Loving You

XXII. Shocked

Sunday, March 13th, 2016

The next morning, I woke up to the incessant ringing of my phone, where I'd tossed it on the floor after getting into bed. Leaning as far as I could over the edge of the mattress, I just managed to snag it before falling on my head.

"Hello?" I grumbled, still half-asleep. I didn't even know what time it was.

"Aspen. What the hell?" Casper's voice hissed back at me. The sound startled me enough that I sat straight up in bed.

"What? What's the matter? What'd I do wrong?" My heart immediately started pounding up into my throat. I thought for sure someone had overheard my conversation with Isla about him. Or else he'd somehow found out.

"Jesus, Aspen. Look at a crappy tabloid. Or social media. Your face is all over the place with Isla. You're in New York for three days and are already having run-ins with paparazzi? I knew this was a terrible idea."

"Wait. What? That can't be right. Who would care about me? I thought they were just taking pictures of Isla."

"Well apparently her fans are interested in who she's hanging out with. Here. I just sent you a few screen shots." Right as he said it, I heard a quiet ding noise signaling a new text. I put him on speaker phone while I checked, and nearly choked on air when I saw what he sent.

Sure enough, there we were, seemingly all over several trashy magazine covers in what appeared to be a display at a grocery store checkout counter. Isla and I were clearly visible in every picture, while Bexley was hidden by Marcus, the security guy who'd deemed himself her personal bodyguard.

My breath caught in my throat while I scrolled, and my heartbeat started pounding like crazy. I tried to suck air into my lungs, but it was like I was paralyzed. In the back of my mind, I knew Casper's voice was calling me back to reality, but I couldn't follow. I was stuck in my panic bubble, feeling like I was dying.

"Aspen. Can you hear me? Aspen!" I was finally able to focus on his voice long enough to start calming down. "For fuck's sake. Say something! Are you okay?"

I gasped for breath and brushed away thick streaks of tears that I hadn't even realized were there. "Uhm... Sorry. I'm here," I squeaked out, but it seemed to do little to assuage Casper's concern.

"Are you okay? What the fuck?" As I slowly started to calm down, shame blanketed me.

"Sorry. I... uhm... panicked." It was easily the best way to describe it without going into unnecessary detail.

"Aspen." His voice was much softer. "It's okay. At least they didn't get Bexley's face. Who was that holding her?" It was stupid, but his words did make me feel a bit better.

"Isla's bodyguard. Or one of them anyway. He wouldn't let anyone get even remotely close to her."

"That's reassuring, I guess. What were you guys doing anyway?"

Finally managing to get the tears to stop, I answered, "We literally just went to dinner and a different place for dessert. Nothing special."

"Listen," Casper lowered his voice considerably right as I took him off speaker phone, "I've worked with Isla before. It wasn't an experience I particularly liked. She's nice enough. But make no mistake, she is completely self-absorbed. And extremely demanding. She puts on a good act, but she really only cares if it benefits her in some way. Trust me."

I really didn't want to believe him. A part of me did, though. "Okay. Thanks for the warning..."

"If you need to just quit and come home, call me anytime. I'd even fly out to help with Bex and Duke and everything." He was completely genuine and totally serious. Yet, still, I laughed.