Free Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad

over it, and I would look like an idiot if I didn’t include that story line in the show.” He added, “Need I remind you that you get paid a lot of money to do this? You can’t just pick and choose which parts of your life you want to have on the show. This is reality TV . . . not some feel-good sitcom where everyone always gets along.”
    Jane stared at him, her blue eyes wide with hurt. Okay, so maybe he’d been too tough on her.
    “Look. Jane. Just stick it out a little longer. Once these episodes start airing, the public is going to see Madison’s true colors. Everyone’s going to know that she’s the bad guy. Not you.”
    “Yeah, well, maybe. I don’t know.”
    Trevor studied her as she turned away from him and began twisting a lock of her hair around her index finger. She had been through a lot these past few months.
    Trevor hated to admit it, but he felt somewhat guilty about encouraging Jane to stay with Jesse, especially after things got so ugly between them. Sure, the ratings had been amazing for a while, after Jane and Jesse became America’s favorite reality TV couple. But he could see the toll their breakup (and makeup and breakup) had taken on her emotionally. He hadn’t known how bad it really was until after they had split up.
    He also felt somewhat guilty about Jesse’s downward spiral. Of course Jesse was responsible for being an addict—no one else. But it wasn’t pretty to watch anyone hit rock bottom the way Jesse had. Trevor had heard through the grapevine that even Jesse’s drinking buddies had pleaded for him to go to rehab. And that he had refused.
    Jane glanced at her watch and rose to her feet. “I’ve got to go. I have a meeting with Fiona at eleven, and I need to prepare.”
    “Wait, Jane. Have you talked to Jesse lately?”
    “Um, no? Why are you asking me that?”
    “Because I’ve heard he’s in bad shape. People have been trying to persuade him to go into rehab, but he’s not listening. I was just thinking, maybe he’d listen to you?”
    “You want me to get Jesse to go into rehab?” Jane said incredulously. “I know you want reality for the show, Trevor. But this isn’t—”
    Trevor held up his hands. “No, no. This isn’t for the show. I’m just suggesting that you have a private discussion with him, see if you can persuade him to get some help.” He added, “Jane, you used to be in love with the guy. Why not just talk to him?”
    “Why do you care about Jesse? He was always about the ratings for you.”
    “Fair enough. But I care about you ,” he said. “I dragged you into this whole crazy Hollywood scene the night I discovered you at Les Deux. And I know what it would do to you if Jesse ended up . . . well, if something happened to him.”
    Jane was quiet for a moment. “I’ll . . . think about it,” she said.
    “Okay, good. And if you do talk to him, well . . . I have one piece of advice. Jesse’s not in a good place right now, inside. And when it comes to addicts, you have to tell them whatever they want to hear. Sometimes you have to make promises even if you have no intention of keeping them.”
    “What are you saying?”
    “What I’m saying is, sometimes, you have to lie to people if it’s for their own good.”
    Jane’s jaw dropped. Trevor wasn’t sure if she was more shocked by his advice or by the fact that he really meant it. Frankly, it was probably the closest thing he would ever have to a personal philosophy.

Chapter 9
Armpit Falls
    Madison leaned forward in the worn leather chair, her face half-hidden behind the latest issue of Cosmopolitan as the parade of tourists passed by. She felt like a stupid cliché from a stupid mystery thriller, hanging out in disguise in a sketchy hotel lobby. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, and her eyes were obscured by a pair of last year’s Ray-Bans.
    Chris the detective had called her two days ago (during an on-camera work meeting with Jane and Hannah—bad timing), saying that