Hot Pursuit

Chapter 24

[Georgina's POV]

The next morning, just as I expected...

My name was all over social media. And of course, I would be immediately become the target of critics and irate fans who felt wronged after seeing that Kieran Locke had been locking lips with some average wannabe in the middle of the day outside a hotel. Which was... somehow seemed wrong in so many parts. Trending topics, overexaggerated articles, and awful angles of my face where only Kieran seemed to look so good, unfortunately, were scattered in every gossip site and social media platform.

I really did not like personally the way those paparazzi and onlookers just uploaded pictures where it did no justice about what I looked. Kieran looked like some kind of god, on the other hand. But I just ended up like some sleazy girl wearing a shirt and a pair of skinny jeans. I could not even believe that damn Kieran just let me wear something so plain when he had been planning to do that public display from the very beginning.

But I don't care anymore. Those fans could hate me all they want. They all probably trying to get rid of me in their heads. I can't really blame them though, they were all thinking that I actually got the man of their dreams whipped and under a tight leash. And I was still totally killing it. Ha. But that's not the point. It was all just pretending and there was no way in hell I would even want to fall for that bastard no matter how charming and sexy he looked. The only thing I want was to find a way to get closer. And I finally did manage to get myself into the picture. So now, I can totally get an excuse to follow that bastard all over the world—wherever he goes.

I will be the extra baggage even if he didn't want me to be there. He had no choice now. And as I finally decided to stop looking up my name on every website I could think of, I ran out of my bedroom and prepared some instant noodles for my own self. This situation certainly calls up for a sweet celebration so I also planned to buy some liquor by evening to drink myself to a hilt. I can finally relax for a while now that I got a good article to show to my editor. He must be probably going nuts about this now and would die to get an exclusive from me.

'The Girl That Kieran Loves'

Hmmm... Maybe using the 'love' words was quite too intense. It can still be just, "The Girl Who Kissed Kieran'. That definitely fitted the exact role I was playing more. Haha! I wonder if people would start recognizing me once I get outside later. But seeing those pictures, they might not really be able to tell if I was that girl. It did not really show my entire face and only the side profiles could be seen on all the angles. I guess it still was safe to walk around the streets even if I don't wear a mask over my face.

By the time evening came, I was still just hanging around my cozy living room, watching some new show on N-flix, and eating some chips. When I realized it was dark outside, I decided to get out so I could buy some beer and maybe do a little grocery shopping. I did not even bother to fix myself. I just went out wearing my baggy pants and an oversized hoodie. I met some apartment pals on my way out and none of them seem to act strange around me. Perhaps, they still did not realize it was me on the headlines after all. I found that fulfilling that I could actually still get away with that and was beaming as I finally met the cold air of the evening streets.

When I got to the small grocery store just near my place—thankfully just a walking distance as well—I started to feel more fascinated that no one really gave me even a glance. No one really recognized me! Ha! I was too average-looking for anyone to actually suspect that I was now quite the talk of the town online.

I even got through the cash register without being stopped. And when I got back to the streets, that was when I felt something seemed wrong. I started to sense someone following me from behind but when I turned around to see, I did not really find anyone suspicious. I shrugged off the gut feeling, perhaps it was just an effect of me being too overtly self-conscious because I was now publicly associated with Kieran Locke.

But just before I took a turn to a corner nearing my apartment building, hairs pricked on my nape. That totally never felt good anymore. It was starting to get to me. Was this how it felt being followed by someone you don't know? I totally understand now why Kieran seemed to hate it that I had been stalking him before.

When that thought ran over my head, I started walking faster with all my might that I was even almost running now, fearing that some crazy fan or another paparazzi was out to get me or trying to trail where I lived. I was eventually going hysterical and decided to take a different route to lose them before going back to my safer place. I didn't want to reveal my real address as well. That would be dangerous in this situation. But somehow, when I unconsciously entered a narrow alley, a huge arm suddenly grabbed me and a hand covered my mouth before I could even scream.

That was when fear began to overwhelm me that the first instinct I did was to stomp over the unknown predator, trying to escape from this danger as much as I could... Because damn it... This was not what I wanted to happen to me when I agreed to that deal with Kieran.

I eventually realized that my life could actually be in danger after all.