Thanks for all the kind reviews on chapter 14! Hope you guys like chapter 15 just as much! Happy reading!


JAY

I couldn't help but feel guilty when I saw those pictures come out. I knew that it was my fault, all of this was my fault. It's out, we're public. Everybody knows. The world gets to have an opinion now, stake in our relationship. And boy, they aren't being shy about it.

In the past two weeks, I've been stopped more than ever on the streets, my face slapped all over the tabloids, polls regarding how long the relationship will last and more than a few articles trying to predict who she is, where we met and why I'm dating someone that no body has ever heard of, calling her the American Kate Middleton.

My sisters have been hounding me, Natalie included. They all want to meet her, Nora of course pissed that Abby was first, even my mom got in on it, her Press Secretary already fielding questions on it, that was coupled with a, lets call it passionate phone call from my father. But I haven't had the energy to focus on any of that.

I am absolutely terrified for Erin. I knew that going public was going to be rough for her, risking a lot, but now that it's real I can't help but be scared even more scared that I already was. I can't even imagine what she's feeling. Charlie's just one part of all of this. He is a big part, I won't deny that by any means and her safety will be my priority, but we didn't even think about the public scrutiny or the White House screening. She's going to have to do it all.

I wanted to pick up the phone a hundred times. I don't know what I would say, I just want to hear her voice. But I couldn't. So I settled for a text, a stupid, stupid, stupid text.


ERIN

"What do you mean you took care of it?" I ask nervously as I stand opposite my dad, feeling the urge to back away. I always knew that he was powerful, that he could do things I would never dream of. But I don't want to think that he did this. I never thought he could do this.

"Don't worry about it Erin," He says, shaking me off.

"No," I nearly yell back. "You can't just tell me that and them clam up. It doesn't work like that. We don't lie to each other Hank,"

"I'm protecting you Erin," He argues. "This is for you, for your safety,"

"Dad," I plead with him, my eyes deep with worry. "Just tell me,"

"Don't you think I would if I could?" He says, staring up at me with those dark eyes, his voice as gravely as ever.

"I can't do this," I say, tears starting to stream down my face as I run out of the room.

"Erin!" He calls after me.

"Don't!" I yell back.

"Sweetie?" Camille says as she hears me running down the stairs, fat, salty tears running down my face."What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," I assure her, turning away to wipe the tears from my face. "I just need to go out for a drive,"

"Something going on with your dad?" She asks, those big hazel eyes scanning me, sincere as ever.

"Yeah," I say shortly.

"C'mere," She says, pulling me into a hug. "It's going to be okay, whatever it is,"

"I'm not so sure," I say, holding back the waterworks.

"It'll all work itself out," She responds, holding me by the shoulders. "Or maybe it won't. But we have to have faith, that whatever the outcome, that was what was supposed to happen,"

"Thanks Mama," I say as I fall back into her arms.

"I'm always here baby girl," She assures me, somehow always knowing exactly what to say. She knows that I wouldn't be satisfied with the dumb expression that everything is going to be okay. A lot of the times things will not be okay. But we can always figure out a way to make it work. At least I hope I can. "Oh I almost forgot,"

"What?" I ask, my voice still cracking as she runs to get something from the kitchen.

"These are your keys,"

"What?"

"We got them while you were gone, all your boxes and the furniture you ordered is waiting for you there," She tells me as she drops them into my hand. "A final farewell present from Hank and I,"

"Thank you," I say as I clasp my hand around the cool metal.

"You want to go stay over there tonight?" She asks. "It's still early, you have a little bit of time to unpack and setup tonight. You need some space don't you?"

"Yeah," I say with a deep breath.

"I'll be there tomorrow with breakfast," She tells me with a grin. "All the utilities are turned on, we set up the wifi yesterday and the password is on a sticky note on the fridge,"

"You are too good to me,"

"It's what a mama does," She tells me with a smile. "Get out of here, I'll see you tomorrow,"

"Thank you," I tell her, lingering in the hallway for a second, trails of tears starting to dry on my face before I grab my suitcases and put them back into the familiar 300, Hank's words still ringing in my head.

"Hey," I hear behind me, causing me to jump, though my heartbeat falls back to its normal rhythm once my mind recognizes the speaker.

"Jesus Jay," I say, throwing a punch at his shoulder. "You scared the crap out of me,"

"I'm sorry, I just needed to see you," He says standing awkwardly a few feet away from me.

"So you flew halfway across the country?" I say, eyebrow raised. Damn, I really need to up my game with these grand romantic gestures, he's gotten on a cross country flight for me twice, I need to catch up.

"Yeah," He says sheepishly.

