Dipping his head, he kisses me. A kiss that tells me I’m his. And I know he’ll always be mine.
When we break apart, he says, “Stay with me.”
“I’ve been staying with you every night for days. I’m not leaving this bed.”
He shakes his head. “No, I mean don’t go to a hotel. Live here with me permanently.” Clearing his throat, he says, “Arrhh…well, that’s if you want to.” Being in a relationship is new to him. His vulnerability squeezes my heart.
“Living here with you has always felt like home. I’d love to move in. As soon as Darren is out of my apartment I’ll have my things sent over. You might change your mind when you see all my stuff. I’m a bit of a hoarder.” I giggle.
Not laughing at my joke, he sits up and leans against the headboard. He pulls me up next to him. “I never want to talk about that asshole again. The sooner he’s gone, the better.”
“I agree. He should be out of the apartment tomorrow. That part of my life is over. I’m putting it behind me. You’re my future,” I say, snuggling into his side.
He holds me tight. “I’ll be by your side every moment I can get. You’re gonna get sick of me.”
“Never.”
He plants a kiss at my temple. After a couple of minutes resting in each other’s arms, Lucas says, “I never got a chance to ask how the meeting with your mom and Claudia went.”
I blow out a breath. “It’s a good thing I’m moving in with you because I might end up being homeless,” I joke.
“Things are that bad?”
“No, not really. The book deal is still happening, which is great. Although they’ve slashed my royalties. And Mom has lined up a baby shower for me to plan, so that’s exciting.” I really am looking forward to it.
His hand brushes up and down my arm. “That’s awesome. Who is the shower for?”
“A couple who lives in my mom’s apartment building.”
Lucas twists around to face me. “Not a celebrity?”
“No. But it’s work and I’m grateful.”
“You’ve planned parties and events for the most famous people in America. How do you feel about this?”
For a moment I wait for the surge of disappointment. For the feeling of failure to flood through me. Except relief washes over me and excitement takes over. “I actually feel great about it. It’s like a weight is lifting from my shoulders. It’s not like I need the money. I have enough put away to live comfortably. But I like being busy, and this is perfect.”
“This is your career that you built, and now because of the asshole it’s getting stripped away. That must hurt.”
“At first it did because I thought it was what I wanted.”
“You don’t anymore?”
“No.” Being honest and admitting what’s been a slither of a thought is freeing.
“Why?”
“Most of my life I was either invisible or seen as not good enough. Then my YouTube videos started getting views andsuddenlyIwas seen. My work was being noticed. I wasgoodat something. People wanted to interact with me. I was someone.”
Lucas picks up my hand and links his fingers with mine. “I always saw you. You weresomeoneto me.”
My heart fills with love. I smile. “I’ve achieved everything I’ve ever dreamed of and more. After what’s happened, I’ve learned that I don’t need recognition to feel powerful or worthy. In fact, being in the spotlight is more trouble than it’s worth. I’m happy to step away. Do smaller things and get back to basics. Do things because I want to, not because I’m being pulled in every direction to keep a bunch of people I don’t know happy. A lot of the A-list celebrities I’ve worked for are demanding, spoiled, and at times ungrateful. I don’t need the stress anymore.”
“If that’s what you truly want, then I’m happy for you.”
“It is.”
His lips tilt into a crooked grin. “You know, if you ever get sick of planning parties, you can always model for me again. I know lots of beautiful spots in the woods by the cabin you can pose in.”
