Nothing But A Sign

Disclaimer: I do not own Famous In Love or any characters mentioned in this story.

Summary: continuation of 1x10, the season finale.

"I love you. I always have."

The lights were beaming down on her as Paige Townsen tried to wrap her brain around the events playing out right in front of her. Jake standing before her, declaring his love for her.

Now the press, the whole world basically, was asking if she was involved with Jake Salt or Rainer Devon. The roommate or the costar. Well ex-roommate, she mentally noted, sure none of the reporters would get that fact correct. And here she thought this whole thing had to be a dream.

Her head involuntarily turned to look at Rainer, her mouth hanging dry and speechless. He was still holding his hand in a sign, their sign. A symbol that all this was too much, too fast. Was it for him or her? She didn't know anymore. Maybe it was a sign for both of them. He put his hand down and sent a small reassuring smile in her direction.

"No comment at this time." Rainer took over just like he had done the night of their first cast party. And she was even more grateful than she was previously.

Before she could glance around for Jake, they were getting ushered off the stage. The only thing she could sense was Rainer reaching for her and quickly grabbing her hand in his own, without hesitation.

She chose to focus on that one thing instead of the chaos twisting around her. She didn't even register the flash of more cameras or anyone who may have been calling her name.

"Paige-" the unmistakable voice of Jake rang in her ears as she saw what she could only describe as him trying to push through the crowd and get to her. Only to be stopped by a rushed Nina Devon as he was merely feet away from the redhead.

"Not now lover boy." She held up a hand in dismal, sighing with frustration. Why couldn't they even have smooth sailing? "We need to get going now. The paparazzi is already in a frenzy. The last thing they need is more action shots for the front page of US Weekly."

Jake let out a sigh and rebuffed. "If I could just talk to Paige real briefly."

"She's talk to you when things die down. I mean probably. You did just disrupt a a press conference for a trivial love confession." If it didn't have to do with Locked, her son, her career or reputation, Nina was rarely interested. Hollywood didn't share that sentiment unfortunately. "Paige. Rainer. Let's go."

And then they were gone. In a blur of camera flashes and a never ceasing loudness, they made it out the back way and were in the car before Paige could even muster a blink.

We need to talk was the first message she saw when she turned on her phone. Jake. Oh yeah, the boy who just confessed to the world that he wanted to be with her. She mentally cursed but nodded in silent agreement with his words. They did have a lot to discuss. She let out a breath before replying, come by the apartment?

"Are you okay?"

She blinked once. Twice. Rainer was still beside her, his hand now on his lap but his eyes were searching hers. Looking for some sort of indication that she was with him still instead of drifting off into her thoughts. She had a feeling he had asked that question more than one time.

"I'm good. Well as good as one can be in a situation like this." You'd think she'd be used to some of the attention now, but each encounter with paparazzi or reporters had her head spinning. And Locked had not even come out yet. It would only get worse from here.

"I'm sorry." He offered sincerely.

"No, I'm sorry. The last thing you needed was more drama. At least this takes the load off the whole public intoxication scandal."

"Or it's just one scandal on top of the next." He noted, trying to rationalize the situation to the best of his ability. More like the reality of the situation. "How long till there'll be headlines? I can see it now: bad boy Rainer Devon makes a comeback by showing up drunk to a premiere one day and getting caught in a love triangle the next."

His words were followed by a laugh, but a bitter laugh. The press would write whatever they wanted. But only he knew the truth.

They were met with a deafening silence. And Paige was racking her brain for something, anything to say.

"I did feel it." She ended up blurting out as the car came to a red light. The traffic was as still as her breathing.

"What?"

"The chemistry. The spark. The night we had that first kissing scene as August and Noah. Remember what you said to me that night?"

"Yeah."

"Well you might have been right."

"And why are you telling me this now? Feeling sorry for me?"

"Trust me, that's not how I feel. Just thought you could use some good news. To let you know that feelings, past or present, well they're mutual."

His ears perked up at her last statement. "Present?"

"I-shut up." Of course he would choose that word in specific to focus on. "Regardless, you need support right now. And I'm here for you. While you work out whatever you need to work out."

"Just no late night booty calls. Mama Devon wouldn't like that very much. As if my rep could go further down the drain." He winked back, nodding slowly in agreement. It wasn't some grand gesture or declaration of love. It was an understanding. That they would lean on each other. Through thick and thin. Nevertheless, it made Rainer smile. A genuine smile at that.

Later that night, Paige opened the door to the apartment only to find Jake already there, on the couch, waiting for her.

"You're lucky I was hungry and picked up enough Chinese to feed a village." She quipped with a short laugh as she set the cary out containers on the table before sitting down next to him. "Hi."

"Hey."

"So you wanted to talk?"

"I shouldn't have interrupted your press conference. But I just had to let you know how I felt. I think those feelings have been kept in long enough, don't you?"

For the first time since the fiasco, Paige dared to meet Jake's eyes. "I don't really know what to say. It's a lot to take in."

Fearing for the worst, Jake couldn't help but jump to the first obvious conclusion. "Because of Rainer?"

It would have been easy to just say no. That Rainer had nothing to do with this. But she would be lying and there had been enough lies between everyone in the past few days. She didn't want to lie about her feelings. Maybe throwing everything out in the open wouldn't end as disasterly as she would expect. "Maybe. I have feelings for him. I still have feelings for you as well though." Since when did her life become a daytime soap opera?

"I do love you Paige." He spoke as he rose from the couch, the containers of food long forgotten. He needed to leave before she had the chance to flat out rejected him. "And I wasn't lying back there, a part of me always has." And always will, he mentally added. "I don't expect you to say anything just yet or give me an answer immediately."

"Thank you Jake."

"Just think about this while you're making your decision." And with that he closed the space between them, pressing his lips against hers for a few deep seconds.

Pulling away, Paige was as shocked as the first time he had kissed her before she had gone to her audition. "I-What-" She tried to form words but to no avail. Jake was already heading towards the door when her heart beat returned to normal. And then she was alone.

AN: this will be a raige/jaige fic with the endgame being raige obviously. but there will be jaige moments throughout the story as paige goes through her inner turmoil.