My cell phone rang and it was my publicist, Brian.

"Hey," I answered, flopping onto the hotel bed in my boxers, letting out an exhale. "It's not like you to call this late."

"Well I'm trying to do some damage control. Why am I seeing videos of you all over the internet singing a love song to some woman in Iowa? What the hell's going on Dylan?"

"It's nice to talk to you too Brian. My day's been great. Thanks for asking."

"I'm serious Dylan," he grumbled, letting out a frustrated exhale. "Whatever you have going on with this chick is bad for business. You were voted the Sexiest Man Alive. You're a heartthrob and that's why women buy tickets to see your movies and you sell out giant concert stadiums. They're under the delusion that they have a chance with you because you're single. I've seen it time and time again, that a heartthrob's popularity nosedives when he gets a girlfriend."

"Brian. I don't think I won an Oscar and a few Grammy's because horny women think I have a pretty face. At this point I think my acting and singing abilities have been proven. And this could actually help me. Look at Ryan Reynolds. He got even more popular after he got married."

"Yeah, well this woman, whoever she is, is no Blake Lively. No one's ever even heard of her. She looks boring and ordinary."

"Just because she's not a Hollywood pick me girl doesn't make her ordinary," I said, getting irritated.

"Whatever. You know if you wanted a relationship I could've set you up with a star that would actually advance your career like Blake did for Ryan. We could've even used it to our advantage and staged a big, fiery break up right around your next movie premiere to get more buzz for it."

I laughed and shook my head. "Damn Brian. You're ruthless. I hired you because you're the best at what you do but I'm starting to think all you ever think about is money. I'm not gonna get into some fake relationship with a star to get more attention. I don't need to anyway. If you haven't noticed, my face is already everywhere," I said exhaling and running a hand through my hair as I laid back on the bed against the headboard.

"Yeah and we want to keep it that way, don't we?"

"Not if it means I'd have to get rid of Brenley. She's the real deal. I really like her. And before you even ask, because I know you will, she doesn't want to be famous or be on the cover of magazines with me, so you can't use our relationship as a publicity stunt."

"Ugh," Brian grumbled. "You're making my job way harder Dylan. You know that right?"

"Well I hired you because you're the best Brian. I'm sure you can come up with a way to do your job that doesn't affect my relationship with Brenley. That's why you get paid the big bucks."

"I guess," he said, letting out an exhale. There was silence for a second before he said, "I think after this I need a raise and a vacation. Ugh, this is a nightmare. Call me if you change your mind."

"I'm not changing my mind. Good night Brian."

"Good night Dylan," he huffed before hanging up.

I got up and took a shower and when I came back out, towel drying my hair I saw a missed call from Brenley so I called her back on Facetime.

"Hey beautiful. What's up?"

She flopped back on her bed, exhaling deeply and looking stressed.

"What's wrong?"

She lifted the phone and looked at me with her big eyes.

"There were reporters waiting outside for me when I left the coffee shop. They surrounded me, getting in my face and yelling out questions and their flashes were blinding me. It was scary."

"Oh shit. I'm sorry. I should've stayed there with you."

"No it's not your fault. I just thought we'd have more time before the vultures would descend upon us. I guess news travels fast."

"Yeah it does. Even in Iowa," I said with an exhale. Looking at her worried face made me feel guilty for putting her through this. "I'm sorry Bren. You shouldn't have to put up with all this craziness just to be with me."

She lifted her eyes and looked into mine through the screen. "It's okay Dylan," she said softly. "You're worth it."

"Really?" I asked. "I was afraid this would scare you away. I know how much you hate all this attention."

"I do," she nodded, with an exhale. "But I'm willing to deal with it for you. Honestly, being away from you is a lot harder to deal with than this."

Hearing that made me smile with relief.

"Well hopefully it won't be like this for long. It's just because this thing with me and you is new. When it's old news the media circus will die down, especially since we're here in Iowa. There's no paparazzi here like there is in L.A., only local news reporters and they're not that bad. The paparazzi in L.A. is ruthless."

"Why? What do they do?"

"They go through my trash looking for anything they can make a story about so I had to start using a private trash company that shreds and burns it. Before I moved into a locked and gated community I had to keep my blinds drawn because they had zoom lenses and would take pictures and videos of me through my windows. When I first got famous they went on all my social media accounts and contacted everyone I knew and offered them money for dirt on me. They even hired hackers to try to break into my computer and phone."

