Playing in Secret(35)

"It would've been if you'd thought of it. And that's what tonight is.  Your perfect prom, only better. You deserve so much more, and I'll give  it all to you as we go through life together. This is just the  beginning, Dree."         

     



 

He's right. It's the beginning. A new beginning for both of us. One  we're going to explore together. I can't even find my fear as I look  into his eyes. All I can see and feel is love.



Blake

Everything is going according to plan so far, but I know we're about to  face our biggest challenge. The red carpet isn't easy for anyone, and  since Jesse already called me with a heads up, I know this one's going  to be like the seventh circle of Hell. When the limo pulls up to our old  high school, I turn to Audrey, because she needs to know.

"Things are about to get ugly."

"Misha?"

"Yeah. She's been telling everyone how it's the anniversary of our prom,  and that's why I picked the date. You know I did pick this date for a  reason, and I won't let her make people believe it has to do with her."

"I'm okay with it. I don't need you to declare anything publicly.  Everything you've already done today has shown me how important I am to  you."

"You may not need it, but I'm going to do it anyway. Tonight is all for you, and the world should know that."

"Okay. I can handle her."

"I know you can."

Blake knocks on the privacy window, and a minute later the door is  opening, and I'm following Blake out into the crowd. Flashbulbs are  going off, and I can barely see. I hold up my dress with one hand as  Blake leads me to the staging area at the beginning of the line, where I  can at least see clearly for a minute.

"You okay?"

"Yes."

"Blake, there you … are," Misha says, her nostrils flaring when she sees me.

"Nice to see you Mish. No, on second thought, it's not. Now please excuse us. We have a carpet to walk."

"You can't walk with her. I told them … well, things."

"I know exactly what lies you told everyone. I'm about to set them all straight."

"You can't do that."

"Move out of the way, or I'll have security move you."

She steps aside, but as we walk by, Audrey starts to fall, and I realize  that Misha has tripped her. I catch Audrey before she hits the ground  and help her stand back up, making sure she's okay before calling  security over. They take a screaming Misha away, and I turn Audrey back  to the cameras as I place my arm around her.

"Hey guys, I have a statement to make. I'm aware that my ex-wife said  some things to you before I got here, and I need to clear those up. I  did add this premiere in tonight because it's the anniversary of a prom I  attended with Misha, but I didn't do it for her. You see, all those  years ago, on a dare, I asked the nerdiest girl in school to prom. I  told her what time I'd pick her up, and asked her what color dress she  was wearing, so she'd think I was getting her a corsage.

"I'm not proud of the fact that I left that girl waiting for me while I  went with Misha, and honestly, that night has haunted me for most of my  life. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway, even though, deep down, I  liked that girl. A lot. I won't ever regret that I had a relationship  with Misha, because we wouldn't have had our daughter, and I love Jeanne  more than anything, but I did regret never following my heart all of  those years ago.

"Tonight, I'm trying to undo the wrong I made all those years ago. This  brilliant and beautiful woman on my arm, Audrey Sanchez, is the girl I  stood up twenty years ago. She recently gave me the chance to prove that  I'm not that stupid boy from back then, and tonight I'm giving her the  prom I denied her. I also want to announce that we're expecting a child  together, and once I figure out an impressive enough way to ask her,  we'll hopefully be getting married."

I put my hand on her stomach and lean down to kiss her. We kiss for  several minutes as the flashes go off, and then we continue down the  line. I don't give speeches at every stop, but we do kiss. For the  cameras, and for us. Questions are thrown at us, but I wave them all  off. My agent has a document with all of the information they'll need to  know. I lead Audrey inside the hall and down to the theater where we've  set up the film, stopping to grab her popcorn and candy before we take  our seats.

Audrey tells me the movie is really good even though I don't show my  ass, and I just shake my head, reminding her she can see my ass whenever  she wants. We walk hand in hand to the gym where the after party, aka  the prom, is taking place. It's a masquerade ball, just like it was back  then, and I help her put on the rhinestone butterfly mask I bought her  before slipping on my plain black one.         

     



 

"Oh wow. This looks just like the pictures I saw, but better."

"I told you that was the plan."

"How did you do all of this? The extra premiere, and everything?"

"Dance with me, and I'll tell you everything."

"I'd love to dance with you, but no one's out there yet. Are you sure  you want people to see your two left feet. I don't care, but you know  people and their pesky camera phones."

"Actually, I've been taking lessons while I've been on tour."

"Really?"

"Yep. I hired someone from one of the dance shows to help me. I can probably even hold my own with Swing."

"Then lead me to the dance floor and show me what you've got."

I've got more than dancing to show her, and I can't wait to see her  face. As we take our places in the middle of the dance floor, I nod to  the band on the stage. They're in shadows so Audrey hasn't seen them  yet. Once they step into the light, I hear her gasp.

"Oh my God. Is that?"

"All-4-One and Storyside? Yes. Your mom told me you used to dance around  with your dress to I Could Love You Like That. I don't remember dancing  to it at prom, but I won't forget it tonight. Especially not with  Stella's boyfriend and his band joining in. I'm pretty sure this is  going to be epic."

"You are epic. Now spill. I get how you did the music, but I want to know about everything else."

"Hold on a sec," I tell her as Kace takes the microphone.

"Hey everyone, I'm Kace and this is my band, Storyside. We're totally  stoked to be playing with All-4-One tonight on this first song. It's a  song that's special to one of the most amazing women I've ever met in my  life. This one's for you, Audrey Sanchez."

Audrey blows him a kiss, he winks at her, and then the music starts. "What do you want to know exactly?" I ask, trying to stall.

"Everything."

"Of course you do." Here goes nothing. "I gave up my backend percentage  of the film's earnings, and did that extra week of promoting in exchange  for being allowed to do this tonight. As for the press, we didn't tell  any of them this was happening until today. It was a condition of my  giving up the money. I don't know how Misha even found out about it. One  of the rags must've called her."

"That's millions of dollars. And your time that you gave up is worth a lot, too."

"It is, but how many millions do I really need?"

"Blake," she says, her eyes filling with tears.

"I love you, Audrey. The money and the time are insignificant compared to that."

"I love you, too. This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me in  my life. It's the best thing I've ever been bought, too. I can't wait to  spend the rest of my life with you."

"I'm happy to make all of your fantasies come true."

"If we're talking fantasies, I always wanted to make-out under the bleachers with you."

"I think that can be arranged."

"Best Baby Daddy ever."

She kisses me before I can complain, and after a few minutes, I forget  why I even wanted to complain in the first place. I know how lucky I am  to have her back in my life, and I'll spend the rest of it proving that  to her. All the way to the nursing home, and beyond.





Read on for the Prologue and Chapter 1 of

Loving My SECRET, Reina and Matt's book.

For this book, the prologue isn't the beginning,

it's a snippet of what's to come …





Prologue


Reina

"Help," I scream, "someone please help us!"

I clutch the sheet to myself as I crawl over to Matt. He's covered in  more blood than I am, but what's on me isn't mine. It belongs to the men  I killed in order to stop them as they shot the man I love. The man who  came for me, even when I thought he wouldn't.

I try to stop the blood-the life-from seeping out of him, but it's not  stopping for me. There are too many wounds, he was shot too many times.  "Don't die on me, Matthew Corrigan. Don't you dare die on me."

"Reina? Oh fuck," Nate says from behind me.

"Help me. We have to stop the bleeding."

"Rei," Aiden says softly, and when I turn to him, I see he's given up on Matt already. Nate has the same look in his eyes.