Page 49 of Shy Girls Can’t Date Celebrities (Shy Girls Sweet Romances #6)

I retch hard, my eyes blurring.

“ Oof . You don’t look so good,” the security guard says bluntly.

Claire joins me in the aisle. “Josie? Do you want to take a seat? I could get you a glass of water.”

Goosebumps prick my skin as a layer of sweat coats my entire body.

“Josie?” Claire asks in alarm.

I clear my throat roughly and blink the tears away. “I’m okay.” I cough, wiping my brow. “Crap... All those people. Ugh. I just need to get out of here.”

Claire motions for me to follow security. “He’ll get you out of here. They’re trained to be as discreet as possible.”

My stomach flips so hard it might turn inside out .

He might get me out of here, but I still need to descend those stairs. Those people are still corralled around the stairs.

Holy cow.

Ouch! My stomach.

I wipe away the new layer of sweat.

Dang it. Maybe I should’ve just flown home. I’ve gone right into the Circle 8 hub. The homeland of the celebrity kids and their superfans. I’m spending a few hours here. I don’t know how my nervous system will remain functioning.

The security guard snaps his fingers at me. “Okay, look alive. We’re going down these stairs and straight to the car. Are you with me?”

Despite everything in front of me having a red haze, I nod. Claire’s voice is garbled as she bids me farewell. My feet vibrate as I take my first step off the plane. Hot blood pumps thick in my veins as the deafening cheers hit me harder outside the plane.

The security guard keeps a hand on my back as he walks every step down with me. Wishing I’d swiped Portia’s blackout sunglasses, I blink hard against the morning sun mixed with the camera flashes

Now, I hear her demure giggle break through the crowd noise.

I gulp for air as a weight presses heavier against my chest. Through my blurry vision, I spy Wyatt and Portia, mingling with the crowd as Lexy controls when and who they speak with.

I spy a marker in Wyatt’s hand and he scribbles his name against posters, T-shirts, and fan’s flesh.

I’m almost steady until a group of girls spot me, pointing and yelling in my direction.

When the words, “The girl from the video,” are hurled my way, I’m ready to topple over. Thank goodness, the security guard still has a hand anchored behind me. He keeps me moving and soon I’m out of view of the crowd. I pant, feeling dehydrated after the sweat drained from my pores.

“This is your car,” the security guard says, and I lean against it with a lack of energy.

I shiver my understanding, knees knocking so hard I’m sure to have bruises.

He opens the car door, encouraging me to take a seat inside. Embarrassingly, he has to help me into the car, as my coordination has left my body.

He closes the door on me, and thankfully, the outside noises are muffled.

Left with my own thoughts, my knees jerk a little less, and I remember how I left things with Wyatt.

I shoved him.

I shoved my boyfriend, who is finally walking without an aide.

I shoved the boy I love, who was only acting concerned for me.

How could I shove him?

Drowning in my thoughts, it feels like an eternity until the door finally opens.

“Hey, Josie,” Wyatt says, getting into the car beside me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry!” I rush. “I never meant to push you. I would never want to hurt you.”

“I’m okay,” he coos, brushing back my hair. “Are you okay?”

I swallow hard, but a retch breaks through. “I was selfish. I shouldn’t have pushed you away.”

“No, you weren’t. I could see you were terrified. I only left with Portia so we could get out of there sooner. I knew if the crowd saw me, then you’d be safe from anyone looking at you. I know masses like that scare you.”

I exhale slowly, chilled by every small bump sprouting on my limbs.

“Oh crap,” he murmurs as the car hums to life. “You’re shivering like crazy. Come here.”

He hugs his arms around me, but I don’t deserve his comfort.

“Wow, I feel your heart racing.” He rubs warmth into me. “I’m so sorry you had to face all of that back there.”

I clutch his sides, forcing myself to inhale a breath. “Were you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he says, his voice upbeat.

I ease into his embrace. “Really?”

He chuckles softly. “Joze, it was exhilarating.”

I gulp, leaning my chin on his shoulder. “Really?”

He brushes his hand over the back of my head. “Yeah, this fame thing is pretty addictive.”

