Extremely Famous (26 page)

“This,” I s
ay, waving my hand around. “Going away with friends, relaxing, being myself. It’s freeing.” I close my eyes and lay back.

I don’t expect silence from Leah so when she doesn’t respond
, I open my eyes and see her smiling at me.

“What?” I ask.

“You’re so different now, Syd. I’m proud of you.”

I swallow
, not wanting to ruin this trip with tears. “Thanks Leah. I couldn’t have gotten here without you.”

“What are best friends for? By the way, don’t think I didn’t notice that giant bite mark on your shoulder that you’ve been trying to hide with your hair. Now, let’s get one of those panty rippers that we turned down earlier,” she says mischievously.

I grin, remembering when I gave Drew hell for drinking one in St. Bart’s. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”

I had wanted to stay in Belize
a day or two longer, but Drew and Ryker had to be back for more pre-production work on their film. Looking out the window of my Mom’s jet, I watch New York come into view and am transported back to my trip to St. Bart’s with Drew.

I was so sad to come back, not wanting to lose the intimacy we gained from spending four
perfect days together on the island. I marvel at how different I feel this time. Shifting my head, I drink in the sight of Drew next to me. He fell asleep and looks so peaceful, content. The worry lines that normally plague his brow are smooth and his breathing is even and deep.

This time, we return from the Caribbean and I know he wants me forever.

“What are you grinning at?” Leah asks from across the aisle.

I shrug.
“Nothing in particular.”

She narrows her eyes at me.
“Uh-uh. You can’t fool me girl. I know you too well.” She turns back to Ryker and resumes the conversation they were having before she caught me acting like an idiot.

An idiot with the perfect guy
.

Bruce meets us at Teterboro with the Mercedes SUV and helps us with our luggage.

Drew jumps in next to me after storing our bags. “How bad is it Bruce?” he asks the driver.

“Pretty bad,” Bruce answers.

I have no idea what they’re talking about until Bruce elaborates.

“There were over a hundred of them the first two days, now I’d say about fifty. Plus the news vans. The street has been a mess.”

A chill runs down my spine. They’re talking about the paparazzi outside the brownstone.

I squeeze Drew’s hand.
“Hey, we don’t care. Remember?”

His gaze connects with mine and some of his tense energy releases from his shoulders. “I’m still pissed that people saw you naked Sydney
,” he growls.

I guess I should have expected this. I can accept my new reality, accept the paparazzi and the hounding and the lies, but Drew is never going to give up on his need to protect me. And I couldn’t possibly love him more for it.

We drop Leah and Ryker off at their Upper East Side high-rise and I hug her tightly.

“Thanks for being the best friend ever
, Leah.”

“You too,” she tells me. “Don’t let them drag you under Syd.”

“I won’t.” I give Ry a quick peck on the cheek and a hug.

“Hey, it’s bad enough you saw her naked, get your hands off of my woman,” Drew says from behind me. I
smile so only Ryker can see it and he laughs.

“Sure thing man.
” Ryker releases me from our embrace. “See you at the meeting on Thursday.” They shake hands and then we’re back in the SUV to head home.

As Bruce maneuvers through evening traffic I realize the importance of something that Ryker said.

“You don’t start work until Thursday? That’s two days from now.” I ask Drew. “I thought you had to be back to start tomorrow.”

I had wanted to stay in Belize longer because tomorrow is October 1
st
. The baby’s due date. The date I want to forget because if I don’t, the crushing pain of our loss will return. Drew insisted that we had to be back for something he had to do tomorrow. I had assumed it was work.

“No, we don’t start until the second
.”

“Then why?” my voice cracks and I can’t continue.

Drew takes my chin and turns my head to face him. “I have some things that I need to do tomorrow. Important things. With you,” he whispers. Leaning in he brushes his lips against mine before moving away.

I suck in a breath, disappointed that the kiss was so fleeting. Wanting more of him on my skin, his scent, his taste; all of it so close then pulled away cruelly.

He senses my frustration and puts a hand on my knee. “Tomorrow Sydney. Trust me.”

His eyes plead with mine to give in and let him lead. He has that look on his face, his sincere and open ‘Drew’ look that I love. “Alright,” I relent. He needs
to take care of me so I’ll trust him to get me through the day tomorrow.

“I love you Syd.”

I manage a weak smile. “Love you too.” Then I let the nerves take over my body, dreading the sunrise with every ounce of my being.

