MARRYING THE ROCKSTAR (#3 ROCKSTAR SERIES)

♪ twenty-two ♪

Two days passed, and I heard nothing. No hits in the media, and no explosions from Leo.

Which meant Cameron must have prevailed in fixing the situation, catching the culprit who snuck over to photograph us. But no word from Cameron himself, either, which concerned me. I'd have expected a quick message to tell me the deed is done, or something along those lines.

Then again, I'd made it quite clear to Cameron that I didn't want to speak to him, not for a while. He'd respected the space I'd requested, and I couldn't be upset about that.

To my surprise, Sapphire didn't say a word. She must have realized she'd overstepped by sending Cameron to me, and when he returned to her, business as usual, she didn't say a peep. Didn't ask for forgiveness, didn't even hint at the fact that she'd sent him in the first place.

I appreciated that, because I really didn't want to talk about it.

Despite my isolation, I kept up with the tabloids. And in them, there wasn't a single piece of news about Leo and me; well, not about us together, at least. Leo was on TV and in magazines constantly, what with his new album coming out soon. And with the article that I'd written—which was being featured in many other articles—he was getting even more exposure.

I was getting exposure. My name started to have an impact on the world, without being attached to Leo's. Yes, with this article, our names were near one another; but still, I stood alone. This was me, the fashion journalist, interviewing Leo Lee. Not an engaged couple showcasing their love in an interview I'd obtained because I knew the right people.

Well, I did know the right people, as it happened, but no one else needed to be aware of that.

One evening, I flipped through channels, stumbling across a report showing a camera zoomed in on none other than Leo. I couldn't tell exactly where he was—possibly deep downtown, exiting a building with a familiar redhead, Petra—but he was being flashed, hounded by reporters.

"Where is Emmaline?"

"Where's your precious fiancée?"

"Everything okay between you two?"

"Who's this lovely lady?"

Petra's snarl at the camera before covering her face made me guffaw. Leo waved them out of the way, struggling to get into the car.

"Emmaline is fine. And that's my manager," he said, out of breath as he shoved through the crowd and finally managed to dive into the vehicle, slamming the door in their faces.

"And there's that," said the reporter, her wide smile and bright eyes coming back on the screen, live from some entertainment studio or other. "That is the last we've seen of Leo Lee in a few days. He's been quiet as we count-down to his newest release. And the sightings of his beloved fiancée? Zero. It's no wonder everyone is questioning what's going on. Maybe she's deep into the wedding planning? Or maybe she ran off? Or maybe, as some have still been suggesting, their relationship was fake to begin with? We'll keep you updated as we keep our eye on Leo."

The program was some paparazzi show where celebrities were reported in their day-to-day activities, and the reporters attempted to unearth conspiracy theories about them, or to debunk rumors going around about them.

I'd watched it once or twice, out of curiosity. It was normally pretty funny to watch; but not tonight. Tonight, it centered on Leo, on me, and I didn't enjoy it.

One thing it did prove to me, though: Cameron and I were safe. Whatever had been snapped on the balcony, and whoever had snapped it, hadn't gotten away with their plot. The tabloids would have published that photo immediately upon receiving it.