The Path to You, page 16
Maxine, the final main member of her inner team, had only met me through video chat. She had narrowed her eyes at me, nodded tightly, and told Bethany that she would see me soon. I didn’t quite know what that meant, but Bethany looked relieved. Without knowing it, I had crossed a goalpost that I hadn’t even realized was in front of me.
And that was just Bethany’s inner workings. There were her publicity teams, her makeup artists, her personal shopper, and a thousand other people that helped her style and get ready for events like this. I had known the Bethany at the cabin—sweet, tired, and yet still hard-working.
I had also known the one that I had danced with at a club in LA and had fallen for before I went off to Afghanistan. Those were the Bethanys that I knew. But I was learning this one too.
I loved her all the more for it.
She had a thousand people asking her for things, on her payroll, needing her for something. And I knew right then that my job was to be the person not in that line. Who didn’t depend on her for my livelihood.
She was mine just like I was hers. But our relationship was going to be different.
I just didn’t know exactly what the dynamics were going to be, considering I was a fish out of water here, and we lived in completely different worlds.
But we wanted to try.
“I’m good,” I said, shaking myself out of my reverie. “Thanks, though, Tonya.”
She beamed at me. “No problem. They should be at the interview part soon, though the photographer will probably take photos during. So don’t worry. You’ve got this.”
“I’m not sure that I have anything to do about this. She’s the one who has this.”
“You’re right. She does. I’m glad that you know that.” She gave me a brisk nod and then went off to help Bethany with something else.
Trace came up to my side then, his gaze on everyone else, not me. I figured that was a good thing because he was keeping Bethany secure, and apparently, I wasn’t the threat.
“Don’t fuck this up. Because she needs you just like you need her.”
I blinked and looked at the other man, but he was already stepping away, going back to his duties. I would’ve thought it had been my imagination, but no, he had been right here.
And he might be on my side. That was interesting.
“Okay, Bethany. Let’s just talk. I know you have a lot of things to talk about. Let’s chat about the movie first. Are you excited to be working with Bowen Bridges?” she asked, beginning the interview.
I remembered Bowen Bridges was a veteran actor with an Oscar, Tony, and a few other things under his belt. I liked him in his movies, and I knew he was the romantic interest for Bethany in her upcoming one. I would just have to get over the fact that she would be kissing another man on screen. It was her job, and honestly, I wasn’t going to feel jealous.
I couldn’t. Not when she would come home to me.
And damn, wasn’t that a wonderful thought.
Bethany smiled, looking strong and professional, like she was the queen of the world.
Or at least my world.
“I so admire Bowen. He’s brilliant, and I feel like I’ll learn so much even though I’ve been doing this job what feels like forever.” She laughed. “Of course, I’m not really supposed to mention that I’ve been doing this for years. I’m supposed to be a doe-eyed, sweet teenager, right?” She winked as she said it, and the reporter and everyone else laughed.
She would have them eating out of the palm of her hand, and I couldn’t help but admire her for it. I knew she was damn scared. While the reporter said she would just talk about the movie, we all knew that was a lie. This was her first interview since everything had happened. People wanted to know how she felt about the recording. About the breakup. About the cheating. The drugs. Me.
They’d been clamoring for her. And she had kept silent, perhaps to her detriment, at least according to some.
I just knew that this was Bethany’s choice. That was the only thing that mattered.
The reporter continued to ask questions, then leaned forward. “Okay, just between you and me.”
Bethany laughed softly. “I think that’s not quite true, considering the cameras on me, as are the eyes of around a hundred people.”
The reporter waved her hand. “Oh, fine. You do not have to answer this, I will move on in a blink if you want. But…I see you have a very attractive bearded man behind me, looking at you with adoration. He looks kind, sweet, and not as much out of his element as I thought he would. So, tell me more about Everett Wilder.”
I froze, just now aware that Tonya was at my side, as if for support. I was grateful for that. I would do whatever Bethany wanted. If she wanted me in the limelight, I would do it. If she wanted me off to the side where I could live my normal life, fine.
I would figure it out. I had almost died before. Almost lost everything. I had lost part of myself. I wasn’t going to be hesitant anymore. Not when it came to taking what I wanted, living my life.
“I’m finding my peace,” Bethany answered. “With who I want to be. With who I am. What I want.” She looked over at me and winked, and I saw the camera flash as they captured the photo.
“Is your peace with Everett Wilder?” The reporter asked again, intrigue in her voice.
“It could be. I’m figuring that out. Is that not the whole point of discovery? Some parts are just for me. And that’s okay. We all deserve parts that are just ours. I’m figuring out who I am after others tried to put labels on me. I can’t change what others think of me. Only what I think about myself.”
“You’re right. Others want to put labels on you. And you have been quite silent about what those labels are. You have a right to that. But is there something that you want to say right now? I will ask the question—Anything you want to say for yourself? Because you deserve the right to say something or not at all. So, in your own words, how are you?”
The reporter had been joking at first, laughter in her tone as she eased Bethany into the interview. That had been professional and had indeed begun with work.
