Hiding Out in Hollywood (Celebrity Love)

Chapter Ten

Shelby stopped tapping out a text on her phone and gave a low whistle as Emily walked into their living room, in search of her purse.

"Don't you look gorgeous?" Shelby commented. "Are you seeing Raine tonight?"

"Is it obvious?" Emily asked, ducking her head. "I mean, we're just hanging out at his place. Do I look too done up for a night in?"

"No!" Shelby exclaimed. She set her phone in her lap and looked Emily up and down. "Your makeup and clothes are perfect, but casual. I meant that you look like you're glowing. Happiness, maybe?"

"Or I'm blushing," Emily admitted. "I do feel happy, though."

"I can tell." Shelby shot her a knowing look. "So, what's the deal? Are you guys official?"

"Officially what?"

"Don't be all cagey with me," Shelby told her. "I know you better than anyone, and that glowy look usually means something. Official as in officially a couple. Exclusive. At the next level. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Sleeping together. All of these things."

"Whoa, little Ms. Curious." Emily laughed. "We've only been seeing each other for—"

"Over three weeks," Shelby informed her.

Emily gazed at her best friend in wonder. "Have you been counting my dates with Raine or something?"

"No. I just know we aren't home at the same time that much."

"Because when I'm home, you're usually somewhere with Darren," Emily pointed out. "I've been out with Raine a couple of times this week, and a few times last week, and—"

"And a couple of times the week before, and you see him every morning at yoga," Shelby finished. "Don't tell me you guys are still pure innocence—there's no way."

"I haven't seen him every morning at yoga," Emily corrected her. "Raine has a movie premiere coming up. He was gone two days this week, doing interviews for it."

Emily had missed Raine on the mornings he hadn't been at yoga, but it had also made things easier. She and Raine were still playing it cool around their classmates, but she didn't tell Shelby this.

"Still. You mean you really aren't official?" Shelby gave Emily a doubtful look. "What's holding you back?"

"Nothing," Emily replied. "We've just been enjoying being together and haven't needed to overthink what our relationship is."

She wasn't telling Shelby the whole truth, but if she got into it, Emily was sure she would never make it out the door tonight. Of course she and Raine had been getting more intimate as they'd continued to spend time together over the last several weeks. If she and Raine put a label on their relationship, though, it would mean dealing with a specific set of pressures Emily would rather put off for as long as she could. There was the obvious one, which was still more of a question: If they were "official," as Shelby put it, would Emily and Raine let other people know they were a couple? As far as Emily was aware, only Shelby knew she and Raine were together, along with Raine's friend Paul having seen them together once at Imagine. Emily trusted Shelby with her life, and for all Paul knew, she and Raine had only been on one dinner date.

The more people who knew, the greater the chances for a media spectacle. Even if she and Raine limited it to telling immediate family and close friends, there was the risk of somebody letting it slip to the wrong person, who could then tell the tabloids.

It was this fear that had caused Emily to hold off on the conversation Raine had started last night about their relationship status. With a few lingering kisses and touches, she'd guided his attention away from talking and onto what had escalated into the hottest and most intense makeout session they'd so far had. All that had stopped Emily from physically taking things further was knowing a crew from a popular entertainment magazine would be at Raine's house early in the morning to set up for an interview and photo shoot. She and Raine could have timed it for Emily to be gone before anyone was supposed to get there, but Emily had been nervous about chancing it. She hadn't admitted this to Raine, though. Instead, she had made up an excuse that he should get some sleep before having to be awake so early, especially since he was being interviewed and photographed, and had promised to see him tonight.