Chapter One: On-going Flashes.

My eyes scan one of the many articles that have been written about my relationship with Jake.
I had received a text from my friend Sara with a link attached to it, and I couldn't help but, read at least one of the thousands of articles. My house phone and cellphone have been ringing nonstop since that morning. All of the numbers unknown or private/blocked, which I guess have to be gossip sites and interviewers. How they got my number was beyond me! My social networks -- which were private -- are blowing up with hundreds of requests, most of them from accounts with Jake's name and/or with his last name in their username. Sometimes it includes a picture of him as their icon, sometimes even both, username and picture. I knew this was one of the cons of dating Jake when we took things out of the friendship zone five months ago. However, we mutually agreed to keep things low until the right moment came up. So, I knew this wasn't something his management had done when Jake called me.

"Hi," I say as I answer my phone for the first time today, instead of tapping the ignore button.

"Can I come over?" It's very unusual of him not to say at least hello but by the sound of his voice -- frantic and angry -- I can tell his on edge.

"Sure," I agree and quickly add before he hangs up, "Hey, take it easy. Relax, it's okay."

I hear Jake sigh before he speaks in a calmer voice, "I'll be there in five."

I have been trying not to freak out but it has become harder by the second - I feel more overwhelmed than before, but with Jake's attitude, I have to try even harder not to let my poker face break. It triples again, the need to freak when my older brother Carter sends me a text.

Carter: You're screwed. Good luck lil sis :)

Me: Asshole

I reply back, knowing his full intentions are to make me freak out even more than he knows I already am. Sharing the same sense of humor, Dad would have joined him if he were more celebrity-gossip friendly and knew about the newly released articles. On the other hand, Mom would be -- or should I say will be -- freaking out more than I am, although she is supportive of my and Jake's relationship. Dad was a bit apprehensive at first due to Jake's career and how he would make time for me. However, Jake has managed to prove him that he can balance his career and personal life without depriving me of his attention as my lover.

The door of my apartment clicks as Jake opens the door. He removes the key from the lock and closes the door before joining me in the living room.

"Hi," I murmur, standing up from the couch to kiss him.

However, Jake angrily tosses the keys on the kitchen counter and opens one of the cabinets, taking out a glass and a bottle of scotch I had here from a party. He fills the glass and downs it in less than five seconds without grimacing at the burn his throat is receiving, filling it again. He sits on one of the stools, in front of the counter and keeps sipping the amber-like liquid. In our five months of relationship and almost one year of friendship, I've never seen him resort to alcohol in situations that affect him. He's always been mature and handle it professionally. I don't want him to shut down and go to alcohol instead of me. I don't mind if he wants to have a couple of glasses as long as he talks, communicates with me. I only want what's best for him, for us as a couple and I know he does, too.

Jake removes his coat, still not speaking a word to me. His leg continuously bobs up and down as he anxiously taps it against the stool. I walk towards him and hug him from behind as he brings the glass to his pink, plump lips. His cologne instantly enters my nostrils and I can't help but inhale again just to have the smell enter my nose once more.

"Talk to me," I wait a few seconds, when he stays silent I speak again "Please."

He exhales and drinks the remaining liquid in the glass before angrily saying, "The fuckers are already waiting outside the building." I feel his muscles are tense as he tries to control himself and not combust.

I turn him around, reaching for his hand, walking us to the living room couch. If I didn't know better, I would have walked us to the bedroom, so he could burn all his anger. Nevertheless, sex isn't the right way for us to deal with this.

Jake plops his body into the couch as soon as we reach it, rubbing his face with his hands. From the look on his green eyes, I can see he's stressed and tired. His chocolate brown hair is disheveled, probably from the amount of times his hand went through it while he was on his way here. I straddle him, noticing his surprise as he removes his hands from his face and sets them on my hips.

"It's okay." He frowns at my words and I explain, "I don't care they found out about me. I knew it would happen sooner or later. I wasn't biased about it, Jake. We started this relationship, knowing it would come out; me more than anyone and I still agreed to be with you. Things won't change between us because of this. Yes, I'll probably be horribly written about...." He frowns in incredulity as if he thinks I won't receive hate articles and mail. "....you know it will happen, but anyways, at the end of the day, for me, it will always just be us. Let them be and for once, listen to me when I tell you to relax."

"I can't relax when I feel terrible for putting you through this," Jake says as one of his hands leaves my hips and goes to my face, putting a strand of hair behind my ear and resting his hand on my cheek.

My hand goes to his nape as I lean in and push him to meet my lips with his. I give him a short, small peck before pulling away and resting my forehead against his. "I'm a little overwhelmed but I'll get used to it. I'll make my social accounts public and be careful with what I share from now on."

