Secretly dating a celebrity♡

Chapter 16:

The day suddenly turned rainy.

Heather walked through the streets with no umbrella, the rain soaking her clothes, her hair clinging to her face and neck. The cold didn’t bother her—not compared to the ache in her chest. The pain inside her felt heavier than the rain, heavier than the weight of everything she had just lost.

She didn’t know where she was going. Her feet moved on their own until she reached a small covered space, standing beneath an old shelter where the rain couldn’t reach her anymore. Water dripped from her sleeves onto the ground, but she barely noticed. Her hands trembled as she pulled out her phone.

Heather left for her house and quietly closed the door behind her. The rain was still falling outside, tapping against the windows like it was echoing the chaos in her chest. She didn’t bother turning on the lights. She walked straight to the bathroom and stepped into the shower, turning the water all the way cold.

The chill hit her instantly, but she didn’t flinch. The cold didn’t hurt as much as everything else. She let the water run over her face, over her hair, trying to wash away the memories, the guilt, the sound of Luke’s voice, the look in his eyes. She stayed there longer than usual, her arms wrapped around herself, breathing slowly until the tightness in her chest dulled just a little.

When she finally stepped out, her skin was cold and her body felt heavy. She wrapped a towel around herself and stood in front of the mirror, drying her hair slowly. Her eyes looked tired. Empty. Like someone who had cried too much in one night.

Her phone buzzed.

She sighed deeply before even checking. Her heart already knew. When she picked it up and saw Jake video calling, her breath caught. Her fingers trembled.

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she placed the phone down, dried her hair more carefully, and stared at her reflection. “Get it together,” she whispered to herself. After a moment, she picked up the phone and called him back.

Jake answered almost immediately. His face filled the screen, calm, handsome, familiar. He smiled the moment he saw her.

“Hey, my love,” he said softly, like nothing in the world was wrong.

“Hey…” Heather replied, her voice quieter than usual. She sounded shy, unsure, like she was afraid one wrong word would break everything.

Jake tilted his head slightly, studying her face. “Is my darling okay?”

She nodded quickly, even though it wasn’t entirely true. “Yeah… I’m okay.”

There was a pause. Heather swallowed, then gathered her courage. “Jake, can I… can I ask you something?”

He smiled gently. “Anything, my love. As long as it doesn’t involve me burning the world down—because that might be hard.”

She let out a small laugh, a real one this time, even though it faded quickly. “No… not that.”

She hesitated again, then finally spoke. “Why me?”

Jake frowned slightly, confused but attentive.

“Why did you choose me?” she continued. “Out of every pretty girl… influencers, celebrities, people who already belong in your world. Why did you choose me?”

Before she could finish, he cut her off gently.

“Because you’re different,” he said simply.

Heather blinked.

“You’re real,” Jake continued. “You don’t chase attention. You don’t try to impress anyone. You’re honest. And I love that about you.”

Her chest tightened.

“And… I love you,” he added, his voice steady and sincere.

Heather smiled, but this time her eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall. “Babe… I—I think I need some sleep. Can we talk tomorrow?”

Jake nodded without hesitation. “Of course. Sleep tight, baby.”

She hung up, placing the phone down slowly.

On the other side of the screen, Jake stared at the blank display for a long moment. He sighed and leaned back, rubbing his face with both hands. He didn’t know whether to confront the truth he had overheard… or keep pretending. Loving her meant protecting her, even if it meant hurting himself. For now, he chose silence.

⸻

The next day came faster than Heather expected.

Luke sat behind a long table at a press conference, cameras flashing nonstop. Fans, journalists, and reporters filled the room, their eyes locked on him. He wore a calm expression, professional and controlled—something he had perfected over the years.

“I want to start by apologizing,” Luke said into the microphone. “What happened on the live was careless. It was just me and Maria being reckless.”

Murmurs spread through the room.

A fan stood up, her voice shaking slightly. “Then why were you talking about Jake during the live? Those sounds didn’t sound like teasing.”

Luke had expected this. He didn’t flinch.

“It’s just our way of joking,” he replied calmly. “We tease each other like siblings. It was taken out of context.”

His tone was steady. Convincing. The kind of confidence that made people want to believe him.

Another fan raised her hand. “It’s okay,” she said warmly. “I understand. Something similar happened to me and my husband once. It wasn’t live, but it was a phone call with my mum. Mistakes happen.”

Luke smiled—grateful, relieved. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

The tension in the room slowly softened.

But behind the calm face, behind the practiced answers, Luke felt hollow. Every word he spoke felt like another lie stacked on his chest. He thought of Heather. He thought of Jake. And for the first time, fame felt heavier than ever.

⸻

Meanwhile, Heather sat on her bed, staring at her phone. Jake’s words replayed in her mind. You’re different.

She hugged her knees to her chest, confusion and guilt mixing together. Should she keep dating Jake and move on from Luke—this time for good? Or would Luke always exist in the spaces between her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried to erase him?

She didn’t have an answer yet.

All she knew was that love had never felt this complicated before.

Jake.