Thankfully, the paparazzi haven’t discovered Drew’s back entrance to the underground garage. We’re able to pull in undetected and enter the brownstone without being hassled.

Bruce leaves and we’re alone, no Steve or Evan or Sal. It’s just the two of us. Drew has anticipated my reaction to tomorrow’s date and given me the privacy I need if I fall apart.

We have a quiet dinner and relax on the rooftop deck with a bottle of wine. Surprisingly, I feel content wrapped up in Drew, our legs tangled on the lounge that we’re sharing.

“Drew?” I want to bring up a subject, but I’m afraid it may bring this calm night to an abrupt halt.

He trails his fingers up and down my arm and nuzzles his nose into my neck, inhaling deep. “Yes love?”

“You want me to trust you tomorrow. To get me through the day without losing myself, right?”

I feel his demeanor shift, playful Drew is gone and his tone is cautious.

“Yes.”

“Then I need something from you,” I say nervously.

He sits up straight and puts down his wine glass.

“Whatever you need, I’ll give you,” he says earnestly.

I brace myself for his potentially angry reaction. “I want to know the real reason you and Adam hate each other. I deserve to know.”

I
turn to watch him carefully, and see the fury slide into his eyes for a brief moment before he drops his actor’s mask in place, hiding his emotions.

“Why do you need to know that shit
, Syd,” he snaps. “It’s old news.”

“It’s not old news. The two of you, you’re volatile and you put me in the middle. It’s not fair and I want to know. If he’s as bad as you think he is then you should want to tell me so I can judge for myself.”

Drew clenches his jaw and I watch the muscles in his cheeks pulse with frustration.

“Fine,” he says angrily. He gets up and sits in a chair across from me so we’re face to face.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten what he’s done Sydney,” he warns. “I’m still going to fuck him up when I see him.”

The hair on the back of my neck stands up from his threat.
“Drew, that’s hardly necessary.”

“Don’t,” he warns darkly. “Don’t tell me how to feel about this.”

The calm hostility in his voice sends chills down my back. He really hates Adam.

“I was nineteen when I filmed my first movie, almost twenty,” he begins. “Chad was the director.”

I nod, remembering what he told me about the movie that made him a star.

“So we’re all out one night at a club in L.A., me and some of the other cast and crew. My college girlfriend had come out to visit.”

He pauses as I absorb this new information. I’ve never heard a word about a girlfriend from back home.

“How long we
re you together when you left?”

“
Less than a year. I met her my freshman year.” He displays no emotion as he tells me his story.

“So we’re all out and listening to this new band play and we’re dancing and drinking and having fun,” he says. “One of the guys in the crew is friends with
one of the guys in the band and we all go to our producer’s house after to party.”

I raise an eyebrow and he just shrugs.

“That’s Hollywood, you know that. It’s why I don’t live there. But I was new to it, and didn’t know anything. I thought I was the fucking shit, young and hot.” Drew scoffs, “Such bullshit.”

“So anyway, after an hour or so I realize that I can’t find my girl.” I get a chill that has nothing to do with the cool night air. This story isn’t going to end well.

“I look everywhere, she’s fucking gone. There was only one place I hadn’t checked yet, but I knew she wouldn’t be there.” He barks out a sarcastic laugh. “That’s where I found her though, drunk as shit, passed out naked on a bed.” Drew looks at me and I see pure hatred in his eyes. “That fucker Reynolds pulling his jeans on.”

I gasp audibly, imagining the pain Drew felt at the betrayal.

“She was too fucking drunk to know what the hell was going on Sydney. He took advantage of that and ruined everything.” He stands and paces in front of the chair, looking out over the city lights, his wine glass in one hand. “I failed her. I didn’t protect her from that shit. I was too shocked to even confront him. I didn’t do a Goddamn thing.”

Drew turns back to me
. “It was an eye-opening introduction to the fucked up shit that happens in Hollywood.” He returns to his seat and watches my reaction. His intense eyes reading my face like a book, seeing the horror on it. “I fucked him good though,” he laughs cruelly. “A few months later, he wanted to break into acting, making the rounds to try and get cast in a project that would help him cross-over.” Drew locks his gaze on mine. “I made sure it never happened.”

“What?” I whisper.