Bethany met my gaze, smiled, and looked straight back at the camera, her chin raised, not defiantly, but confident.
“Everyone knows what they saw. Or rather, what they thought they saw. I had sex with the man I chose. A man I was in a monogamous relationship with. I consented to have sex with him. But I did not consent to be recorded.” She let out a breath, her gaze narrowing. “I did not consent to my face being plastered everywhere, other people asking questions that they had no right to ask. I did not bring them into my bedroom. Or anywhere else. If I had wanted myself to be displayed in that manner, I would have done it myself. I would’ve made that choice. But others made that choice for me.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
Bethany gave the other woman a wry smile. “I know you personally are. But not everybody is. They want the headlines. They want to see me knocked down a peg. I wasn’t quite sure how I found myself on top of the ladder, as it were. I make movies because I want to create characters. I want to explore how these characters react to everyday things, or aliens coming from outer space and attacking the world. I want to see who I can be when I portray these people. I want to entertain, make people laugh, cry, have their hearts ache. Everything. That is my role. And I am blessed to do it. Blessed that I seemed to have connected with some.” She let out a breath, then looked back at the camera. “I seem to also connect with others who had things done to them without their consent. Whether it is revenge porn, as this is, or other more horrific things. There are people who did not give their consent. And here I am, not sure what I will do next. Will I sue, as so many people are saying I should? That is up to me. But I do not want this happening to anyone else. I do not want anyone else losing their power, their voice. I lost part of myself when I was hiding on their terms. But these are my terms. I will live the way I want to. Be with who I want to be with, how I want to live. I am blessed to do this job. I work fourteen to twenty hours a day sometimes, and I know that I’m privileged. So, I will do all in my power to use that privilege to help others.”
I knew I loved Bethany Cole, but damn if I didn’t just fall in love with her even more.
“And what about Dallas? What do you say to him?” the reporter asked. I could hear the tears in her voice. Apparently, Bethany had said something that touched her, just like I knew it touched every single damn person in this room.
Bethany shook her head, a frown on her face. “I hope that man gets healthy. That he finds his own peace. Because I am finding mine.” She looked at me then, and I knew the interview was over.
Bethany Cole had taken one step into the future. I was so damn proud of her. She had found her voice, taken her step. Just like I was doing. Fighting for what we wanted.
When the interview ended, she continued to speak with the reporter, and a few others, before she came over to me. I closed down my computer and stood up from the chair, my back aching.
“I don’t have any words. You took them all.” I smiled as I said it, and then she threw her arms around my shoulders and kissed me soundly on the mouth. I caught her as she jumped, wrapping my own arms around her waist, bringing her to me.
I knew people were probably taking photos. There was no hiding this. But I kissed her hard and then pressed my forehead to hers once we were done.
“So, I guess we’re public?” I whispered.
“I think I’m tired of hiding everything all the time. We’ll figure this out. Together.”
I smiled, brushed her hair from her face, and laughed as Tonya pulled my hand back.
“Stop it. She still has one more thing to do today that requires hair and that makeup.”
“Of course, we can’t hurt the makeup.” Bethany rolled her eyes, even as she fist-bumped the makeup artist.
I blushed. “You really just have to tell me what to do.”
“See, son, that’s exactly how you make it in a relationship,” Trace added.
I snorted. “You would really fit in with my brothers.”
“Trace and the Wilders?” Bethany asked. “That would be fun.”
Trace snorted and went back to work.
“I need to do a few more things. Then we can go get dinner? I know it’s been a long day. And I know everything has happened pretty fast. It’ll be nice to relax.”
“Can I cook you something? That way, you don’t have to be under scrutiny?” I asked.
Bethany went to her toes and kissed my cheek. “I don’t want to hide you away, but maybe that would be a good idea for now.”
“Anything you want. And that means I get some work done and annoy my brothers because it’s what I do.”
I kissed her softly, ignoring Tonya’s glare, and went back to work, only pausing when my phone rang.
I frowned as I saw Maddie’s name on the readout. “Hey there, Maddie. Everything going okay at the winery? Did I not send that latest report?” I had a headache, but only a slight one. I knew the headaches were never going to go away fully, but I was doing what I should—speaking to my therapist, going to physical therapy, trying to relax, and being open.
I was working. At least as far as I could.
“Everett?” Maddie asked, her voice breaking.
I stiffened, everything going on alert. “What is it, Maddie? Is everyone okay? The babies? Is it the babies?” Worry for Kendall and Evan shot through me.
“No, the babies are fine. Everett. You need to come home.”
“What’s wrong, Maddie?” I asked, and Bethany must’ve heard the alarm in my tone because she moved to me, ignoring something one of the staffers was saying.
“It’s Joy. There’s been an accident.”
“Is she okay? Maddie? What is going on?”
“She’s dead, Everett. Joy is gone. Elijah needs you.” She paused, a sob breaking through. “We all need you. Come home, Everett.”
And with that, my world once again shifted on its axis.
