The Proposal

Part 11

The plane ride back to Vancouver was quiet, but not uneasy. Jensen had his script out, going over his lines while you mindlessly stared at the book in your hand. A historical romance book that seemed to have nothing on your life right now.

Your life would make any fiction story pale in comparison right now. With a fake engagement that turned into a real engagement, you were sure it would be any author's dream. But it was real, and it was happening to you. Now.

How could you focus on the book in front of you when your mind continued to swirl around and dissect your current situation. How were things going to be now that you were back in Vancouver? Would working on set be awkward. How was Jensen going to act now that he was away from his family, and back with his friends and coworkers?

And then there was the matter of your brother. You couldn't wait until you could pry him away from your Aunt and Uncle. To get him back with you where he belongs. It was going to take time, and money, and patience. None of which you had much of.

"Y/N, you've been staring at the same page for the last ten minutes now. What's up?"

Giving up hope on the book, you closed it, placing it back on your lap. "Just thinking about what's going to happen when we land. There's so much that needs to happen or could go wrong. I just don't want to disappoint you, or ruin things."

Jensen reached for and grasped your hand, offering you support. "We're in new territory for both of us. We're both bound to make mistakes. It's gonna happen. We're still getting to know each other. On top of that, we've turned a fake engagement into a real one. It's a lot of stress for both of us. But I believe we can get through it."

He held your hand the rest of the way as the plane skidded to a stop. His words had calmed your nerves, at least for now. But you knew they were bound to pop right back up. After all, there were so many unknown variables.

Stretching in bed the next morning, you had to agree with Jensen. Your apartment was tiny, and probably not in the greatest part of town. It was one room, your kitchen, your living room and bed all within an arm's length away from each other. Your neighbors across the hall got into tremendous fights, while the people above you listened to techno music at two in the morning. But it was yours, and you were able to save the rest of your money for the day you would be able to fight for your brother.

You had tried to make the place homey, with your colorful quilt and vintage pictures hanging on the wall. But it didn't hide the water stain in the corner or the stained tile in the kitchen. But it was your own place, and that had been enough until Jensen had stepped into the cramped space last night. His large stature had made the small place seem minuscule. He had glanced around, his face full of dismay.

"This is where you live?" He had asked, and you nodded, slightly ashamed of your tiny run-down place.

"It's cheap. I can save the rest of my paycheck," you had answered back defensively.

He had continued to frown before leaving last night without saying another word, and you wondered how he was going to react today.

You didn't have long to wait. As soon as you arrived at the set, ready to let the never-ending duties of a PA keep your mind occupied, Jensen was tugging on your hand, pulling you into his trailer.

"Morning to you too," you muttered as he forced you to the couch. Handing you a cup of coffee, he perched on the stool across from you.

"Morning," he muttered distractedly. "Listen, I've been thinking. Most of the night to be in fact. About you and that apartment. About your brother. And I've come to a decision I hope you don't mind."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"You're going to move in with me. I know, we hadn't talked about it before. But that seems like the best option. You'll be somewhere safer. Somewhere your brother can move into that the court won't argue with."

"Okay," you answered simply, knowing that it was the best thing. While you loved having your own place, you would do everything in your power to get your brother back.

He seemed taken back that you didn't put up an argument. "Good, that's settled. Tonight, after work, you'll get what you need and bring it to my apartment. We can go back later and get everything else, place it in storage for now."

Sipping on your coffee, you couldn't believe how fast everything was happening. "And my apartment?"

A knock on the door stopped him just as he opened his mouth to answer. "Jensen, you're supposed to be in makeup!"

"We can talk about that later," he answered. "You can keep it, or whatever. But we're going to have bigger things to worry about soon enough."

He stepped out of his trailer, leaving you there with an empty coffee mug, and your heart racing. What big things?

As you made your way to the offices, you wondered if you were going to be able to handle it all. It seemed like each new minute you were thrown a curveball, and soon enough one might be strong enough to knock you off your feet.

"Y/N!" Jim called out. "Come see me in my office please."

Gulping, you followed him into the spacious office. The office that just last week had turned your life upside down. Sitting down on the edge of the seat, you stared nervously at him. "How was this weekend?" He asked, opening up his laptop.

"It went well," you answered nervously. "His family was nice."

"Good, good." To be honest, he seemed more interested in his computer than you, and you hoped he would get to the point so you could go on with your day. Finally, he glanced up, turning the computer around. Jensen's face was on the screen, on one of the main entertainment websites. "Is this Bachelor no longer available?" The title read. Skimming through the article, you saw they had found out about the party. But there was no mention of you by name.

"I talked to Jensen this morning, and we want to make a more public announcement. The proposal at the brewery was fine. But we want it to be more widespread. And that's what I wanted to talk to you about. We want to do photos, Have a big engagement party up here. Staff, friends, a couple of entertainment magazine people. But before that, we will have staged engagement photos taken. I'm thinking Wednesday. Jensen has a light shooting day, and I can get someone to cover you. Of course, we'll pay for your dress, and the party. All you have to do is look pretty, and pretend to be in love with Jensen. That can't be that hard, can it?"