ForeverLasting (Book 10 in Nemi Forever Series)

Chapter 12

Nick

I was trying not to get pissed off since I was on TV, so I took a few deep breaths after I made my statement, "I am not having an affair." I listened to Demi tell Ken that I had no reason to have an affair, but her voice was shaking, ever so slightly, so I wondered if she believed this rumor. Her voice was clear & she sounded sincere, but the shake in her tone had me worried.

"Well, we all know that these sources are sometimes just made up, so that people will think that there is some validation. There are still a lot of gullible people in the world." Ken said, his mouth forming a straight line. "How do you handle the rumors when you know they aren't true?"

"We ignore them usually, but like this one is hard to ignore. I will just say this rumor is not true in any way, shape or form. I am not having an affair, have never had an affair & will never have an affair." I said in a serious tone. I kept my gaze focused on Ken, not wanting to look over at Demi, for fear that I'd see something in her expression that I didn't want to see.

"Is that the most difficult part of being in the public eye?" Ken asked.

I nodded. "That & lack of privacy sometimes. Especially when you have kids. My kids are old enough that they hear the other kids at school talking about rumors & then we can't go many places without having our picture taken. But... it comes with the job, so we deal with it." Now I looked over at Demi, who had a frozen smile on her face. When she saw me look at her, she perked up & nodded.

Ken changed the subject & finished up the interview a few minutes later. We got our mikes off, then Demi & I headed out to the car that was waiting for us. Demi wasn't speaking at all & I could tell she was bothered. We sat in the backseat of the car, Demi looking out her window, not acknowledging me at all. I reached over & put my hand on her leg, rubbing it with my thumb gently. Demi glanced down at my hand, then her eyes looked up at me.

"You don't believe that rumor do you?" I asked.

"No." She said in a flat voice, then looked back out the window.

"Why do you seem upset then?"

"I'm upset that there is some trashy website or tabloid making up stories about you. It pisses me off."

"Baby, it happens all the time. You can't let it get to you." I said with a sigh.

"Well, it's hard to not let it get to me, Nick." She turned her head, quickly, to glare at me. "People are going to believe it. There are gonna be some people who are gonna look at me like the woman whose husband is cheating on her." Demi's eyes rolled toward the window as she turned her head back.

I let her be mad for a bit, then by the time we got back to our house with the kids, she had let it go a little & we ended up having a great day as a family. In the morning, I headed back to L.A. to be back on set. Of course, everyone had heard the rumor, so Sophia & I had to repeat ourselves over & over that we weren't having an affair. Most everyone, on set, knew it wasn't true, but wanted to give us a hard time.

Over the next three weeks, we had to work, almost non stop, to finish filming the movie. I flew home one night & had a full day to spend with my family before I had to be back on set. I knew the kids missed me, because they told me every night when I skyped with them. I assured them I'd be home soon. After the filming was complete, we were having our wrap party at the Playboy Mansion. We had done a scene there, so that's why the wrap party was being thrown there. Joe was asked to DJ the party, which was great for us. We hadn't been able to spend a lot of time together, lately, so this would be fun for us.

We finished filming the movie on a Friday & the wrap party was on a Saturday. Demi was coming to L.A. on that Sunday, after the wrap party because Dancing with the Stars started filming that week, on Thursday, but she was rehearsing all week. I couldn't go home until the following week because I had a benefit dinner for the Ryan Seacrest foundation on Tuesday of that week. On Wednesday, I was doing my first photoshoot for the movie, with Emma & Sophia. Every day during the week after I was done filming, I had something going on in California. I had interviews, photo shoots, performances & meetings for the Camp, Demi & I were building. I also had meetings set up with Phil & label execs. I wasn't going to be home in Texas until over a week after the film wrapped. Thank God, for our family who was pitching in at home, taking turns staying at our house with the kids. I was actually looking forward to being home with them more.