Sea Breeze 01 - Breathe

room. “Things seem to be getting better and better.”
    I looked up. She was staring at the television. I knew deep down I didn’t want to see what she was watching, but I stood up and forced myself to walk in there.
    “
Star Follower
has the scoop on everyone’s favorite teen rocker. Jax Stone, who was spotted with Bailey Kirk just last week here in Beverly Hills, has been located in Alabama. That’s right, fans. He has been spending his time this summer on the coast of Alabama, and not alone, either. He has been dating his hired help. The kitchen maid.” Photos of me with Jax appeared on the screen. “Our insider source says she rides her bike to his home, where she is employed to work in the kitchen and in the garden. When Jax has any free time, he spends it charming this Alabama local. It seems the girl who lives in a small apartment and takes care of her single, yet pregnant, mom has climbed up the ladder and found herself a way out of poverty. We are left to wonder if she will manage to squeeze out a better way of life from this smitten rock star. Jax Stone really is a bighearted guy. It’s one of the reasons he is so incredibly edible!”
    I felt sick. I ran from the room and went straight to the bathroom. After I emptied everything inside me, I splashed my face with water, then sank down to the floor and laid my head on the tub.
    This wasn’t something I’d been expecting. I had been prepared for a lot, but this wasn’t something I ever feared. Now my life was being splattered all over the media. Either I sounded like a gold-digging tramp, or Jax sounded like he was taking advantage of a stupid, naive southern girl. There was a knock on the bathroom door. I couldn’t face Jessica right now. I just needed to be alone.
    “Throwing up isn’t going to make this better. You might as well come hear the other versions on other news channels. Some of them don’t paint us like white trash.”
    I groaned. “No.”
    I stayed on the floor of the bathroom until I heard someone at the front door, and I knew without a doubt it was Jax.
    “Sadie, honey, you got company,” Jessica called from outside the door again.
    I didn’t want to leave him out there with her, so I stood up and stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes were bloodshot, and there was nothing I could do about it. I opened the door and there, instead of Jessica, stood a very upset Jax.
    He grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. “I swear, I’ll kill whoever did this.”
    I began to cry again. I didn’t want to do this to him, because he was obviously beating himself up about it.
    He pulled back just enough so I could see his face. “Will you come with me?”
    I nodded.
    Jax led me with his arm firmly around my waist. “Ms. White, I’m just going to take Sadie for a little while. I’ll bring her back soon.”
    Jessica snorted. “Just make sure you bring her back happier than she is right now.”
    He frowned, and we walked out to his Hummer. Kane sat in the driver’s seat, and I was glad Jax didn’t have to drive, so I wouldn’t have to give up his arms. A flash went off, and Jax put himself in front of me. “Hurry, get into the car.” He slid in behind me, and we were behind the protection of dark tinted windows.
    “Sadie, I’m so sorry,” he whispered again.
    I sniffed and wiped my eyes. “It’s not your fault.”
    He gave a hard laugh. “Yes, it is. I was careless. I wanted everyone to know you were mine, and I put you in the way of danger. The media are like hungry vultures. They pick you clean. This isn’t going to just disappear.”
    I shuddered at the thought of more of my personal life being shared with the world. “How do you do this? How do you handle the invasion of privacy?” I whispered through my tear-clogged throat.
    He sighed. “It’s all I’ve known for a very long time.”
    “This is hard,” I admitted.
    His eyes were haunted. I hated that I was the cause of all this. Being with me seemed to only bring him trouble.
    “I’m tough.” I forced a smile. “I can live through this.”
    Jax didn’t say anything for a few minutes. He reached over and pulled me into his arms, and we sat in silence.
    “I promised you I would never let anything hurt you again.” He closed his eyes tightly and whispered, as if the images in his head were too much, “And instead I’ve not only hurt you, but I’ve hurt your mom.”
    I touched his arm, hating to see him so torn up inside. “I told you I was tough. It