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9
Riley
I sit on the bench under the shade and watch Nova walk away.
Now that is a great ass.
Who am I kidding? Everything about her is great.
I wasn’t going to approach her when I spotted her framed by the bougainvillea-covered arch, as if she were meant to be surrounded by nature’s beauty.
I planned to turn around and give her privacy. It’s one of the reasons I come to this spot daily—for the outdoor privacy. But then I heard her say, “Love you, too,” to the person on the phone, and I got worried it might be her ex. The guy is known for cheating on his girlfriends. Who’s to say he wouldn’t cheat on his new wife with his ex? According to social media, he cheated on Nova with Hope before he dumped her.
It’s none of my business what Nova does with her life, but at that second, when I heard her say those words, I grew concerned. I didn’t tell Nova she talks in her sleep and said stuff about Justice that worried me.
“Please, Justice, I didn’t mean it.”
“Don’t, Justice, please don’t.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to be fat.”
The last statement could be unrelated to Justice, but I don’t think that’s the case. I think he made her feel like shit.
The tabloids are doing a number on her, and it makes me want to destroy the people targeting her. She’s hardly fat. Society doesn’t know what fat is anymore.
Nova is beautiful and curvy and desirable in so many ways. If I read another post about Justice trading in Nova for a better, fitter version, I might punch a hole in a wall.
Hope is nothing like Nova. She’s fake. Fake tan, fake nose, fake hair color, fake lips. I’ve seen the before and after pictures. We all have. Nova is natural and exquisite.
One post went as far as showing Nova drinking a milkshake and claiming she has an obsessive eating disorder. If you look at the picture closely, Nova is at a smoothie bar. Drinking a motherfucking smoothie. Even if she was enjoying a milkshake, why is it anyone’s business?
How does she handle the negativity?
My father squashes as much fake news as he can that’s reported about him. Lots of political figures do, not that they can remove or erase all of it, but Nova doesn’t even seem to care. Shit. I could even have Cooper wipe clean as many posts as possible.
I admire her for not reacting to the media bullshit surrounding her, but I can’t imagine what it’s like, living with that kind of scrutiny. I suppose she chose the exposure when she dated Justice, which still has me confused as fuck.
Nova disappears across the stretch of lawn into the landscaped path that leads to the house.
I let out a sad sigh and then laugh at myself for my reaction. Isolation is my problem. It has to be why I’m suddenly interested in Nova’s life. She’s also the first person my age I’ve been around in a while. It doesn’t help that she’s my fantasy version of the perfect girl.
Her behavior last night—bringing me food, her ability to make conversation easily, and the cute way she acts when she drinks wine—only increased my interest.
Nothing could ever happen between us, for so many reasons: My respect for Gigi. The fact that she’s famous, and I want nothing to do with the spotlight. How our lives are on extremely different paths. Her desire for her own fame, and my need to be a recluse.
The only good thing to come of this new fascination is that I’m not thinking about my old life as much or stalking people from it on the web like I used to.
My phone dings.
It can only be one of a few people. No one else has this number.
The caller reads as Unknown. My shoulders tense. I answer but don’t speak.
“Hunting?”
I relax.Huntingis the code word Agent Keller gave me when I was in witness protection.
“Hey. Thanks for getting back to me.” I stare at the second floor of the main house, the only part visible over the lush shrubbery from where I am.