Her finger hovered over his name for a long moment. Her heart raced, guilt tightening her throat. She swallowed hard and typed:

Jake, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.

She sent the message and stared at the screen, her breathing shallow. Seconds felt like minutes. Her mind raced with fear—fear of hurting him, fear of losing him, fear of facing the truth she had been running from.

The reply came faster than she expected.

What are you talking about?

Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Her chest tightened. Had he really not seen it? Had Luke somehow covered it up? Or was Jake pretending?

She typed back, hesitant.

You don’t know… what I’m talking about?

The rain continued to fall, loud and relentless. Heather’s fingers curled around her phone as she waited. This time, the response took longer. Each second felt like torture.

Finally, her phone buzzed.

No. I have no idea, baby.

Her breath caught. She stared at the message, her vision blurring. Could he really not know? Or was he choosing not to know? Her thoughts spiraled. Maybe Luke had ended the live faster than she realized. Maybe Jake hadn’t connected the dots yet.

Her heart ached with the weight of what she was hiding. She wanted to tell him everything—to confess, to beg for forgiveness, to stop lying. But fear held her back. Fear of breaking him. Fear of destroying what little stability she had left.

Her thumbs trembled as she typed again.

Prank! I just wanted to talk to you.

The lie tasted bitter, but she sent it anyway. Almost immediately, she turned off her phone, afraid of what would come next. Afraid of herself.

Heather leaned back against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting on the ground. The rain blurred her surroundings, but her thoughts were painfully clear.

Should she just keep dating Jake?

Pretend nothing happened?

Move on from Luke—again—but this time for good?

She hugged her knees to her chest. Jake was kind. Jake loved her. Jake chose her openly, proudly. And yet… her heart refused to cooperate. Luke had carved his way into her feelings when she wasn’t paying attention, when she least expected it.

She closed her eyes, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. She felt selfish, torn between two people who didn’t deserve to be hurt. One who loved her honestly, and one who loved her painfully.

“I can’t keep doing this,” she whispered to herself.

But even as she said it, she didn’t know which choice would hurt less.

Two days later, Heather returned to work at Luke’s house.

She told herself over and over that she would be professional. Nothing more. Nothing less. Whatever had happened between her and Luke was buried, locked away, and never to be acknowledged again. She was just staff now. Invisible. Replaceable.

But today wasn’t just any day.

It was a family dinner.

Heather stood in the kitchen for a moment longer than necessary, taking a deep, steady breath. Her hands felt cold despite the warmth of the trays she carried. She fixed her expression into a polite smile and stepped forward to serve.

Luke was already seated at the table.

Maria sat beside him, her fingers laced possessively through his, her posture confident and deliberate. Luke’s father sat across from them, fully engaged, speaking animatedly to Maria about business, influence, and power—everything that mattered to him.

Heather lowered her gaze as she approached, reminding herself not to look up.

“You two look good together,” Luke’s father said approvingly. “I bet my grandchildren will look like me.”

He laughed at his own words.

Luke responded without looking at Heather. “I doubt,” he said, but this time his tone carried a forced lightness, almost teasing. It was the first time Heather had heard him sound that way in days, and it hurt more than she expected.

She placed the dishes carefully, her movements precise, controlled. Her smile stayed in place even as her chest tightened.

Then Luke’s father spoke again.

“So the wedding is in a month?”

The words hit Heather like a sudden blow.

Her breath caught, her grip faltered for just a second—and that second was enough.

The cup tilted.

Hot tea spilled over Maria’s arm.

Maria screamed, pushing her chair back. “Stupid, careless maid! Are you crazy?!” Her voice cut through the room, sharp and humiliating.

Heather froze.

She didn’t immediately react to Maria. Instead, her eyes lifted—straight to Luke.

For a brief moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them.

Her eyes burned, filled with anger, hurt, disbelief. This was the man who had told her he loved her. This was the man who had let her go. This was the man now sitting beside another woman, playing the role perfectly.

Luke stared back at her.

His expression shifted—shock, conflict, something raw—but then, slowly, deliberately, he looked away.

Heather felt something inside her break.

Luke leaned toward Maria. “Baby, are you okay?” he asked softly, his voice careful, controlled.

Maria nodded, dabbing at her arm with a tissue, clearly enjoying the attention.

That was when Heather finally found her voice.

“I… I am sorry,” she said quietly.

The words felt small. Useless.

Maria looked Heather up and down, her lips curling in disgust. “You should be.”

She flicked her wrist dismissively. “Ahsh! Get out of my way.”

Heather stepped back immediately, her hands trembling now, her smile completely gone. Her heart felt exposed, raw, like it was beating outside her chest.

Luke didn’t look at her again.

He stared down at the table instead.

That hurt more than Maria’s insult ever could.

Heather turned and walked away, each step heavy, her vision blurring. She kept her head high until she was out of the room—until she was alone.

Only then did the tears finally fall.

Not loud. Not dramatic.

Just silent, aching proof that no matter how hard she tried to be strong, this was breaking her in ways she hadn’t expected.

And Luke stayed where he was.

Saying nothing.

Doing nothing.

Letting her go all over again.