"Well I'm glad you did," I say, melting into his arms as I instantly feel him relax, me doing the exact same. "The second I got back, the only person I wanted to see was you,"

"We've got a lot to talk about," He says, a sadness in his voice.

"Yeah we do," I reply, more than he even knows. "Hey where are the guys?"

"I'm over 18, I can deny Secret Service if I want to," He tells me, letting me into a new little snippet of trivia.

"And your mom is okay with that?" I question.

"Well no," He says with a smile, "It took some convincing, but I just wanted it to be and my girl,"

"Well your girl needs to set up Ikea furniture and unpack boxes in her new apartment, but she could be persuaded to include her boyfriend if he threw in pizza and beer," I say with a smile, the grin hiding my sadness and dried tears. I know very well what we have to talk about tonight and while I know that it's important, I will also avoid it for as long as possible. But just him being here, it makes my night a whole lot better.

"Sounds perfect,"


"This is like the ultimate relationship tester," I joke as we work on screwing the headboard of my bed on, a box of unfinished pizza on the kitchen counter. "If we're still together by the end of this, we'll last forever,"

"Well then," He says, securing the last screw, "We are destined for greatness then,"

"So glad," I say, pressing a soft kiss to his lips as I look around my mess of a bedroom, boxes everywhere and the boxspring and mattress pressed up against the wall. "Thank you for coming out, it means a lot,"

"Of course," He says as we set the box spring on the frame, draping a white bed skirt over all of it before popping my mattress over it all. The small talk continues as we dress the bed with sheets, pillows and blankets, pulling them all out of the boxes that were shipped here while I was gone, a product of late night online shopping while I should have been studying for finals.

"You know there's a reason I'm here right?" He asks as we fluff the last of the pillows.

"I do," I say with a sad smile.

"I just wanted to apologize for everything that has happened, you wouldn't be anywhere near this mess if it weren't for me. They ruined your vacation, I know that was supposed to be your time off,"

"Hey hey hey," I stop him, bounding over the bed and grabbing him by the shoulders. "This was a mutual decision, I knew exactly what I was getting into with you Jay. You have to stop apologizing for that,"

"It's just hard, I worry about you. Charlie,"

"About that," I interrupt nervously, biting down on my bottom lip. "I don't think we're going to have to worry about him very much anymore," I can feel my heart beating out of my chest as I wait for him to respond.

"What does that mean?" He asks, taking a tedious step away from me.

"I don't know," I tell him honestly.

"Erin," He presses.

"You cannot say anything about this, to anyone. I don't care who they are,"

"What, what is it?" Jay asks, continuing to press me about it.

"I came home and my dad told me he took care of it," I say apprehensively.

"What does that mean?" He asks again, his voice shakier this time.

"I don't know," I tell him again. "I don't want to think about what it could be mean,"

"Are you saying-" He begins to ask.

"Don't," I respond quickly, effectively cutting him off. I don't need him to say what I've been thinking since Hank told me. I didn't want to believe that Hank was capable of anything like that, but I can't not think that. I've seen what he can do, especially when Justin or I are involved, he will do anything to protect his family.

"Erin, we have to talk to someone about this," He insists.

"No," I exclaim, throwing my hand on his chest. "If he did do it and I don't want to believe that he did, he had a reason and it was a damn good one. He is my family, they are all that I have. So no, we will not be telling anyone about this,"

"He's all you have?" He questions, a new hurt in his eyes as I instantly realize my mistake. I shouldn't have said that. I know what I meant, but I know that my wording did not come out that way. I have Hailey and Kim and all the girls from the Bowman House, Kelly and now apparently Matt too, but I also have him.

"That's not what I meant," I stammer, trying to regain my footing.

"No, that's exactly what you meant," He says as he grabs the bag he brought with him. "Why are you so willing to blindly trust this man? He could have committed murder!"

"Because he did it to protect me!" I call back, tears starting to stream down my face. "And he's my dad, where are you going?" I ask, following him through the main area of the apartment as he puts on his shoes.

"I need some space,"

"What?" I ask as he continues to move, still stuck behind him as my head spins a million miles a minute, forever regretting that I told him what Hank said. "Where are you going?"

"My brother's got a place in the city," He says. "I just need to clear my head,"

"You don't need to do this," I tell him, "Just stay,"

"I'm sorry," He says, pulling me into a tight embrace, a brand new tension between us. "I'll see you soon," And with that, the door closes, leaving me in a brand new apartment, my entire life in limbo as tears stream down my face, my body sinking down to the cool hardwood floors and the guy I love no where to be found.


Sorry for another cliffhanger! Thanks for reading and please review!

Xoxo,

Addison