Chapter Seventeen
Everett
My family was no stranger to death. We had lived it day in and day out for two decades. From the first moment Eli put on his dress blues, we knew things would change forever. An irrevocable promise, bound in fate, sorrow, and change.
We had all followed him. All but Eliza.
Our younger sister had married someone who had joined our path. She had found her own strength, her own way of life and service. And when her husband died, it was the first stone cast.
We had each lost someone in war or battle. We had lost people to IEDs, gunfire, and explosions.
I could still see the blood of my best friends on my hands as I tried to stagger my way through the wet sand, wet from the blood pouring from my head wound.
I could still taste the coppery scent on my tongue.
And I knew every single family member in this room had their own terrors running unending in their mind.
But we worked in battles. We wanted to serve our country.
We were no longer in the military.
Loss, death, and heartache weren’t supposed to hit like this, out of the blue, anymore.
We had made this home of ours, despite the constant ache and need and strength it took to make it. We had confined ourselves in a sanctuary from the pain and memories. From the blood and terror of who we’d been.
And yet, we hadn’t run fast enough. We hadn’t built the walls to keep us safe high enough.
“Everett?”
I looked over at Bethany. She slid her hand into mine.
“I’m sorry. Did you say something?” Her eyes darted to mine, studying my face before she shook her head. “You were lost in your own thoughts. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That your head was okay.”
I smiled, though it didn’t feel real, and I didn’t feel bad about feeling how I had. I didn’t worry that she was trying to keep me protected, because that’s what I did for her.
“I don’t have a headache. I don’t feel anything.”
“I don’t know if that’s good or bad. But if you need me, I’m here.” She squeezed my hand tighter, and I nodded.
We stood in Eli’s home, far away from LA. Far away from the paparazzi who had followed us all the way to the airport. Joy’s death hadn’t made the news. Nobody outside of our circle and Joy’s circle knew she was gone or would even recognize her name.
I didn’t need the world to care who I was.
I needed them to remember Joy.
The woman who had made my brother smile. Who had brought Elijah out of his shell so he relaxed more. So he acted like the man I had once known, albeit with a few more scars.
Joy had brought the world to Elijah, and now she was gone. In one freak accident. A car had run a red light and hydroplaned through the rain-slicked streets.
When it rained here, streets filled quickly, flash flooding an eager and ready problem. The water would be quickly washed away, seeping into the aquifer. But before that, it was a hazard. Something that was dangerous for anyone on the road.
They hadn’t seen Joy as she crossed the street towards the restaurant, where Elijah stood waiting.
Waiting for her.
She was struck by the car and hit the pavement, and died on the scene.
The girl who my brother loved was gone.
And I didn’t have any words for him. How was I supposed to tell Elijah that I was sorry? That wasn’t fair. It didn’t make any sense.
“I’m glad that you’re here,” East said as he came to my side.
I looked over at my twin and wrapped my arm around his shoulder, squeezing tightly.
East sighed and leaned against the wall. “Elijah is sitting in the office. Eli is with him. I’m surprised he let anybody in.”
“How did you even get him here?” I asked. I was still trying to keep up with everything that had happened. Bethany’s team had gotten us a ticket out here as quickly as possible, so I hadn’t had to worry about any of that. I guess it was good to have a movie star as a girlfriend, even if you weren’t sure what was happening.
Because within a few hours of Maddie’s call, we were touching down in San Antonio, and then in the back of East’s car as he drove us to Eli’s.
Bethany had canceled all of her events for today and tomorrow, citing a death in the family.
Because it was family. She was my family, just as Joy was Elijah’s.
I cursed under my breath as Bethany squeezed my hand and East gave me a look.
“We got him here because he’s not thinking. Not doing anything. He wasn’t next of kin, so all he could do was wait to hear updates about arrangements and all that shit from her brother. I know it’s going to happen eventually. We just have to make sure that he’s not alone.”
“We won’t let him be alone. He’s our family.”
“Anything you need from me. Just let me know. Sometimes my name gets through doors otherwise closed.” Bethany shrugged as she said it, not the least ashamed. Not that she should be.
“I don’t know what connections you would have here, but if we need them, we appreciate it,” he said with a growl, and I knew the growl wasn’t for her, but the situation.
“I’m not good at this. I don’t know what to do for him. What about the business? Can I help there?” Bethany asked, and I squeezed her hand.
“Maddie is handling a lot of it, but you’re right. I should go talk with her. Eli and Alexis and the others have Elijah. And I know he knows that we’re here. But maybe we should go take care of everything else on his plate, so he doesn’t have to think about it.”
“That’s a good idea,” Elliot said, frowning at his tablet. “Eli and Alexis will keep him here. You and I can go back to the property and do what we can with Maddie.” He looked at Bethany. “You’re welcome to help. I just don’t know what your skills are.”
“Elliot,” I warned.
Elliot winced. “I’m sorry. I feel weird. Fuck. Of course, we’re all having a weird day. What is wrong with me? Why do I keep saying the wrong things?”
