Among the Echoes(39)

"Jesus." I give her a half smile, knowing that there has never been a more perfect moment to tell her the truth. Shit. This is going to suck. "What’s your middle name, Riley?" I ask then lean in for a deep kiss.

"Um, Jean," she stutters out when I pull away.

"Was that a hard question?" I tease, but she stills.

"No. I just… I mean, I wasn’t expecting it. That’s all."

"Well, Riley Jean, my middle name is Adam."

"Really? What’s your first name?" she asks.

I lean in for one last kiss, giving it everything I’ve got and praying it’s not the last. "Slate."

"Oh, well, I can definitely see why you go by Adam," she says with a shrug that makes me laugh and my chest ache.

"Actually, no one calls me Adam but you. My name is Slate Andrews, and I’m not an amateur boxer down on his luck. I’m actually a very successful professional boxer."

"What?" She leans away in disbelief. "What do you mean very successful?" she asks as her face pales.

"I mean, I’m currently the heavyweight champion of the world. For two straight years now."

"Yeah, right. Are you messing with me?" The color slightly returns to her face as her lips tilt in a small smile. But it all disappears when I shake my head. "Why the hell are you living here then if you’re some big-time fighter?"

"I grew up in this apartment. A few years ago, I bought it so I could escape the celebrity lifestyle in LA. I’m not built for that kind of life. I just needed somewhere to hide after fights."

"You’re a celebrity?" she breathes as tears spring to her eyes.

"I’m not Tom Cruise, but I have a certain following."

"Oh my God. I’m going to be sick." She jumps from my lap and runs to the bathroom.

"Wait a second." I stand and race after her, but she slams the door in my face. "Talk to me. It’s not as bad as it sounds. I swear."

"You lied to me," she chokes out, crying.

"I didn’t lie. We were just getting to know each other. That lifestyle makes things complicated. When I first told you my name, I had no idea we would end up here. I thought you recognized me, and I didn’t want my cover blown."

"Yeah, we wouldn’t want your cover blown. Where the worst thing that happens is your adoring fans shower you with love. We definitely wouldn’t want that cover blown," she bites out sarcastically, but her voice cracks at the end.

"It’s not like that. The paparazzi follow me, and I never have a minute to just breathe and be myself. I’m always looking over my shoulder," I try to explain.

She snatches open the door and stares at me with tear-stained cheeks. "Now that, I understand." She bumps into me, forcing me to step out of her way. "I have to go."

"Riley, wait. This is not something to freak out about."

"Adam—f*ck…I mean, Slate. What the hell do I even call you? You have no idea how big of a deal this really is."

"Why? Tell me why this is such a huge deal. This is my job. I can’t change it. Trust me, I hate the lifestyle."

"Well, you know what? Right this f*cking second, I think I hate it more. I can’t live like that, Adam. Like, literally. I can’t live." She laughs without humor while shaking her head. "It’s funny the way the world works. The one person I’m magically not scared of is probably the most terrifying of them all."

"What the hell does that mean? Stop talking in f*cking code and let me in on your hang-up. Yeah, it’s a hard life, but you haven’t given me one f*cking reason why you are freaking out right now. Stop hiding and tell me what the hell is going on with you!" I yell in a way I swore to myself I would never speak to her. But I have a terrible feeling about where she is going with this.

"This…whatever this is…is done. Stay away from me," she says, walking out the door. Luckily for me, I know exactly where she lives.

"Tell me what you are afraid of. Tell me why my occupation has you on the run. I can keep you out of it."

"We can’t take that risk," she calls over her shoulder.

"Why do I feel like I’m missing a puzzle piece here? Because nothing about this makes sense. I can protect you from your ex-boyfriend if that’s who you are worried about!"

She comes to a complete halt and turns around to face me. "My ex-boyfriend?" she questions with an expression I can’t quite figure out. But she stops moving away.