Page 38 of The Star in Room 7

My mind goes somewhere it shouldn’t. “Tomorrow,” I whisper.

“Tomorrow,” he agrees.

Then we’re kissing again, and this time, I really don’t want to stop.

I arrive at Halo House before eight. Zach is waiting for me. Like me, he’s opted to run in shorts today rather than jogging pants. He’s holding a bottle of water; his skin glistens with the tell-tale gleam of suncream, and he’s wearing a bandana over his hair, which he’s pulled back into a ponytail.

“It’s already so hot,” he says as he gets in the car.

“Ah, so it’s true then.”

He frowns. “What?”

“That you Brits love to complain about the weather.”

“It’s a good thing I like you,” he grumbles.

“Is it true?”

“Well, yes, but that’s because our weather is all over the place and it’s never just right. It’s either too hot, or too cold, too dry, or too wet. There’s lots to complain about.”

I chuckle. “Apparently so.”

“What would you know? You live in California. You get practically no rain, and every building is air-conditioned.”

“We get rain.”

He snorts. “Yeah. The rain you get in a year? We can get that in a week.”

“Are you sure?”

He shrugs. “No. But it sounds impressive.” He shudders. “Or horrible. Rain sucks. Especially when it’s cold and damp.”

“My takeaway from that conversation is that you prefer the weather in LA.”

He purses his lips sulkily. “I like the sunshine.”

“Enough to want to stay?” I ask carefully.

He glances at me, curling in on himself. “Yes, but it’s not that simple.”

“I know. I’m sorry for asking.”

“It’s fine. I need to think about my future. I need to figure out whether I’m going to stay or run away.” He sighs. “And I probably need to look for a new job. I doubt my boss is going to stay patient with me for much longer.”

“Do you have any auditions lined up?”

“Two… But I didn’t make them. My agent told them I was sick. She’s not going to line any more up for me until I tell her I’m ready. Assuming she doesn’t drop me in the meantime. I just… Every time I close my eyes, I see her. Almost every time. I didn’t when you blindfolded me, or when you held me afterwards.” He droops his mouth into an unhappy line. “But I can’t cling to you forever.”

“But you can for now. You won’t need to forever.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Have you considered speaking to a therapist?”

He laughs bitterly. “Like I can afford that. That would be another reason to go home. There might be a six-month waiting list, but at least I wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket for counselling.”

I tap the steering wheel. “Let me see what I can do.”