Page 74 of Breaking Hollywood

“What?” I snap to attention to see she’s wandered off over to the other side of the field. “Shit!”

I jump to my feet and start running over to her. When I call her name, her head comes up from the flowers she was sniffing. She starts jumping around with excitement.

“Come here, baby girl.”

I crouch down, and she comes trotting over into my arms. Thank God she didn’t run away from me.

Always to me. Bless her heart.

I walk back over to Gabe.

“Okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, I’m not sure how she got free.” I put her down and refit the lead to the harness, making sure it’s secure.

As I stand, Gabe’s hand touches mine and lingers there. “Ava.”

I look down at him, and words fail me. He’s so beautiful, and the way he’s looking at me reignites my body back to life.

“Look, I—”

Something catches my eye, and I look up. “Gabe,” I cut him off.

Not that I want to cut him off because I really want to hear what he was going to say, but there’s a guy waving at me from the other side of the field, near Gabe’s car.

“There’s a guy near your car, and he’s waving at me.”

After talking about stalkers, I’m feeling a little creeped out by a random stranger waving at us. What if he’s recognized Gabe? At this distance though, that wouldn’t be possible, would it?

Gabe turns his head to look. “Oh, it’s the pizza delivery guy.”

I look down at him, surprised. “Pizza delivery guy? You ordered pizza? When?”

“When you went to the car to get the blanket and chair.” He digs in the pocket of his shorts and pulls out a fifty-dollar bill. “I ordered a couple. One plain and a meat feast. You mind going over to pay him?” He holds out the bill.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” I take the money and walk over to the delivery guy.

When I return with the pizzas, Gabe digs in straightaway. Before I know it, we’re eating pizza and running lines, and I never do ask him what he was going to say before.

Gabe

Speedy’s been living here for two weeks now, and I can honestly say, it’s the most fun I’ve had in ages.

She’s crazy but in a totally great way. She never stops talking, but now, instead of finding it annoying, I like it. Hearing her ramble on is soothing in an odd kind of way.

I’ve never met a woman like her before. She’s totally comfortable with who she is. She doesn’t care that she talks too much. Or that she’s quirky. She’s not constantly worrying about how she looks or fixing her hair and makeup all the time.

She’s sweet and kind, and the way she loves that goat…I swear, that thing is lucky as fuck.

And the goat’s even growing on me. I’m not sure what’s happening to me, but I think I’m going soft.

Not that I’d ever admit that to Speedy—or the goat.

I like having them here, which isn’t something I thought I would ever say about anyone—ever.

I spend nearly every minute of the day with Speedy, and I never get bored of her company. Not once.

I can’t even spend this much time around Tate without wanting to strangle him.