Chapter 8: I Love You
The car ride was beyond exhilarating, you could say it lifted the grim feeling in me a little. I followed the GPS and found myself at the local park. I looked over to Eric but he was now out of the car opening my door for me. I was not exactly pleased with him right now but the gesture did not go unnoticed.
He leads me to a set of swings and settles on one as I sit on the other. Crickets were buzzing around, filling the awkward silence between the both of us. Eric cleared his throat making me look at him expectantly.
"Thank you. Thank you for not flipping out when you found out the truth."
I looked down at my hands. "So you really kept it from me?" I was surprised by how calm I'm feeling now. I wanted to be angry, to have some kind of reaction out of me, but I can't.
I looked at Eric's torn expression, and it was exactly why I was calm. There was more to the story I was hearing right now. He stared straight ahead with a ghost of a smile on his lips. "There's a reason why I always keep a low profile—"
"Yeah, I figured that one myself." I snapped. Okay, so my calm-as-fuck facade was deteriorating rapidly. But he didn't mind, so why will I?
He glanced sideways and smirked, but he continued either way. "People expect a lot from you. You don't have privacy because as soon as you step out of your front door, you get asked by your fans for your autograph. I won't be sitting here and having a quiet conversation with you. I was surprised you didn't recognize me when we first met, and I was relieved. There was another person I didn't have to live up to their standards to.
Yes, I was afraid you wouldn't like me if you knew I was a multi-billionaire author. I knew you would know it sooner or later and trust me I was going to tell you. You must understand I am new to all of these. I didn't date those women my sisters and friends keep setting me up with because their after one thing and one thing only. And you," He smiled at me, "you were different. You proved that I can be loved without knowing the Eric Daniels that every one knows. You made every difference in my world, Katherine. And I am sorry you had to find out this way. I truly am."
It took time for me to digest everything he said. He had a point, he wouldn't have any normalcy if he lived up to the limelight and I knew how I would react if I knew he was the Eric Daniels. Who wouldn't? But one thing kept bugging me.
How didn't I know who he really was in the first place?
He was famous, for crying out loud. How come I didn't come across an interview or something with a picture of him? Or better yet, how come my brothers, who are so obsessed with Lonely Pictures didn't recognize him? Or maybe they did?
He said I made the difference for him. Well, that was a cheesy thing for him to say. But what can I expect? He is a writer. Aren't they supposed to be all William Shakes?
"Well, one thing I did learn. Ignorance isn't always bliss. How the hell did I possibly miss it? I should have seen your face plastered on something."
He let out a booming laugh. The color of his face returned, his eyes twinkling. "You don't fail to surprise me, baby doll. And here I thought you would finally go thermonuclear on me!" Then his expression turned into a questioning one, "Yeah, how come you did not recognize me?"
I glared at him, "Nice to know you still find me funny. But I don't know. I keep trying so hard to remember if I had seen you and I keep coming up blank." I sigh.
He pressed his lips together and nodded.
"Maybe you're right."I whisper softly, looking at the bright moon overhead. "If I did know who you were, we wouldn't be talking right now. But my brothers have seen you! They are the most obsessed people on earth about your work, how could they have missed it?"
