Still, as people around David whispered and stared, he couldn’t help but miss the privacy he had enjoyed before all of the secrets were out.
After another rigorous day, David was glad to find Zeke in their room.
“Nur must be busy this afternoon,” he joked as he slung his backpack over his desk chair. He had seen less and less of his housemate and best friend since he’d gotten a girlfriend.
“And Katy,” Zeke retorted with a wink.
David laughed. “Good point.” He realized that Zeke wasn’t the only guilty party. But it was good to have some time with him today.
“Nur’s parents are in town. She’s having dinner with them, and then I meet them tomorrow,” Zeke explained, pulling at the collar of his shirt. “For better or for worse.”
“I’m sure they’ll be impressed. You impressed Nur, didn’t you? The hard part’s over,” David replied comfortingly.
“I don’t think you understand Middle Eastern parents,” Zeke quipped. Then his face changed. Glancing furtively at David, as though he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know, he asked, “How are you doing with everything? I mean, all of the . . . privacy stuff?”
David was slightly taken aback. Sure, things were a bit rough. But he didn’t think it warranted that much fanfare—not the too-sympathetic gaze he was getting. “I mean,” he said, “it’s not that bad. Annoying to deal with the whispers at times. And the questions. And the stares. But other than that, things are still pretty normal.”
Zeke nodded, visibly relieved. “Yeah, I knew you’d take it all in stride. If anyone can handle something like this, it’s you. But if you need to talk, I’m always available.”
David nodded, trying not to look too confused. The situation wasn’t ideal, but he still didn’t quite understand his roommate’s level of concern. He sat in his desk chair and fired up his laptop, preparing to check his email for the hundredth time. But before the browser had even loaded, Seb stuck his head through their bedroom door.
“Hey, man,” Seb said, looking at David. “You doing okay?”
All right, something’s up. “Yeah,” David said, his annoyance starting to leak into his voice. “Unless you guys know something that I don’t.”
Zeke narrowed his eyes at David in confusion. “Wait . . . were you not on the group chat?”
Uh-oh. “What group chat?”
Zeke and Seb exchanged worried looks, and Zeke pulled out his phone. “The landlord sent a message to all of the guys with a link to your article. Said he didn’t know he was hosting a celebrity and told us not to get him into any trouble.”
David watched, trying not to fidget, as Zeke scrolled through his text messages until he found what he was looking for. “Have you not seen this yet?”
David took the phone with a sinking feeling that he didn’t want to see what was on it at all.
George, the landlord for the Wolf Club house and a Harvard alum, had texted all of the guys in the house with the exception of David. And he’d sent along a link. David clicked it, and the picture swooped open in Zeke’s phone browser.
“Who is David Rosen: Lorrellian Princess’s Newest Boy Toy?”
David swallowed hard. He tossed Zeke’s phone back to him and turned quickly to his laptop, typing the headline into his browser’s search bar.
“Oh, man. He hasn’t seen it,” Seb added unhelpfully from the doorway.
“David,” Zeke started. But he didn’t get any further than that, probably unsure what to say.
David’s full name now popped up on several different celebrity and gossip websites, including some larger ones—ones that even he recognized. David clicked on the first article and began to read. In a numb kind of haze that was filling up his mind, only snippets of the print registered.
“. . . following the engagement of Alexei Sokolov, previously the world’s most eligible bachelor, Princess Katerina de Courtes of Lorria has rebounded in style . . . mystery man seen exiting restaurants, movie theaters, and private jets . . . a close source reveals all . . . our source says the princess’s new beau has a tragic background . . . orphaned as a teenager . . . adopted . . . knows nothing about his biological parents . . . our source says David is desperate to find his real family . . .”
David felt his palms go clammy. Our source? Who is this source who knows so much about me? Who would tell a stranger all of my private details . . . and why? He felt like a pit was opening in his stomach.
“David, dude,” Seb said gently. “It’s going to be all right, man.”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. But I know it has to suck. I’m sorry,” Zeke added.
David leaned back in his desk chair and closed his eyes. All of the “tragic” details he so rigorously tried not to be defined by were suddenly public knowledge. Flashes of words and concepts battered his brain: rebound, tragic, orphan, adopted, desperate . . .
“David, people know you’re a good guy,” Zeke went on. “This isn’t going to change their opinions of you.”
But David wasn’t convinced. This seemed like exactly the type of thing that had always changed people’s opinions of him, turning him into some sort of tale of woe or champion of the downtrodden. He should know. It had been happening for years, to his annoyance, ever since his parents had died. And now everyone who ever met him would be able to know that after a quick online search, including all of his friends, professors, future employers . . .
David stood and made for the door.
“David?” Zeke asked.
David stepped past Seb and called out over his shoulder, “I just need to take a walk.” He couldn’t spend any more time in that room being the object of pity—that was exactly the thing he hated most from strangers, let alone his own housemates. And, more than anything, he had to get away from his laptop with its array of website links, all leading to thousands of words detailing David’s entire life.
