Not Another Diva

23 - The Truth Hurts

"You're kidding!"

"Not even a little bit."

When I walk into the back room after dragging in the twenty-three shopping bags full of clothes from Elle's trip, I find her and Brianna still talking trash about most of Hollywood. I've never heard Brianna let her true feelings out about some of these famous faces.

"There are some complete ego trips out there. I'm living in the middle of it, and I can still hardly believe it." Brianna admits.

"Who's the craziest?" Elle leans forward, hoping to be let in on even more secrets.

"Bree, should you give that stuff away to her? She might sell it to the highest bidder." I'm joking. But there is a grain of truth to my words. Elle doesn't think things through before she does them.

"I would not!" Elle is indignant. She looks back and Brianna," I would never let this stuff out of this room." Her hand is up in a girl-scout swear. I'd believe her but I know her too well. And she wasn't a girl scout so that promise doesn't apply.

"Elle, I brought in all those bags. Hope nothing broke though, they were pretty heavy."

"What?" My sister jumps up from her chair and bolts out of the room. "My Swarovski figurines!"

I'm sure nothing broke. But at least I got rid of Elle. I resume my spot on the couch next to Brianna, and she immediately returns to lounging with her legs across mine. The show she had on is now turned off and we are left in comfortable silence.

It's really too bad that I'm about to ruin the moment.

I rub her leg once again as I attempt to broach the subject of my recent conversation with Clinton. Taking a deep breath in preparation first, I can still feel my blood pressure soaring from his news.

"I just got off the phone with Clinton," I finally say. Brianna immediately stiffens.

"What did he say?" There's tension in her voice, but I can tell she's trying to act relaxed.

"They caught the guy."

Brianna launches into an upright position and wraps her arms around my neck. "Are you serious?" The joy in her voice is so strong it takes my breath away. If I didn't have more to tell her, I'd wrap her up in a kiss to show her just what her happiness does to me.

"Yes, I'm serious. But after questioning him, there's new information that he's investigating." She pulls away slightly, but I keep my arms around her waist, pulling her close. "He wasn't the fan. Someone paid him to break in and leave what he left," I don't need to give her specifics about that stuff. "Clinton believes someone is using the guise of a stalking fan to scare you for some reason."

"So, there isn't a crazy fan trying to kidnap me?" The confusion is plain to hear in her tone.

"Not at this point. He's following every lead right now, though." I brush the hair away from her face as Brianna's gaze is off in the distance. I'm so tired of seeing her have to worry about all of this. I just wish there was more I could do.

"I'm sorry, Bree."

Her eyes snap to mine. "What in the world are you sorry for? Until you came along, I was basically hiding at home, scared to go anywhere alone, scared of the world outside my bubble."

My mouth opens to respond, but nothing comes out.

"Zack, it's because of you that Clinton is even on the track that he is. Do you have any idea how much safer I feel now? I mean, look at us! We took a three-day road trip to Colorado and I'm staying in a house with your family! You got me out of that nightmare, even if it is just for a little while. I just don't even know how to thank you for all of this."