“My movie had released by then, I had Hollywood by the balls. Everyone wanted to make me happy, to suck up. It was easy to get them to dismiss the prick. The best part Syd? Is that when he found out that it was me that had him locked out, he approached me at a party and got in my face about fucking with him. He doesn’t even remember what he did! He didn’t know who I was that night when he fucked my unconscious girlfriend! He thinks
I’m
the bastard who shut him out for no reason.”

“That’s why he hates you. He thinks you singled him out and destroyed him
without cause.”

Drew laughs crudely.
“Yeah, no reason. Ever since then, he’s turned everything into a pissing match between us. I have no doubt in my mind that he’s using you to get to me Sydney. None. And I won’t allow it.”

I swallow nervously. This is not the story I expected to hear. I figured it was some sort of shallow celebrity bullshit, not the potential date-rape of Drew’s
teenage girlfriend.

“Was he drunk?” I ask.

“What?” Drew hisses.

“I asked if Adam was drunk that night as well. I’m not defending him, but two people with too much alcohol can lead to things
. Make you do things that are wrong without realizing that they
are
wrong.”

“I don’t know Sydney. I wasn’t looking at him
. Are you going to fucking defend him?” he yells.

“No! I’m not defending him. I just know that I’ve been out at cl
ubs, had too much to drink, and…” I let the sentence remain unfinished. “That’s what young people do.”

“Fuck that! Deliberate or not, he fucking destroyed me and her. I shipped her ass out the next day and never spoke to her again
, she didn’t deserve that shit and I didn’t trust another fucking female until you,” he admits. “He turned me into an over-protective, rage filled bastard. Hollywood is poison Sydney, it ruins people, like it did you.”

“I’m not ruined,” I say angrily.

His hard expression softens, “No, you’re not. You’re strong enough to separate the bullshit from reality,” he says admiringly.

Drew
stands and offers me his hand. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s go to bed.”

I take
his hand and allow him to pull me to my feet and press his body against mine. “What about my project? I can’t quit Drew.”

He squeezes his eyes shut and takes a moment to control his temper. When he opens them I see nothing but determination, “Let’s get through tomorrow first.”

“Okay.” I relent and follow him to the bedroom.

Fuck me. Adam Reynolds and Andrew Forrester.

I replay Drew’s story over and over in my mind until I’m so exhausted that I fall asleep. If nothing else, I at least managed to forget about the baby for a night.

I wake up the next morning to an empty bed. Crushing disappointment slams into me with Drew’s absence. Sitting up, I notice a small, blue box on my nightstand and it lessens the blow
some.

I pick it up and run my fingers over it
gently. Tugging the white satin ribbon, I unravel the bow and open the top. Inside is a delicate gold chain with a gold heart pendant hanging from the center. Tears prick my eyes as I recognize the necklace. My mother wore this to the Academy Awards the night she won her Oscar. It was a gift from her parents, my grandparents, who died a few years later in a car accident.

As I lift the chain from the box and watch the sunlight glint off of the charm, I notice a note folded into the box. Pulling it out with unsteady hands, I open it up and read Drew’s messy handwriting.

Sydney,

I borrowed this from your mom. Wear it today and think of my heart, which is always close to yours.

xoxo

Drew

He’s trying to distract me from the dark thoughts that surround this day and I love him for it. It takes me forever to work the clasp since my hands are so shaky. Once it’s lying in place against the hollow at the base of my throat, I get up and cross the room to face the full length mirror. It’s beautiful and sweet, and reminds me of my Mom.

I shower and brush my teeth, wondering where Drew could possibly be. He said he had plans for today
. I assumed they included me but now I’m not sure.

My phone beeps from the bedroom and I hurry to check it, eager to hear from Drew. I’m not disappointed.

Drew

My mouth turns down
and my brow wrinkles in confusion. He picked out my clothes? That’s so odd. I guess he wants me to be prepared for his surprise and not dressed inappropriately… and I trust him, I do. Every fiber in my being trusts him with my life.

I walk into the huge closet and see
fabric draped over the chair in the center of the room. I don’t recognize it but it’s beautiful. I pick it up and see that it’s a cream colored Roberto Cavalli wool sheath dress. On the floor next to the chair are my tan suede Louboutin ankle boots. Underneath the dress I find a pale blue lace lingerie set.

He even picked out my underwear? His control knows no bounds
.

Not knowing what else to do,
I dress quickly and style my hair and makeup, keeping it loose and minimal. The heart pendant is perfectly displayed by the demure neckline of the fitted dress.

