8. Fame
395 Words
Clara’s phone buzzed with a message from Julian. It was a simple, sweet text, asking about her day.
Her heart felt a little lighter just from reading it. They had been texting all week. She loved the easy, honest feeling of their conversations. He was still a mystery, but a good one.
That night, after her show, she was sitting with her friend Sophia, watching TV.
A sports show came on, with loud music and highlights of a fight. Suddenly, a picture of Julian flashed on the screen.
Clara froze.
"Oh my god," Sophia squealed, pointing at the TV. That's Julian Ashworth! The champion! He's so hot. He just won the heavyweight title."
Clara stared at the screen, her heart pounding in her chest.
The man on TV was the same man she had met for coffee. But he looked different. He was fierce, powerful, a man of raw strength.
Not the quiet, gentle man she knew.
A news story about his upcoming fight flashed across the screen, followed by a magazine cover with his face on it. He was a superstar.
A wave of shock and hurt washed over her. Why hadn't he told her? It felt like a lie. A big one.
The simple man she had connected with was a lie, a role he played in secret. Her mind raced with thoughts.
What was he doing with her?
Was she just a game?
A break from his famous life?
The world of celebrity was so far from her own, so big and bright and dangerous.
She felt small and silly for thinking she could be a part of it.
She had always fought to be seen for who she was, not for what she did. And Julian, who had promised to see her, had hidden the biggest part of his life.
Tears pricked her eyes. She felt foolish, naive. She stood up, feeling a knot of anxiety in her stomach.
The contrast between the two Julians was too much. The quiet man who loved nature and the famous man who lived in the public eye.
She went to her room and took out her phone.
She looked at his last text, the sweet message about her day.
She took a deep breath, her fingers shaking. With all the courage she could find, she wrote a simple message.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
- Writer