He walked through the house and out into the crisp Cambridge air, keeping his head down and moving quickly. The last thing he wanted was for someone to stop him and offer more condolences. The January chill calmed him slightly, helping him feel less claustrophobic and cornered. But the atmosphere could only do so much.
David wasn’t ashamed of his past. He had never lied about his story or his upbringing. He’d had two amazing parents who’d raised him well and lived to ripe ages. He had gotten to say goodbye to both of them before they went. He had so many happy memories with them.
But it wasn’t the widespread revelation that he was technically an orphan that was making his skin crawl like this. It was the fact that someone—the unnamed close source—was sharing David’s details so carelessly, insinuating that David was some desperately lost sap abandoned by his biological parents.
David’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He felt confident that it was Katy, probably fresh off reading the articles herself. But he was surprised to see that Cerise had texted instead.
“Hey, David. Not sure if you’re in the mood to talk but I wanted to reach out. Saw some personal stuff leaked recently and I hope you know that Joseph and I are here for you. We’re in this together.”
David stopped and stared down at his phone. In this together. David took a slow, deep breath in. Cerise was right about that. At least he didn’t have to face any of this alone. Whoever was leaking his details, he knew it wasn’t his cousins or Zeke. And obviously it wasn’t Katy.
He was just going to have to deal with things like this. It came with the territory when dating a celebrity, and Katy was worth it. She was worth all of it.
David’s phone buzzed again in his hand with another message from Cerise. This time, against all odds, it managed to make him smile.
“And I called it about Katy. Just friends, my ass! ;)”
7
Katy
“This is terrible,” Katy said softly, her eyes wide.
“I know,” Cassie replied over her shoulder. “I can’t believe they think Alexei used to be the world’s most eligible bachelor
. As if.”
Katy knew that her cousin was trying to lighten the mood with a joke, but she couldn’t bring herself to find any humor in the situation whatsoever. Cassie had just showed her a detailed article about David, which included his full name and very personal details. Details that Katy knew David wouldn’t want to share with most anyone, much less the entire world.
And it was all her fault. It was Katy’s celebrity status that had shined such a bright spotlight on David. It was her name and title and reputation that made her relationships the subject of public dissection and jokes. And it had been her choice to parade David about on dates at movie theaters and restaurants, knowing that there was a chance he could be photographed, investigated, exploited.
But Katy hadn’t thought the press would sink this low.
She closed her laptop and reached for her phone.
“I have to check on David,” she said to her cousin, her fingers already scrolling through buttons to find David’s number. “I have to apologize to him.”
“Hon, this isn’t your fault. And I’m sure David knows that. You didn’t know they would post all of that stuff about him.”
“But I knew that the risk was there! Ugh, I never should’ve stopped dyeing my hair. Then at least I would’ve been less conspicuous.”
Katy dialed David’s phone. It rang a few times before his sweet, familiar voice sounded from the other side.
“Hey,” he said simply.
“David, can I come over?” Katy asked.
“Maybe we could meet somewhere instead? I . . . don’t want to be in my room.”
Katy could hear the sound of the wind coming through the line, distorting his voice, which meant David was probably walking around outside. Probably trying to escape the hell I’ve brought him into.
Assuming that David had already seen the articles. The first one had only been published within the past couple of hours, so there was always the chance . . .
“Had to get away from my computer and those damn blogs for a while,” David added. The crackle and rush of the wind wasn’t able to hide the stress in his voice.
Nope. He’s seen them.
“Okay,” Katy replied gently. “I totally understand. The campus coffee shop?”
“I’ll meet you there,” he said simply.
Katy hung up the phone and went to her closet, grabbing a coat and a scarf. Then, in a modest attempt not to be recognized, she also grabbed a beanie to throw over her blonde hair and a pair of oversized sunglasses. She couldn’t take back the pain that her fame had already caused David, but she could at least try to keep the photographers at bay for their coffee date.
“Keep your chin up,” Cassie said softly as Katy made for the door. “Remember: it’s not your fault.”
Katy nodded at her cousin, though she wasn’t convinced. Soon she was outside in the chilly late afternoon. She walked quickly, with purpose, tucking her chin down into her wool scarf and keeping her fingers warm in her coat pockets. Cambridge reminded Katy of their winter home in Northern Lorria sometimes, with its cold, old-world elegance, but she was more than ready to start feeling the warmth of spring.
And, well, maybe she was just ready for a new beginning in general. She felt so guilty for this new pain that she had caused, just when she thought maybe they’d be able to work through the media frenzy together. She’d seen David’s discomfort after the first paparazzi ambush outside of the restaurant. But he’d handled their next encounter outside of the movie theater much better! Better than Katy had, in fact.
Katy made it to the coffee shop without calling any undue attention to herself. She walked in, exhaled in the welcome warmth, and then scanned the room. David was sitting in the back of the room, leaning dejectedly over a to-go cup. Katy’s heart sunk further. She passed the counter with its smiling cashier and walked over to him. He didn’t seem to notice her approaching until she was upon him.
“David,” she said tentatively.
He looked up at her with heavy eyes, nonetheless managing to crack a smile at seeing her. “Hey, Katy.”
