Irreplaceable {1}

Chapter 25

We should have known it wouldn't last forever.

Monday morning it started up again, I was getting comments and messages and it was so overwhelming again. Even Leo's phone was going off like crazy.

We looked at each other, concern written all over our faces. "Do you think something happened?" I asked, dread pooling in my stomach.

Leo very slowly picked up his phone to look at it, mine started ringing at the same time. It was Leo's publicist. I answered and put her on speaker. "Did something happen?"

She let out a sigh of frustration, "this man will not lay off. And now he's got help. Who the hell are Jasmine and Dena?"

I felt my face go pale. I thought they were going to back off.

Leo swore, "what do we have to do then?"

She wasn't even surprised that Leo and I were in the same room at 6 in the morning on a Monday. "We might have to make a public statement?" She suggested but she sounded unsure, "I am all for doing nothing though and waiting for people to get bored of drama that doesn't exist. We should send you two on a date this week at some point and see how that goes."

My stomach turned a little, "I'm always down for a date, but in public makes me nervous."

She agreed, "yeah, people don't have empathy when they're on the other side of the camera. So what do you think? Would you like to say something?"

Leo looked at me, waiting for my answer, "I don't want to give them anymore of my time or attention."

She sighed with relief, "perfect, then let's just continue being Marie and Leo."

Leo nodded, "I like this plan."

My shoulders relaxed, "okay, well can you plan date night while I'm at work? I don't want to be late."

Leo scrambled after that.

The office was tense again and my pod-mates looked at me uneasy. Kyle whispered, "are we resorting to murder yet?"

I had to laugh at that, "no not yet."

I had an idea then. The only person really featured on my Instagram was Leo. I had friends. I should do something with my friends too.

I smiled and whispered, "do you all want to do something on Sunday?"

Nathan grinned, "you want photos?"

I nodded and smiled at the rest of them, "any good ideas?"

Penny shrugged it off, "leave it to me, I will give you all a time and a place."

Everyone nodded and then turned back to their work. I texted Roxy, suggesting we go out one night this week and do something fun for posts. I realized I was staging some of my life, but I needed to show more of my life that didn't include Ethan to prove he wasn't in it.

No one online knew anything about me or my life and that was about to change.

Roxy and I went house decor shopping and out for dinner then bowling for some reason. Scott and Rowan joined us for bowling in the second half and I was able to get a group photo for my main posts and create a couple videos for my story.

Leo and I went out the next night, playing laser tag with a couple of his friends and I reposted what he posted on his story after tagging us all in it. On the Saturday, Leo went back on the road and we had movie night without the band, which made it feel a little empty.

Sunday, I met up with my work friends which felt so weird. We went for brunch and then to an afternoon play that Penny had found last minute. It was in a park and we got to sit on blankets in the grass. The pictures that Kyle took ended up being the ones we all posted, and he was pretty proud of himself.