Now the nerves start to wrack my body and I tremble all over. With all of Drew’s distractions done, I
have nothing to keep me calm. On the verge of falling to pieces, the beeping of my phone saves me.

I
scoop it up from the bed and flip it on, needing to hear from Drew before I lose it.

Drew <
My love, if you’re ready, Bruce is waiting downstairs. Wear your engagement ring, for me.>

My ring? I haven’t worn it since the Brandon Eastlake debacle. Leaving it off has made Drew rather angry at times, even though he claims to understand my reasons.

“Trust him Sydney,” I say to myself, brushing my hands down the sides of my dress.

I get the brilliant
, princess-cut, Harry Winston diamond ring out of my jewelry box and slide it into its rightful place on my left hand. I’m his and he’s mine. His need to prove it makes me smile, even though it drives me nuts at times.

I take a deep breath and head downstairs to meet Bruce. I don’t know where we’re going, but Drew knows me better than anyone. He wouldn’t hurt me, especially not today.

“Sydney, you look lovely.” Bruce smiles as I descend to the first floor. I notice Evan at the other end of the foyer and annoyance flashes briefly across my face.
Back to having a babysitter.

“Thank you Bruce, I’m ready.”

I refuse to let Evan’s presence bother me today. Of course Drew is going to have protection around me at all times. Certainly the press is still hunting us down. Especially since we haven’t been seen in public since the photo scandal broke. I drop kick the urge to peek out of the front curtains to see how big the unruly crowd of reporters is today and instead follow Bruce down to the garage and hop into the SUV.

“Are we going far?” I ask, dying to know where I’m going.

I see Bruce’s eyes in the rearview mirror as he chuckles. “No, not far.”

After turning out of Drew’s neighborhood, we go south on Broadway, headed toward Chinatown. There’s not a whole lot down this way. I’m stumped as to where we’re going.

Bruce pulls the car over on one end of Foley Square. Confused, I look around at all of the huge, white marble, government buildings and frown.

What the hell?

Evan opens my door, offering his hand to help me out. I hesitate, nervous because there are a lot of people around here and I’m not in any kind of a disguise. I don’t want Drew’s surprise ruined by a bunch of fans following me to meet him.

“Here,” Evan says as he removes his long trench coat and wraps it over me, sensing my discomfort. Then he takes his sunglasses off and hands them to me to put on. “Much better,” he says, grinning.

“Thanks Evan.” I take his hand and he leads me quickly across the sidewalk and up a few steps into one of the non-descript white buildings. The lobby is made of gleaming black and gold marble but before we can reach it we have to go through the metal detectors.

Once inside,
I start freaking out. Mostly because I have no idea why the hell I’m in this random government building, partially because it’s crowded in here and I don’t want to be recognized, and partially because I haven’t seen Drew yet today and my nerves are almost completely frayed and it’s not even lunch.

Evan quietly leads me around the large group of people waiting to pass through the metal detectors and into a side office.

“Drew!” I exclaim when I see him waiting for us in the small room. I rush to him and he envelops me in a comforting hug. When his arms close around me and I press my face to his chest, all of my anxieties melt away.

“You made it,” he whispers. He unwinds his arms from me and steps back. “You look gorge
ous Syd. Except maybe for these.” He helps me shrug out of Evan’s coat and gently removes the sunglasses from my face. “Now you’re perfect.”

I take a
good look at Drew and see that he’s wearing a fitted navy suit and light blue dress shirt with a dark tie. Then I take in his beautiful face and see something unfamiliar there, anxiety. His fingers are rubbing together nervously and his smile is slightly forced.

“Why are we here?” I ask.

“You’ll see,” he says playfully, but the apprehension in his features never completely disappears.

An older woman with a laminated badge enters the small office and greets us bot
h warmly. “Follow me,” she says. “Judge Harrington is waiting for you.”

I note her credentials, Judy Wright, Judicial Secretary.

“Judge?” My heart stops beating momentarily and my feet won’t move forward. Drew notices my reluctance and halts next to me. “This… this isn’t about Kiera or the wiretapping is it?”

He smiles, a genuine one this time
and ducks his head to whisper in my ear, swiping his thumb gently over my cheek. “No baby, nothing like that.”

Drew
threads his fingers through mine and we walk behind Judy to a large wooden door that says Honorable Judge Carl Harrington on a brass plaque.

Judy enters the judge’s chambers and Drew holds me back when I attempt to follow her inside. She turns to see why we aren’t behind
her and Drew holds up a finger. “Just one minute.” She nods and gives us a moment of privacy.

