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"Okay, so I’ this longer than I have, certainly, and you’re an adult and all, and really you’re--"

"Say what you want to say, Grace," he said quietly

"I don’t like the path you’re on It worriesHolly"

"Is this co from you or from her?"

"Me Both Me Jack, I know I’ve said this a lot lately, but I’m worried about you I’ve never seen you like this with your fans You’ve been downright rude a few times That’s not like you And you kno I feel about Adam"

"That’s what this is about, isn’t it?"

"It’s part of it, yes He’s justhe’s not good for you You’re a different person when he’s around"

"Grace, I can’t go anywhere in public without either a bodyguard or a driver hardly at all anyh the question of whether we’re really dating can’t even be answered because soroup somewhere says it would be bad for o to a restaurant without so up within twenty ht because I’m tired as fuck, then I’m an asole who doesn’t care about his fans I blow off a little steam, and everyone is concerned To use one of your American phrases, everyone needs to just chill out a bit Everything is fine Are we done?" He got out of bed and headed over to the chair where his clothes were

"Wait a et out of here for a bit"

"But you just got home! Jack, I need to be able to talk to you about this stuff, okay? I need to know that when you’re gone, when you’re on location, that you’re okay You can’t bla concerned" I stood in front of his into his jeans and pulled on his shirt

"You talked; I listened I hope you heard what I said too There’s nothing to be worried about, okay?" He planted a kiss on my forehead absently on his way out of the bedroo at how quickly this conversation had turned

"Wait, Jack, what’s happening here? Are you really leaving?"

"Just for a bit I’ll be back soon It’s fine, Grace We’re fine I knohat you’re saying, and I appreciate your concern I really do"

His eyes were hidden froht I stood in the doorway, still in ht air

"Tell Holly the next ti to have a real probleo, then went back inside I turned out all the lights, except for the one in the entryway, then padded back to our room I left the red lace on the floor of the bathrooot into bed Stunned, I lay ontiht, Jack came home He came in, I heard him undress, and I felt him climb into bed

Coed, needing to feel his arms around me After what felt like an eternity sled over tohis arhis head onhim hold me

"I love you so much, Jack," I said quietly

"I know," he whispered back, kissing the side ofto sleep

My alarm, set to wake me up for my first day of press intervieent off thirty-seven minutes later I looked like hell

twelve

The press junket was tough I’ll ad ditches? Nope Answering phones in a call center somewhere for ten hours in a row? Uh-uh Was this a hard job? Not in the traditional sense, nope No way Was that press junket hard? Hard as a motherfucker

I’ll never watch a celebrity interview the sah I had prepared for this--I knehat to expect, I felt ready to go--it was hard You sit in a hotel room, with the s blocked out behind you, publicity posters sitting all around, and every ten minutes another journalist comes in and asks you essentially the same questions the last thirteen did And you try to answer them differently but not stray too far from the "script" You smile and nod and thank them when they tell you they loved what they’ve seen of the series so far, and you wonder if they are really being truthful

And when they get clever, when they start asking questions and you know exactly where they’re trying to lead you to (Haain, and then evade Because as e of this interview, it’s up to you to keep it on the material that you feel comfortable with

I’d done well I was pretty is Holly was there She had conversations with each producer ahead of tian to make sure they stayed on topic and only on preapproved subjects: the series,to life in the liht They were each allowed to ask one question about ainst but arht now? I couldn’t honestly say yes, because while I had abandoned the cucu with the same zeal I had been for the last few years

I shookready for the last interview A beautiful blonde fro her perfect teeth at the camera as they miked her Holly reminded her once ain The caht went on, and we made nice for a few moments--about the series, h thea dirtyif I could talk Holly into joiningdown a cocktail, losing hts happened

"I’m sorry, what?"

"I said, what do you think about the pictures that we released just this afternoon?"

"Pictures? Sorry, I’ve been inside all day What pictures are you talking about?" I asked, ed her shoulders, clearly not knoas going on either

"Oh, of course You probably haven’t seen them yet, have you? Here, I have so me a stack of prints Before they were even in irl wearing not a lot of clothing And by not a lot I , his hands in her hair and her hands on his chest Passionate Intense Shot after shot of his mouth on hers, on her neck, on her--

I thrust the Holly was about ready to cli in a roo

"How do these pictures make you feel, Grace? I mean, come on, isn’t it about ti if you’ve never really said you were an item?"

I stared at her I was rattled, totally rattled