"You don't have to do that. Keep it however way you want it and makes you feel comfortable." He pulls back and brings his hand back to my hip.

"I do feel comfortable doing it. Otherwise, your fans will keep spamming me for request. I already have over a thousand requests. They're quite insistent, you know," I joke, producing a small chuckle from Jake which makes me feel happy. His muscles and body don't feel as tense as before, which means he's starting to relax.

"Have you spoken to your family?" he asks, starting to rub soothing circles with his thumbs on my hips. Goosebumps start to appear as Jake tries to suppress a smirk, knowing he is affecting me.

"No, but Carter texted me saying I was screwed and wishing me good luck."

"Little shit," Jake laughs.

Although they don't maintain a close friendship, Carter and Jake have gotten along well ever since I introduced Jake to the family at the beginning of our relationship.

"Are you staying over tonight?" I ask him while my fingers play with the ends of his hair on his nape.

"I don't know. I'll be in the studio for the rest of the day and won't be leaving until the early morning. I know you work tomorrow and I don't want to bother your sleep," he answers. I feel slightly disappointed but rejection and compromise are some things I have gotten use to with Jake.

"You have a key, you can let yourself in at whatever time you're done." I nuzzle his neck before saying, "I wouldn't mind having you in bed for a couple of hours."

"I'll try but don't wait for me," Jake knows that whenever he promises to stay or says he'll try, I end up awake waiting for him while reading a book or watching a TV series, no matter how early I have to be up the next day.

"Okay," I agree as he incredulously looks at me with one raised eye brow. "I promise," I laugh because he still seems unconvinced.

Jake leans forward and kisses me. I can taste the scotch from earlier as his tongue teases mine. I nibble his bottom lip murmuring against it, "I could get drunk from your lips. Literally."

"I'm sorry." His lips hover over mine as he bites my bottom lip and then sucks it into his mouth before forcing himself to move away, "I have to go. Mark is waiting for me at the studio."

"Are you sure? You could stay and we could keep kissing and find out where it goes. Who knows? I really might end up drunk," I try to coerce him as I peck his jaw, feeling it tightened under my lips.

"Trust me, I know where it'll go and it won't end up with you drunk from the taste of scotch," he assures me. "I also know you don't want to be on Mark's black list for keeping me hostage and seducing me," he grins.

His manager Mark has placed numerous of blames on me for Jake's tardiness on certain occasions. The last time Jake was late, Mark threatened to create a schedule for us, one we would follow no matter what. I move away from Jake's lap, allowing him to stand up as I murmur prick under my breath.

"I'll let him know you said that," Jake laughs as I shrug. Mark and I don't hate each other. We just have friendly banter when it comes to sharing Jake.

Jake picks up the keys he had tossed onto the kitchen counter earlier, before turning around to say goodbye, "I'll try my best to finish early. I'll text you if I know you're still awake and let you know, for su--" The ringing of my phone interrupts him, I quickly reach for it and tap ignore but not before Jake sees Private and mutters a curse. "If they continue calling, let me know. I'll have Mark change both of your numbers." He puts his coat on while leaning to kiss me goodbye "Take care, babe."

After Jake leaves, I decide to work on my social networks. As I remove the privacy lock from them, the amount of followers I have start to rise by the second, as well as the mentions. Some of them are incredibly sweet.

@JCaplinator: @SkyAtkin is stunning, no wonder Jakey is dating her. Can I look like her ?? ;(

Others not so nice.

@lovingcaplin: @SkyAtkin why would jake date a skinny bitch like u? attention whore

Which make me second guess my decision of making my accounts public. I keep reading a few more, before deciding it's enough for today or maybe forever.

• • •

As I get ready for bed, my phone chimes. The screen lights up, displaying the new text message.

Jake💗: Still in the studio. I'm sorry, I promise I'll make it up to you. Xx

It's ten to twelve so I don't bother replying as I put my phone on to charge. I sigh as I get into the bed, hating the emptiness I feel after getting used to Jake's warmth and company.

Between my half-awake/half-asleep state, I feel the covers lift and the mattress dip from Jake's usual side of the bed. I catch the time from the clock on my nightstand, four, twenty-four a.m., before I turn around and find him grinning.

"I thought you weren't coming." My voice sounds horrendous due to my sleeping, hence why I hate talking after just waking up. I always wait around thirty minutes before uttering a word.

"Shh, I'm here. It's all that matters," he whispers as he brings be closer to him. "Go back to sleep, you have work in a few hours," Jake kisses my forehead before I nuzzle his throat and dose off again.

