting in my room. I swipe the keycard, pushing my door open. The room is dark. Switching on the light, I walk from room to room, but she isn’t anywhere. Did she decide to stay at her cousin’s overnight? I did warn her the hotel would be crawling with paps. If I’m honest, it’s safer for her to stay away tonight, but I need her warmth tonight of all nights.

My career is hanging by a thin thread, but it doesn’t matter if I have her. Where is she?

Sitting on the empty bed, I pick up my phone from the nightstand. I didn’t carry it with me in the conference room. I have a plethora of missed calls and messages, including one from Summer.

Summer: I can’t be with you through this, I’m sorry. I hope everything works out for you.

My fingers turn icy against the plastic case of the phone. She’s sorry? She can’t be with me through this?

My chest constricts as I try to make sense of this. I check the time of the message. She sent it midway through the conference. Did she realize the press attention she’ll get once we go public and decided it was too much after all? That she could do without all that in her life? That being with me was not worth the hassle?

Jesus, she can’t mean this, can she? I thought... she seemed to love me. Was I projecting? Wishing I wasn’t the only one who felt so strongly?

Well, even if she did have feelings for me, they were clearly not strong enough to last if she decided to give up. The ache in my chest obstructs my breath.

I’ve had so many friends walk out on me due to the complications of my fame. Even my parents distanced themselves. But Summer deciding what we have is not worth fighting for stabs deeper than the rest.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Alex

A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts.

“Alex, we need to talk,” Preston says. I open the door right away. Verbal sparring with Preston is just what I need to take my mind off Summer. Preston stomps into the room dragging his hands down his face.

“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he asks.

&nbs

p; “No, murder isn’t on my to-do list. Voluntary or not,” I deadpan. Preston’s collar is darkened with sweat.

“Why didn’t you tell me what you were going to announce?”

“Because you would have tried to convince me not to.”

Preston throws his hands up in the air. “Damn right I would have. But there’s no use crying over spilled milk right now. You knew everything you were risking and still went through with it.”

I sit, sprawled on the couch, watching Preston pace like a lion in a cage.

“Now we need to make the most of this. All eyes are on you. Maybe if we turn this into positive publicity, the studio won’t have your ass. I’ve already had five high-profile interview requests.”

“Perfect, book them.”

Preston takes out his phone. Tension seems to bleed away from him while he types. After finishing, he whips his head up.

“You’d better not leave your room tonight. The paps are everywhere. A crowd of fans gathered too. We’ll have to sneak you out tomorrow through a service entrance, or you’ll be mobbed. Good thing I’ve already sent Summer her bag.”

“What? When?”

“She called me when the conference was about to begin. I explained it would be safer if she didn’t return tonight, and she asked me to send her bag. Obviously, since she thought you and Amy were going to live together for the next few weeks—”