The Secret

Trisha cleared her throat. Her mind was blank, her throat dry, she didn't even know if she could form two words by this point. She cast a glance at Ryan but he still held that warmth in his eyes that made her feel like she could do no wrong.

She held up her drink and blinked at the reporters who were all waiting for her to speak. "Thank you for all coming to celebrate mine and Ryan's wedding party." she chirped. 

She hoped they couldn't hear every breath she was taking. What was he thinking making her do this? This should have been him, not her. She scanned the crowd.

She spotted Logan beyond the cameras. He gave her a little smile and a thumbs up. Was that his idea of encouragement?

"Is that it, honey?" Ryan questioned.

Trisha shook her head. "No, of course not, I'm just so touched that so many are here. Our family, our friends," she nodded to Logan who smiled at her. She was positive she'd have to explain that to Ryan later, but for now it helped take some of the heat off of her.

"So many people came to celebrate our love. I never imagined a nobody like me would be engaged to someone like Ryan." She looked up at him. "I still don't know what he saw in me." 

That part was true. 

Ryan leaned down until his forehead touched hers and he lifted her chin so she was staying up into his mesmerizing eyes. "That's obvious, Trish," he whispered.

The rest of the world fell away and it was just the two of them. "I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. I don't know if soul mates exist, but if they do, you're mine." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers in a soft chaste kiss.

Squeals erupted from the reporters and Trisha's knees went weak. She had not expected that at all. He didn't press the kiss but pulled away a smile on his lips. "Ryan," she whispered and his smile grew.

"I thank you all for coming, and I encourage you to enjoy yourselves. I hope you'll give us some free time to relax and enjoy our other guests. I promise I'll give a personal interview to each and every one of you this week, each getting a different facet of our relationship. Is that enough to buy her some free time to enjoy her own party?"

"Of course, Ryan!" Gushed one of the women. "As long as you let me interview you first." 

Ryan returned the smile. "Of course, that can all be arranged. The rest of you set up appointments with my manager. I'll get to everyone, I promise." 

Trisha didn't move as he put a hand under her elbow and propelled her away from the crowd. "Did I do okay?" she whispered.

That hadn't been what she had planned to say. She had planned to yell at him and threaten to strangle him for setting her up like that. She had never expected to end up the speech maker.

"Perfect," Ryan smiled at her again, this one far more natural. "It's exactly the kind of fresh response I needed. Thank you, Trisha. Stay here until my relatives leave, if you can. And we'll finish everything up then," he pitched his voice low so no one else could hear the two of them.

Trisha nodded. In the distance she saw Logan was being mobbed with the press again. Better him than her at least. "What now?" Trisha whispered back.

"Enjoy the party." Ryan leaned forward and once more pressed his lips to hers.

This was an even quicker kiss than before. "Can't stop the show yet, sorry for that. I have to talk to some of the other guests. Feel free to do what you wish, or if you get tired let Nakuni know. I've instructed him to take care of your every wish tonight."

Ryan walked away and once more Trisha found herself alone.

But not for long. As soon as Ryan had walked away another group took his place. People she didn't recognize crowded in offering her handshakes and sloppy kisses on her hand.

She disengaged as soon as she could and escaped upstairs. At least it was quiet up here. The guests didn't seem to wander this far. She crept across the carpet, careful to not make a sound.

"Meow."

The soft whimper caught her attention and her steps hurried. There sitting in a patch of moonlight was her kitten.

It looked up as she approached and Trisha picked it up and hugged it. It purred at the contact and rubbed against her. "I'm glad to see you too," she whispered.

It cuddled against her chest purring with all its might. "Don't worry, I wont' let anything happen to you. I don't have much of a place, but you can come with me after all this."

Trisha jerked alert and looked around from side to side. No one else was around. 

"Hey," she whispered. "Do you want to hear a secret, little kitty?" She scanned the area once more and saw some glass doors leading to a balcony. She took the kitten with her and slid the doors open and sighed as she inhaled the fresh crisp air. Much better than the party atmosphere. 

Trisha closed the door back behind her and craned her neck. This balcony was more at one of the rear entries of the house. There was a garden far below, but no one was in sight. 

She set the kitten down on the banister and crouched so she was face to face with it. "Listen, I don't belong here. All of this craziness, this isn't for me. So when tomorrow comes, and this is all over, I want you to come with me."

The kitten purred again rubbing against her and using its sandpaper like tongue to lick her nose.

Trisha giggled and lost her balance falling backward. "Hey, no fair tickling me." She rubbed her cheek against the soft fur. There was nothing like hugging a kitten. It relaxed her and she sighed once more.

"I'm being serious you know. This kind of life isn't for me. I'm not wife material, and I'm not the kind of person to marry an actor like Ryan. They've got their pictures, they've got their interviews lined up, and his relatives saw me. I am so happy to get back to normal."

The cat purred in response to her words and once more tried to jump onto her chest to knead. 

"No claws," Trisha scolded it with a wagging finger. The kitten grabbed it and pulled the finger close to its body.

"You're not playing fair." Trisha shook her head. "I'm going to have to find a new apartment. We should probably move really far away from here so we don't cause any troubles for Ryan. I'd hate for this whole sham to be discovered. All that work for nothing, you know?"

"So it was a sham, huh?" 

Trisha whirled and looked up from her position on the ground. She hadn't even heard the doors open. There lounged against the archway was Logan. He was staring hard at her, and her kitten was hissing at the interruption.

"Logan! How long have you been there?" she swallowed. How bad was she at this that she had already slipped the truth? Maybe she could figure out a way to fix it.

"Long enough to know that this whole marriage with Ryan isn't real." Logan took a step forward and slid the door closed behind him. "Care to explain that part?"

Trisha paled as she scurried back until her back hit the railing. Crap, how had he sneaked up on her like this? She had been so careful. "Please, Logan, please you can't tell anyone. Ryan needed help, so I tried to help him." she sighed. "Not that I was very good at it."

"You want me to stay quiet about this?" Logan whispered. He had stepped closer now.

He crouched down until he was eye-level with her and picked the spitting kitten up by the scruff of its neck as it tried to attack him. "Is that what you need me to do, Trisha?"

She nodded. "I'm just trying to help him. I swear I'm not hurting anyone. Please, Logan."

His hair danced in the breeze and she was once more mystified by it. His answer would make or break her. Surely if she failed Ryan then everything she had done would be moot.

She'd be back to the ramen and peanut butter diet, and out of a job with no funds to even pay her apartment.

"I'll do it," he whispered.

Trisha dared to smile. "You will?"

Logan looked up at her his dark blue eyes like sparkling sapphires. "I will, on one condition, Trisha." the way he said her name was so soft almost like a caress.

Trisha shivered. "Yes?" she couldn't bring her voice to a level above a whisper at this point. She was shaking so much.

"I want you to be my girlfriend and date me."

Now this she had not expected.