She looked at him carefully, surprised that he had read anything. “Yeah, . . . very real. Losing my father was a shift. He believed in me. He made sure I kept going when everything else in my life was falling apart.”
Zay’s eyes grew large, then he lowered his head back down to the table. “Damn, Prin.” He paused before continuing. “I didn’t know Mr. Melendez passed. I’m sorry to hear that.”
Her expression softened. “Yeah, it was a few years back. It happened so fast. But, that’s life, and he had a good one.”
“He did a great job with you. He loved you and your brother so much. He was a great man. I respected him. My condolences, really. I know how much of an impact he made in your life.”
“Thank you, Zay.” She stared at the table for a moment, then turned her head back to him. “I really appreciate that.”
They didn’t speak for a moment after. Then, gently, Zay began again. “I just don’t want things to be weird between us. I know we got history, but like you said, the past is the past. You grown. I’m grown. We don’t gotta rehash everything. But I’d like us to at least talk. Like this. Be cool.”
Love studied him for a second, then nodded. “Okay. I agree.”
Another quiet pause fell between them.
Zay cleared his throat. “Maybe we could do this again sometime.”
She shifted in the seat. He noticed her hesitation and quickly raised both hands. “Respectfully. I know you’re married.”
She huffed, looked off to the side and chuckled dryly. “Oh yeah, right.”
He raised a brow, puzzled by her tone. Before he could ask more, she straightened and said simply, “I’d like to see you again. Sure.”
The café had started to fill up. The clatter of dishes and buzz of conversation got louder.
Love’s eyes wandered aimlessly and caught someone across the room, angled just a little too conveniently, holding up their phone.
She leaned in across the table to Zay and whispered with a playful smirk, “I think someone spotted me.”
His eyes narrowed when he spoke, then he looked around the room wondering what made her say that. “Oh, word?”
“I mean, I’m a famous writer now,” she teased. “Can’t be out here lookin’ like I’m on a date with some random, unknown man.”
He laughed and dropped his head, realizing it was a joke. “Yeah, you right. Let’s get up outta here before the paparazzi swarm us, asking for your autograph.”
They stood. Zay pulled out a crisp hundred-dollar bill and laid it on the table. Love looked at the bill, rolled her eyes, and smirked. Then she turned and headed toward the door. He followed her until she reached it, then he reached around her and held it open. She walked through and stopped on the sidewalk in front of the café.
“I parked this way,” she said, pointing to a space toward the right of the building.
“I’m this way.” He pointed to the left then continued. “Let me walk you.”
They turned to the right and walked in silence until they reached her car.
She popped her locks with the key fob, and he opened her door. “I’ll see you on set.”
She nodded and smiled politely. “See you in a lil’ while.”
She stepped into the car, and he shut the door behind her. Something about the moment hung between them, soft and aching.
As she cranked the engine, her chest tightened. She saw him jog back toward his car, and just for a second, she didn’t feel likethe confident, published, booked and busy version of herself that the world knew.
She felt like Princess again.
A teenage girl in love.
Some Things Never Change
Zay and Princesswalked into the soundstage together, still chuckling from some things he had just whispered under his breath.