I could see her eyes widening as she took all this in.

"I'm not telling you this to scare you off Brenley. That's the last thing I want, but I want to be honest with you and let you know what it can be like. I don't want you to regret talking to me because you didn't know how bad it could get."

I could see the wheels spinning in her mind.

"Brenley," I said hesitantly. "I know you hate this and if you can't handle being with me because of it, I won't be mad at you. I know how overwhelming the paparazzi can be and if I had to go back and do it over, I don't know if I'd choose this life. It's a lot to take on," I said, taking a deep breath in and letting it out.

I fully expected her to run for the hills. From the day we met she made it clear that she hated Hollywood and the last thing she wanted was fame and attention. My publicist Brian would be ecstatic if she disappeared from my life but honestly, I would be devastated because we had grown so close. I hadn't felt a real connection to another person like that in years and I wasn't ready to let that go, but I couldn't be selfish and force her into something that would make her miserable.

"Dylan," she said softly. "This might not be the life I would have chosen for myself and the paparazzi might drive me crazy, but imagining my life without you in it would be worse."

My stomach tangled into a knot and I swallowed hard, looking at her beautiful face through that phone screen.

"Are you sure Brenley?"

I saw her eyes starting to get red and watery and she started blinking a lot and let out an exhale.

"Yeah," she sighed, looking down at her hands. She lifted her tear-filled eyes and looked at me and said, "When I said you're worth it, I meant it. I would put up with all of this craziness for you."

I felt my chest clench up and I knew I needed to get something out that I had been holding in.

"Brenley," I said quietly. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you but I was waiting for the right time. It's the real reason I came here to Iowa to see you."

I had never felt so nervous in my life, but I couldn't hold it in any more. I had to take my shot.

"I love you Brenley," I blurted out and the expression on her face instantly changed to shock and her eyes widened.

"I've never been in love before and honestly it scares the shit out of me but that's how I feel. I've been missing you so much and I can't stop thinking about you. I can't get you out of my head," I said with an exhale, running a hand over my face, waiting to see how she would react.

She sat there, looking straight ahead and not saying a word. The thought crossed my mind that maybe I had read her signs completely wrong and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way about me. I knew it was a long shot but I had to take my shot and see if there was a chance you felt the same way I do. If you don't love me, just tell me and I promise I won't be mad. I'll leave you alone and go back to L.A. and let you live your life here in peace."

I waited, looking at the phone and she was quiet with her head hung down and her blonde hair covering most of her face.

"Please Brenley. Just say something, anything. Your silence is killing me here," I begged, exhaling deeply.

She finally looked up and her eyes were filled with tears and I saw one run down her cheek.

"I love you too," she said quietly, sniffling. A small smile crept across her face and she said, "I love you so much it hurts." Then she hung her head and her smile slowly faded and she was silent for a second before adding, "but being with you scares me Dylan."

"Why?"

She lifted her watery eyes and looked at me through the phone, wiping a tear away.

"You have women throwing themselves at you all the time, not to mention the fact that you have to kiss and have naked love scenes with these beautiful, famous actresses for your work. Do you have any idea how torturous it was to sit there and watch your sex scenes with Rose Davenport and have to pretend it didn't bother me? I don't want to see a beautiful woman with her perfect, naked body draped all over the man I love. I'm not some crazy, jealous person but that's too much for me to handle Dylan."

She took a deep breath and hung her head as she exhaled, looking defeated.

"Plus your life and your work is in L.A. and my life is here in Iowa. We might as well be from two different planets. Hollywood's no place to raise kids and I want to raise a family close to home, where my Dad and friends are, but your work is there. That's another reason why being with you is just not an option."

Tears started streaming down her face as I sat there processing her words, feeling numb. She didn't want me. I thought for sure this time would be different than the last time she rejected me. We had been talking for months now and had grown so much closer. I had fallen in love with her and I could tell she loved me too, but apparently that wasn't enough. Every other woman I ever met threw themselves at me like a cheap suit but the one woman I fell in love with, the only one I wanted, didn't want me.

"I love you so much Dylan. I do, but I don't see how we can make this work. I don't," she sobbed, barely choking out the words, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's okay," I said softly, letting out a breath. "I told you I wouldn't be mad at you and I won't be. I hope you have a happy life Brenley. I really do," I said sadly, before hanging up the phone and collapsing back onto the bed, covering my face with a pillow and wanting to disappear.