Before Forever (Sharing Space #6) Read Free Page B

is, but this is one thing I can do to make me feel better about being gone. Purely selfish, I know. Will you let me? Please?”
     
    “If I say yes, can we have sex now?” I wasn’t exactly thrilled at letting him pay the rent for a few months, but in the grand scheme of things, it felt like a small thing to ask. All I could think of at that moment was being without him for long periods of time.
     
    I thought my question would make him laugh, at least smile, but his face was full of trepidation. “There’s one more thing. You know I met with Tim and Cat a few weeks ago, right?” I nodded again. “Well, they’re going to have someone from Entertainment Weekly onset, doing a behind-the-scenes feature that will run when the movie is about to premiere.”
     
    “Okay.”
     
    “We’ll be doing a lot of stuff like that and I’m not sure what’s going to air now or later, so I thought I should just tell you now.”
     
    “Tell me what?”
     
    “They think it will be best for my image and the film if people, the fans, think I’m single.”
     
    “So, what does that mean? You’ll just refuse to talk about your personal life?”
     
    “Part of what they’re selling with this story is the heartthrob angle. They’ve already got these ridiculous photo shoots lined up.” He took a deep breath. “They want me to flat out say that I don’t have a girlfriend.”
     
    I snatched my hand away. “And what did you tell them?” I hated the way my voice cracked. I sounded pathetic, but Patrick looked worse and I had my answer.
     
    “So, let me get this straight. You want to lie about me? About being with me? About loving me?”
     
    “I don’t want to, but this is how things are done on this level. They’re not just selling the movie, but the whole package. There’s a publicity machine behind this that’s calculated and it’s all geared towards making the movie as successful as possible. A big part of that is making us, the stars, as attractive as possible.”
     
    “Who are you right now?” I stood up. “ On this level, publicity machine? What does that even mean?”
     
    He looked up at me, a pitiful look on his face. “I’m just trying to explain it to you like it was explained to me.”
     
    “And so what? Did you offer to pay the rent as a way to butter me up before admitting that you’re going to spend the next few months being ashamed of me?”
     
    “I’m not ashamed of you.” He stood and took my hand again. I was too in shock to let go. “Chloe, this isn’t about you. It’s just the way it works. I’m not happy about it.”
     
    “How can you say it’s not about me? You’re denying that I even exist, and if you’re not happy about it, don’t do it.”
     
    “It’s not that simple. This is a big opportunity and I have to play the game.”
     
    I dropped his hand and walked around the coffee table. “Well, I don’t.” Angry tears threatened to spill, which made me even madder. “Is this because I’m black?”
     
    Patrick’s mouth dropped open. “Are you seriously asking me that?”
     
    “Um, are you seriously telling me that you’re going to let everyone think I don’t exist?”
     
    He sighed deeply and ran a hand over his face. “Chloe, even if you were white this is what they want me to do. They don’t even know that you’re black. It never came up. This is just a stupid publicity stunt.”
     
    “At least you have the good sense to know it’s stupid. I knew you were ambitious, but this is ridiculous.”
     
    “Hey, I’ve worked hard for this!”
     
    “No one said you didn’t, but I think it’s pretty shitty now that you’ve made it you’re willing to do something so… hurtful.”
     
    “I’m not trying to hurt you. God, this is not coming out right. It’s because it’s stupid, because it’s silly, that I think it’s not that big of a deal.”
     
    I rolled my eyes and pointed at him. “Now you’re just lying. If you didn’t think this was a big