“It’s filming in Vancouver . . . for six weeks. I’m not sure I can be away from you that long.”
“That’s so sweet. But I can visit. We’ll make it work if it’s something you want.”
“Or you could come with me . . .”
“To Vancouver? For six weeks?” When she thought of being in Vancouver for that long, only one person stood in her way. Troy.
“Well, yeah. I kinda like you.” He nuzzled his nose into her hair, breathing in.
“Well, that’s nice to hear.”
And it was the truth, although the word like seemed weak when it came to her feelings for Luke. She knew she was falling for him, of that she was certain. Her feelings were strong the first time they locked eyes, and since that day months ago, she was feeling herself grow more and more attached with each day they spent together. It started as lust, but had grown to so much more than that. After late-night discussions and moments like this on the hammock, Elle knew that their sexual chemistry was just a portion of who they were together. Despite their differences, they complemented one another, and being with Luke felt simple, natural. He made her feel desirable and sexy. He understood her, possibly in a way that even Troy didn’t. He understood her need to be in control, to be eased out of her comfort zone rather than pushed, and to do things in her own time.
“In fact,” he continued, “like isn’t a strong enough word. Not even close.”
“Oh, really?” Elle asked, lifting her head from his chest to make eye contact. Luke’s eyes were wet, his eyebrows pressed toward one another. “Wait, Luke . . . are you okay?”
Luke shook his head and laughed. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Great, actually.”
“Then what . . . what’s going on? You seem upset.”
“I need to say something and it’s something I’ve never said before . . . well, at least not to someone who’s not a blood relative.” Luke chuckled. His words sounded uncomfortable, nervous, vulnerable. Elle could feel his heart pounding beneath her fingertips. “I’m falling in love with you, Elle. I know it’s crazy, and I know you’re not mine . . . not entirely, but I feel it. And I believe if you feel something, then goddammit you have to say it. I’m falling for you. There, I—I said it.”
Elle pushed her hands into the harsh fibers of the hammock, her heart racing and her cheeks blushing. She hadn’t expected a declaration of love from the carefree actor. But his words were like a warm blanket around her body, around her heart and mind. They calmed her random thoughts and soothed her nervous heart. Despite the nagging of her brain telling her to avoid it, she was falling in love with him, too. But that didn’t mean she was ready to verbalize it.
Elle paused. “You’ve really never said it before? Not to anyone?”
“Never. I told you, this is all new to me.”
How is that possible? Elle thought. Women must have been throwing themselves at Luke for years. Not only was he incredibly easy on the eyes, he was charismatic and funny. The idea of being the first woman to evoke such emotion from him was mind-boggling.
“I have feelings for you, too.” Elle paused. “Strong feelings.”
Luke sighed and Elle knew he was relieved. “Then, be mine. Just mine.”
Elle shook her head, conflicting emotions filling her as her stomach clenched with anxiety. “But you said . . . you said I was worth waiting for.”
“I know what I said.” Luke looked away, breaking eye contact. That simple gesture cut into Elle. She felt exposed, guilty. Her reluctance to walk away from Troy was evident, and it threatened to ruin everything she was building with Luke. “But I want you. I’m not sure I can share you much longer.”
“Luke, I—what I feel for you is real. So real it scares me. But like you said before, I don’t want to rush into a decision and live to regret it. I want . . . no, I need to sort this out. Figure out what I really need.”
“I can give you anything you need. You just have to trust me.”
“I do trust y—”
“And you have to let go of him, of the past,” Luke interrupted, his words stern, and unyielding. “I can’t do that for you.”
Tears filled Elle’s eyes and she pressed her lips to his in desperation. She couldn’t lose him. That thought sent surges of adrenaline to her belly.
“I know. I just . . . I just need more time. Please be patient with me.”
“Okay.” Luke conceded her request, but his jaw ticked in frustration, betraying his facade.
“I mean it. You said I was worth waiting for . . . don’t take that away. It’ll break my heart.”
“And what about mine?”
“I . . . I . . .” Elle stared into Luke’s eyes. The possibility of her hurting him was unbearable. She’d rather experience a world of pain than subject him to any heartache. But she knew there was a chance it would happen. That she and Troy would find a way to move forward with their relationship and she’d be forced to walk away from Luke. Her stomach clenched again with that thought. The idea of walking away from Luke was oppressive, insufferable, cruel. It wasn’t at all what she wanted.
“I never finished my answer.”
“What do you mean?”
“In five years . . . I see myself acting, yes. But I also see myself with you. And I’m sure that scares you, but it’s true. I see myself with you, a baby in your belly, and my ring on your finger. That’s what I see and I’m not going to apologize for it.”
Elle’s heart fluttered and her mouth went dry. “I don’t deserve you,” she said, feeling her guilt consume her. But no matter the shame enveloping her heart, she couldn’t do the right thing. She couldn’t walk away to keep him from harm. She was falling in love with him, too.
“Yes, you do. And I deserve you. We deserve each other, Elle.”
Elle pressed her forehead back to Luke’s chest, running his words again and again in her brain. She imagined herself as Luke predicted. Her belly swollen, a diamond ring around her finger, and Luke at her side. They’d walk the red carpet together, Luke steadying her belly as she walked up the steps, never leaving her side. She saw them lying just as they were, in the hammock, wrapped in fluffy robes, their legs entangled, the cotton bed swaying in the summer breeze.
She saw their possible future.
And it was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
Whether or not it would come to pass was an entirely different story.
For another part of her brain imagined all of those things . . . but with Troy. Troy’s hand on her belly, Troy standing at her side, his ring on her finger. She pressed her eyes tight, fighting the fantasy brewing in her mind. She hated herself—her indecision, her inability to walk away from her past.
She couldn’t make a decision, no matter how much she was falling for Luke.
The truth was, she simply wasn’t ready. And until she was, no answer could ever be the right one.
When Elle arrived at work the next morning, she found an unmarked copy of Us Weekly on her desk. No note, no explanation as to who had given it to her, but a Post-it marked a page inside. Elle turned to it.
An interview.
With Gina.
A glamorous shot of Gina adorned the two-page spread, but Elle’s eyes jumped to the title of the article. “Love After Heartbreak: How Gina Romano Bounced Back.” Elle’s stomach flipped and her breath caught as she read the first lines of the article:
Gina Romano, the star of television drama Follow the Sun, has had a rough year. After a tumultuous affair with her on-screen love, Nolan Rivera, that ended this summer, she has found love again with a new member of the cast, Luke Kingston. Luke, a rising actor, has helped the actress heal her broken heart and learn to love again. We caught up with the actress to discuss her Golden Globe nomination as well as the new man in her life and the excitement of starring on the hottest show on television.