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ChapterTwenty
My alarm goesoff at five in the morning and I groan while reaching to turn it off. I barely slept more than three hours, my mind replaying everything that happened last night. When I left Jenna’s room, I had to call Philip to let him know we wouldn’t be making our flight to New York because Jenna “didn’t feel well.” Fortunately, Philip said the studio agreed to fly their jet back to Los Angeles after dropping off the crew who did make last night’s flight. Kellan stayed and made sure mine and Jenna’s outfit for the NYC premiere was pulled from the plane before last night’s takeoff. Because it takes at least five hours to fly there plus with a three-hour time change, Kellan will get us ready on the plane so when we land, we get in the car and go straight to the event.
When Jenna and I didn’t show up for the flight, Sean came back to the hotel to check on us because I kept ignoring his calls. I told him if he ever pulled a stunt like that again, we won’t be friends anymore. He apologized and admitted he didn’t think about the ramifications dancing with Jenna would have, not to mention the kiss at the end. I accepted his apology and we stayed up with a nightcap talking and I told him about my encounter with Valerie.
I sigh with tiredness and get out of bed to take a shower. Once that’s done, I pack up my things and send Jenna a text that we need to be downstairs in one hour. I would’ve asked her to join me for breakfast, but when I checked on her before I went to bed last night, she was out cold, still wearing her dress and makeup. I know she’ll be on edge when she sees me this morning but somehow, we need to have a private conversation. And it needs to happen today.
I leave my room and am about to go to check on her when I see Kellan knocking on her door. I hear him telling her it’s time to wake up to catch our flight. I know she’s a little bit of a grump in the morning before she has her coffee so, I made sure room service would deliver food and coffee to her room. It’s probably better that she doesn’t see me right away after what transpired last night. I decide to go downstairs and meet Sean for breakfast instead to give her some time. Once we are done eating, we go to our designated car and wait for Jenna and Kellan. I watch out the car window as she walks outside and looks around. She has a scowl on her face, and I chuckle at how crabby she probably is from lack of sleep. Kellan points toward our car and they walk over.
“There she is, my beautiful dance partner. Did you sleep well, sweetheart?” Sean smiles at her as she enters the car and I’m glad I have my sunglasses on so no one sees my eyes roll at his sarcastic comment. Jenna gives Sean an annoyed glance, takes her sunglasses off the top of her head and pushes them up the bridge of her nose with her middle finger. Sean starts to laugh, and I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smirking.
She stares out the window for most of the ride to the airport, giving me access to watch all the emotions playing out on her face. About ten minutes in, she realizes something and it makes her gasp. Kellan asks if she’s okay, and she quickly recovers and tells him she’s fine. I wonder if she now remembers that we never used a condom last night. Whatever she’s thinking blackens her mood and it stays that way until we get to the plane, where she asks Kellan to sit next to her so they can go through how he plans on styling her tonight. I know this is her way to avoid sitting next to me and I go along with it.
The studio’s plane is incredible with large leather seats, leather couches, a large screen television and a master bedroom with a bathroom in it. I purposely choose to sit across from Jenna as a reminder to her that she can’t ignore me forever. She continues to pretend I don’t exist well after takeoff while concentrating on whatever Kellan is telling her about tonight’s attire. Sean hands me a script he wants me to consider for a future movie with him, and I get so lost in the storytelling that I don’t realize Jenna has fallen asleep until I hear Kellan tell her to go to sleep in the back bedroom.
She agrees in a daze and walks back to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. I stare at the door, debating whether I should go in there so we can talk.
“Stop bloody overthinking it and go in there,” Sean grumbles, not even looking up at me from his script.
I chuckle and decide he’s right, there’s no better time than right now to go talk to her. Once we land in New York, we will be busy with doing press at the premiere, interviews, and then heading back to the airport where we will part ways and won’t get to see each other for another week. I don’t want us leaving things like this.
I stand up and go to the bedroom. I open the door slowly to see she’s asleep on the bed, on top of the covers. I close the door softly behind me and lay down next to her. She doesn’t even move when the bed dips under my weight and I stare at her, memorizing this moment of how peaceful she looks. We’ve been through so much together in these last couple of months that I have to believe that things are only going to get better once we discuss our feelings. I continue watching her, but exhaustion takes over and I don’t realize I dozed off for a couple of hours until I feel her stirring next to me.
I open my eyes and look at her. I bring my fingertips to her cheek and gently brush the strands of hair that are sticking to it. She moves into me, wrapping her arms around my torso and sighing in contentment. I gently place my arms around her and close my eyes, never wanting to let this woman go. I hear her breathing start to pick up and open my eyes to look at her.
I can tell she’s awake because her head starts to move against the fabric of my shirt covering my chest. She jerks her chin up and looks straight into my eyes. She looks confused as to how we got in this position, and I smile. I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat and tell her in a low, husky voice, “We need to talk.” She nods in agreement and I’m relieved to see that she’s ready to listen to my feelings.
“I understand how hard it is for you to trust me, given the circumstances you have been placed in. I probably would feel the same way if I were in your shoes. But while you’ve hated me for all these years, I’ve never stopped thinking about you. Anytime I saw someone who remotely resembled you, I always wondered if you were happy. And I can’t help but feel that we were given a second chance to try to be together because of Avery.”
“People shouldn’t be together just for children,” she interrupts, and I can see that her eyes are getting watery from holding back tears.
I’m taken aback by her words and frown. “Do you really think I want to be with you just because of Avery? Do you really believe that my desire for you is an act? You’re the most infuriating woman I have ever met, yet no woman has ever made me feel the way I do when I’m with you.” I turn us so that we’re facing each other, and I lift her chin so she can look into my eyes to see how serious I am.
“I want a chance, Jenna! I want you to give me a chance to prove to you that we belong together. That my feelings for you and Avery are very, very real.” Tears start to stream down her cheeks, and I try to wipe them away with the pads of my thumbs. “I want us to start over. I want to properly date you. I want to make you laugh. I want to go on adventures with you. I want to hold you in my arms every night and wake up with you every morning. I deserve a second chance, Jenna,” I whisper fiercely because I fucking do. I deserve a second chance to show her what life together could be like.
A knock on the door interrupts me from continuing. “Cal, I need to start getting Jenna ready.” Kellan’s muffled voice is heard through the door.
“I’ll be right out,” I say back, sighing in frustration. I gently caress her cheek, my gaze never wavering from hers. “Please, Jenna…will you please think about it?” I plead, my eyes begging for a chance. “If you don’t feel the same way for me after some time together, then I’ll leave you alone and just co-parent Avery with you.”
She smiles softly at me and cups my cheek with her hand. “I’ll think about it,” she whispers and relief spreads through me like wildfire. I’m so fucking happy that I can’t stop smiling at her.
“Thank you,” I whisper before claiming her lips in a quick kiss. I don’t want this to end and I can feel her lips starting to part, giving me full access in. I reluctantly pull back, knowing we need to start getting ready or this is going to lead to another quick fuck. The next time I’m intimate with Jenna, I want to worship her body with a night filled with making love.
“I promise you; you won’t regret giving me a second chance.”
And I pray to God I don’t fuck up my promise.