The next morning I wake up to Jake sprawl on his stomach with one of his arms over my waist. The covers are tangled in his feet, barely covering him and the boxers he's wearing as PJs. I hate seeing him so exhausted but music is his passion and even though, at times he gets out of the studio at really late hours, he gets to live his dream and do what he loves.

We live in two different worlds but we give each other what we crave from the other. He wants some sense of normalcy and I give it to him because to me he's just Jake, not the Jake Caplin. Of course I knew who he was when I met him at Gabe's New Year Eve's party but I could see his face, the way he guarded himself every time he was recognized. I noticed his relief once he got to have one nice chat where his fame wasn't the reason of talk. In my case, I want some attention from someone else that isn't family. Living with an insane amount of insecurities and knowing that someone loves me despite them, satisfies that attention I crave and he gives it to me by sacrificing and compromising just to spend time with me. Knowing he's surrounded by beautiful models and actresses that understand and live his world, but he prefers me over them makes me feel incredibly lucky to have him. This is why our relationship works so well; we are each other's missing puzzle piece. Yes, it sounds cliché but there's no other way to describe it.

After taking a shower, I go to the kitchen to prepare a mug of coffee. If Jake isn't awake by the time I'm done, I will leave him a note saying I left to go to the headquarters. Jake rarely stays over at my apartment due to his busy schedule but whenever he does we usually never wake up at the same time, hence why I rather Jake stay during my free days otherwise I would only have his company while I'm asleep. Not that I don't enjoy sharing my bed with him because I do. I just want to spend an entire lazy day with him; watching movies, eating our favorite fast foods, laughing and holding each other with no disruptions.

"Good morning," a rough, scruffy voice says as big arms envelope me from behind.

I set my mug on the counter before turning around, "Good morning."

My hazel eyes connect with his green eyes as he brings me closer. Jake is still on boxers, his sinewy body on display, again not that I mind. His brown hair is a sleepy mess, making him look cute. "You're leaving for the office?"

I glance at the clock on the wall before answering him, "Yeah, you caught me on time." I remove a strand of my blonde hair from my face. "Why are you up so early?"
Well, early compared to the time he went to bed; he is awake on only five hours of sleep. I make a move to turn away from him but Jake presses me even closer. "Let me get you a cup of coffee."

He shakes his head and says, simply, almost casually, "I'll get it once you leave. Woke up feeling your side cold."

"I don't want to break this but I need to leave." I pout and Jake pecks me. My hands go around his neck, "When am I seeing you again?"

He sighs and I automatically know it won't be soon, "I have to go to LA today and Mark doesn't know when we'll be done. It all depends on how the recording goes and up to how late the other singer and producers stay. It's just a three minute song but I'll probably won't be back until Wednesday or Thursday." That means I will definitely not be seeing him for three days.

"Text me when you land," is all I can say.

He nods and doesn't speak. He knows I want him here this month, more than ever. I don't want to complain and sound clingy because I know he tries to please me and Jake's career is something I have to continue getting use to but, Thanksgiving is a few days away and I want him here for dinner. Mom, Dad and Carter are driving down to New York from Boston just to spend dinner with us. But if this is what it takes for him not to stand me up on Thanksgiving Day then, so be it.

"You don't have to make the bed or anything. I don't want it to be another reason why you're late for Mark and anyways, I have to wash them," I speak as I put my empty mug in the sink and pick up my belongings.

"I'll se--"

"Sky," Jake interrupts.

"I'm not mad with you. Yes, I'm upset with the whole situation but your career is still something I'm trying to adjust to," I explain before saying, "I'll see you soon. Don't forget to text me."

I walk closer to him, Jake ducks his head to meet me. He doesn't ask for permission as his tongue meets mine. His kiss is more feverish and desperate for a morning goodbye kiss, it's as if he's trying to convince and reassure me of something. When we pull away, Jake brings me for a hug and nuzzles my neck. His soft skin is warm, the V and his happy trail disappearing at the waistband of his boxers. The tattooed initials of his parents' names on each shoulder.

"I care about you. A lot," His words are muffled by my neck and I feel his hot breath against my skin when he speaks.

"I know. I care about you. A lot," I repeat his words, before kissing his shoulder and pulling away, hating to be the one to destroy the moment but I'm already running late and I know it's only a matter of seconds before Mark calls Jake telling him to get ready. "I better leave now. Have a safe flight, babe."

"I'll text you," he replies as I head to the door.

What I didn't know was that there would a mass of flashes and creepy men with cameras as soon as I stepped outside. I try to get to my car as they shout all sorts of questions, from Jake's career to personal ones that would have made me slap the bastard who was asking them if I had the nerve.

This is going to be one hell of a ride.