“Oh, David,” she went on, taking a seat across from him at the small wooden table. “I’m so sorry. The media is relentless. They’re like wolves. But you never should’ve been subjected to this type of scrutiny.” The apology spilled out of her, channeling the guilt swirling in her gut.
David shook his head, his eyes looking, if possible, more agonized. “Katy, it’s not your fault.” He wrapped both of his hands around his cup and looked down at the table. “It’s not the end of the world, anyway. It just came as a bit of a shock.”
“I shouldn’t have been parading you around like that,” Katy continued. It didn’t look like it was making him feel better, but she found she couldn’t stop. “The restaurant, the movies, all of that. I should’ve been content to just spend time in private with you. It was never about the place. It was always about being with you, David. And I’m so sorry that I didn’t make that clear from the beginning.” Hurting David was the last thing that Katy had ever wanted. Especially since he had done so much to make her happy and let her be herself. And this was how she repaid him?
But David’s gaze shot up from his coffee cup, and his voice grew stronger. “Katy,” he said firmly, “I don’t blame you. Don’t apologize. If anything, I should be sorry. I’m sorry that I didn’t realize how hard this type of life is. I had no idea what you’ve had to go through. It’s . . . awful.”
The two of them grew quiet, sitting only inches apart, their feelings bare in front of one another. Katy still felt guilty about the whole situation, but a piece of her heart warmed, too. She couldn’t believe that David could be so considerate and empathetic at a time like this.
Or maybe she could believe it.
After letting the silence grow for a few minutes, she spoke again. “What now?” She knew it was a vague question. In fact, she wasn’t quite sure herself what she meant by it. But it came out naturally.
David sighed, his voice gentle. “Life goes on,” he replied slowly. “I learn to live in the public eye. I maybe keep a tighter circle of friends, to make sure nothing else leaks.”
“Do you have any idea who would’ve told the press?” Katy asked. It was a question that had been hot on her mind. Who was the “unnamed source” that the bloggers had gotten their information from?
But David shook his head. “Only a few people knew about my parents. Even fewer knew about my biological mom. Maybe someone let something slip. I don’t know. I can’t think about it too much or it’ll drive me insane.”
That confirmed what Katy already knew. She’d always believed that David had only entrusted a select few with those details.
“But maybe they told other people,” he continued, sounding grim at the possibility. Katy understood. It was awful to imagine that someone you loved and trusted was selling you out. And she couldn’t imagine anyone in David’s life doing it.
Then how did this information get out?
“But I guess that the only thing to do is to keep living my life normally,” David went on, returning to Katy’s initial question. “I’m not going to let this get to me. I just needed time to process this . . . new reality.”
He looked up at Katy, his intensely blue eyes pained but clear. Katy stared back. She was unsure what to say. She still felt like she had caused all of this, even if David and Cassie tried to convince her that it wasn’t her fault. But knowing that David still wanted to be with her was soothing to her troubled mind. At the very least, Katy wanted to comfort David the only way she currently could. She reached across the table and grasped his hand in hers.
He looked down at their entwined fingers and squeezed hers gently in thanks. Katy remembered the feeling of wanting to take his hand when they’d been in a cab to New York City—the feeling of having to pull away for worry about the secrets between them and Cassie’s feelings. And now, by some miracle, she didn’t have to let go of him if she didn’t want to.
She wanted to hold his h
and until he felt better—and beyond.
“Don’t you want a coffee?” he asked, flashing a weak grin.
Katy felt her spirits lift just at his attempt at levity. She shrugged and smiled back. “To be honest, I just wanted to be with you.”
“I’m buying you a coffee anyway,” David replied. “I need you to be alert for another late-night movie in bed.”
A gentle heat pulsed through her core at his words. Maybe if David wouldn’t let her apologize verbally, she could make it up to him with her actions instead.
They stood together and walked to the counter to order Katy’s drink. The cashier smiled casually at both of them and took down Katy’s to-go latte order; then, as she surveyed them again, her eyes narrowed a bit in recognition. Katy sighed mentally and put on her polite royalty smile, ready to play the diplomat once again.
But the girl was looking at David.
“You’re David, right?” she asked him.
“Um. Yeah. Do I know you?”
But now it was clear where the conversation was going. No, David didn’t know the girl. But the girl knew that David was a celebrity of sorts now. And as she played flirtatiously with her hair and looked up at David through her eyelashes, Katy tried to keep a frown from pinching her face. This again?
Katy took a step toward David, putting her hand on his shoulder and then sliding it gently down his back—and was rewarded when the cashier did a double take. That’s right. Not today, girl. Back off.
“Oh. Princess! I didn’t recognize you.” She blushed crimson, knowing she’d been caught.
Katy just took her latte, feeling like the fake smile was going to scrape off her face at any moment.
Back out in the cold, David cast her an embarrassed look. “Thanks for rescuing me back there.”
She shot him a wry grin. “Yeah, we’re doing this whole ‘princess story’ all wrong. Shouldn’t I be the damsel in distress?”
A Love that Endures 2 Page 6
