Page 49 of Beyond the Spotlight Discreet Version

“Wow,” Lana says beside me. I pop open my eyes. She’s holding up her phone with a picture of me on it.

Wow is right. The sun highlights my profile. I have a double chin, but it’s never bothered me. The first time someone tried to bully me about it, I was ten years old.

I said, ‘Two is greater than one, so I’m better than you.’

Reynold had no problem with my double chin either. My face heats remembering his lips peppering kisses along my jaw and down my neck. Across all the places on my body the world told me was bad.

I send Reynold the picture along with the ones Lana took of me and Addy with the NYC skyline behind us. Then we grab some ice cream from a cart along the Bridge View Lawn and sit on a bench to scarf it down.

“Huh,” I say, noticing a man lingering a few feet away.

“What is it?”

“That man.” I discreetly nod my head in his direction. “He was at Addy’s preschool.”

Lana narrows her eyes.

“Does he seem familiar? A parent maybe?”

I shake my head. “I’ve never seen him before. And he doesn’t have a kid with him right now.”

Lana sighs. “Probably just a fan. It happens sometimes. I don’t know how they find me, even with the wig on.”

“That’s annoying. Kinda scary too.”

Lana calls over one of her bodyguards, Frank. She whispers in his ear, and he nods. He takes Sarah with him to confront the man. But as they head towards him, he walks off.

“Want us to chase after him?” Frank asks.

“No. Just keep an eye out in case he returns.” She turns to me. “Did you get a good look at him?”

“I think he had dark hair. Not too tall. Built but not bulky.”

Frank nods at my description and huddles with the rest of the bodyguards.

“Hey,” Lana says, quietly. She places her palm on my hand, which I realize was shaking. “Fans are mostly respectful. Sometimes they get excited and linger too close. That man probably has a crush, either on me or Mylan. He was likely too shy to come up and talk, so he followed us around, staring. I’m sure he’s harmless.”

I let out a long breath. “Right.”

“Savvy, I’m hungry,” Addy whines. Her face is covered in chocolate ice cream. I take a picture of the adorable mess and send it to Reynold. He hasn’t answered the other texts. He must be busy on set.

“Why don’t we get pizza?” Lana suggests.

Adeline’s face lights up and she jumps up off the bench and bounces on her feet.

As we walk to the famous Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, I keep glancing over my shoulder. My nerves are wrecked now. I know Lana said not to worry, but that guy gave me the creeps. What if he wasn’t here for Lana? What if he’s a paparazzo and recognized Addy as Rey’s daughter? Could he have been following us and snapping pictures of her this entire time?

Chapter 11 - Reynold

“I’mhiringmorebodyguards.”

Savannah’s head jerks up as she’s setting the table for our dinner with Mylan, Lana, Eloise, and Kelly.

“That’s unnecessary, Rey.”

I hold back the growl at her calling me Rey. She knows how much I hate it. Rey belongs to the world. Reynold belongs to Savannah.

“Sarah and Henry should have noticed that man.”