“Are you ready to follow through on your promise Sydney?” he asks me seriously, his deep green eyes searching mine for his answer.

“What promise?” I ask, nervous by the way he’s looking at me.

“You told me that we could get
married my way, when I decide, as long as there’s no press. Well, I chose here, now.”

All of the air is sucked out of the empty hallway, leaving me breathless and my heart racing.

Drew places his hands on either side of my face, sliding one back to cup the nape of my neck. “Syd, I love you. I want you forever, and I want forever to start now. I chose today to give this date a new significance. The beginning of us.”

He leans in and hesitantly slides his lips over mine.

“Say yes Sydney,” he breathes against my skin.

“Yes,” I answer without a moment’s hesitation.

He pulls back and his eyes dance with joy.

“You planned this for me?”

“For us, Sydney. To end the pain of the past and begin a new chapter. Come on.” He urges me forward as he steps toward the door and tugs on my hand. “The judge is waiting for us.”

Judy is seated behind a desk in the front office of the judge’s chambers. She jumps up when we enter and smiles, then turns and knocks on the heavy door behind her.

“Come in,” a deep male voice booms from behind the wood panel.

Judy
pushes the door open and lets us enter first. Judge Harrington is seated behind a massive antique desk, surrounded by overstuffed bookshelves and stacks of manila files. He gets up and circles the desk, shaking hands with both of us.

“Nice to meet you both. I have your paperwork right here,” he says jovially.

Judge Harrington is not what I would expect a judge to look like. He’s a pleasant, middle-aged guy wearing a regular pair of slacks and a dress shirt with the sleeves pushed up and his tie loosened casually. I thought he’d be much older and more serious looking, with white hair and a long black robe. Glancing around, I notice that he does have a robe hanging on a coat rack by the door and it makes me giggle.

Drew gives me an amused look but I don’t say anything.

“Have a seat,” the judge says, indicating the two leather chairs in front of his desk.

He slides into his high-backed chair and pushes some papers across the desktop for us to see. Drew reaches out and takes them, reading them
over.

“Where do we…?” he asks.

Judy scuttles over and shows us how to fill out the different papers. Where I need to sign and where Drew needs to sign. As I start to enter my information I notice the title of the document.

“Confidential Marriage License?
What’s that?”

Judge Harrington answers for me.
“It’s like a traditional marriage license except copies aren’t available to the public and the registration is sealed to anyone but the two parties involved. You don’t even need witnesses in the room, just me.”

“So no one can find out?” I ask, a smile spreading across my face.

“No one,” the judge responds.

I look at Drew and catch him smirking.

“Didn’t you just think of everything,” I tell him playfully. He gives me a full blown, Andrew Forrester, dimple-showing smile and I melt. God he’s so gorgeous, and thoughtful, and about to be mine.

I finish filling out my form and hand it to the judge as does Drew. “I just need identification,” he says.

I laugh, no one ever asks for proof of who we are.
This is great
, I think to myself.

I pull out my ID and hand it over, a little embarrassed that it’s just an ID and not an actual driver’s license. I’ll have to rectify that someday. Drew hands his over and the judge checks everything out until he’s satisfied.

He hands our ID’s back to us, stamps the papers, and scribbles his signature several times. “I have to collect the $25 fee,” he tells us, grinning at the ridiculousness of this situation.

Drew smiles and reaches into his wallet and hands some cash to Judy who leaves to get him a receipt. Finally done with the paperwork, the judge stands up.

“I don’t usually do marriage ceremonies in my chambers, but we can stand over there.” He indicates to an area in front of two towering bookcases on one end of the room.

We get up and follow him to the
empty space.

The nerves I had managed to keep under control
for the last half hour come flooding back all at once.
Holy shit, I’m getting married!

Then I realize this is what I want, more than anything. To belong to Drew in every way and him to me. He found a way to do it without the media circus, without the tabloids or any intrusions
, and I love him for it. He took the saddest day of my existence and turned it into the happiest. I reach over and take his hand in mine.

He smiles back at me, and I can tell that he’s been waiting for this day, waiting for me to get over my shit and let him love me.

“This is happening,” I whisper.

“Finally,” he says back
, grinning.

The judge clears his throat and opens up a book to a marked page.

“It is the intention of you, Andrew James Forrester, and you, Sydney Scarlet Tannen to be married here today?” the judge asks us.