My chest tightens. “Wow, you’re really okay with the whole thing.”

“It’s an unreal feeling, having all these people call your name and say, they love you.”

“I’m glad you’ll be able to get back to your life. You might not have the memories, but there’s a gut feeling.”

Meanwhile, my gut is still in knots.

Our car travels away from the airport. The view outside our windows becomes more suburban.

“I mean, it’d be better if I could remember everything that got me this level of fame,” he says, bemused. “But, no harm in taking in the adoration, right?”

I smile, happy for him, and pull out of the hug. “Of course not. I told you, you’re loved by many.”

His hands plant on the sides of my face. “There’s still only one person I care about loving me. It was fun at the airport, but I’d still give it up to be with you.”

“Even if you could stay and have Portia on your arm?”

He presses a kiss on my lips. “Portia’s a nice girl. I see us being friends, but there’s nothing more than that.”

I mumble a laugh, rubbing my lips together. “I can’t believe you still want to be with me after meeting her. Haven’t you seen how she looks at you?”

Wyatt tilts his head and crooks an eyebrow. “How could you say that?”

I sit back and my heartbeat races. “Huh? ”

He lets out a breathy laugh. “That you doubt my feelings for you. Joze, you’re my soulmate.”

Tears automatically brim in my eyes. “Soulmate?”

His teeth graze his bottom lip as his smile grows. “It’s how I feel.”

My hands plant over the space above my booming heart.

“I... I’ve been so worried about letting myself love you on such a grand scale.

You know, in case I never got the chance to be with you again.

But...” I pause, catching my breath and letting my heart slow down.

“Oh, Wyatt, you’re everything to me. I’m not whole when I’m without you. ”

He places his hands over mine. “Then we shouldn’t let anything stop us from being together.”

I interlace my fingers with his. “Even if you’re on tour, or on a movie set, I’ll be waiting for you. You can still be a star and be with me. We’ll make it work.”

“I don’t have to...”

“But you got such a kick out of the limelight. Don’t rob yourself of that joy. That’s not how relationships thrive.”

“But you won’t be a part of anything involving big crowds.”

“It’s okay. We’ll be together in the quiet moments. It can work, Wyatt.”

“Except we won’t be physically in the same place.”

“It’s just until I finish high school. Then nothing can separate us.”

“Then you’ll be off to college and I’ll be too dumb to get in anywhere.”

“ Wyatt ,” I scold. “Stop calling yourself dumb.”

“It’s true.”

“Ugh, stop it. Besides, you don’t need college. Your career has already started. And I can take classes virtually. I want to be a writer, and I already do that.”

“I don’t want to wait years to be with you.”

“We’ll work it out. It’s only been a week that we’ve been back together. It won’t be over tomorrow.”

He huffs. “Honestly, I don’t know how I’ll ever let you go. Even after the high back there, I don’t think I can bear it.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“How did you deal with it last time?”

“I had faith I’d hear from you again.”

He lifts my hands and kisses them. “So, just have faith?”

“I’ve been waiting all this time. I’ll always be waiting for you. I won’t disappear on you.”

He frowns. “But what if I do it again? I’m scared about what’ll happen when I start working again.” He looks out the window, on route to our new destination. “Throwing myself into work is the reason we stopped talking.”

“You heard Erika. You work long hours. Then there’s all the press and events. The job makes you busy.”

He looks me square in the eyes. “I promise to never be too busy for you. It won’t happen again.”

I lean forward and softly kiss him on the lips. “I believe you.”

“I don’t have my parents in my ear this time.” He squeezes my hands and lets out a weighted exhale. “I know you need to go back home today. I’ll be okay.”

“Somehow, we’ll both be okay. I have faith.”

He smiles and nods. “Right. Faith.”

The car stops outside a trendy row of industrial buildings turned into dwellings.

“Welcome home, Mr. Hayes,” the driver says.

Wyatt blinks out the window. “This is my home?”

My mouth falls open and excitement bubbles over my previous nerves. I tap his arm, bouncing in my seat. “Let’s go inside and check it out.”