Tom shook his head, shrugging. “Nothing's the matter, really. I'm just tired. It's been very busy today.”
“I understand.” She smiled, but the truth was that she didn’t really understand. Tom was acting differently, and she wasn’t sure what had brought about the sudden shift in his behavior toward her. “I was hoping you’d be free around now. I’d love to go for a walk with you. I have some exciting news to share.”
Tom hesitated, and her heart sank. She would have expected him to jump at the chance to spend time with her, since both of them had been treating each other like a priority ever since their first kiss. The fact that he seemed hesitant made her feel worried that something was the matter.
Maybe he’s really just unusually tired,she thought.Sometimes people have a hard time staying cheerful if they’re very fatigued. Maybe he’s coming down with something. Maybe he’s dealing with some kind of stress in his personal life but he doesn’t want to tell me.
Despite her efforts to convince herself that Tom’s attitude had nothing to do with her, the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach remained.
“Yeah, I can go for a walk.” He turned back to her and smiled, but the smile looked decidedly forced. “Would you like to go now?”
“I would,” she told him. “Maybe just along the beach for a little while?”
He nodded. “Hey, Annie, tell Vivian that I’m taking my break outside, would you?” he said to the hostess, who saluted him, grinning. She clearly thought that romance was still going strong between Delilah and Tom.
Tom led the way out into the fresh air. Delilah walked beside him, wondering why he seemed reluctant to speak with her. For a while they strolled side by side in silence, and she kept glancing at his face, wondering why he was frowning a little.
“How was your trip?” he asked her finally.
“It went very well.” She considered telling him her news right then and there, but at that moment a herd of ten-year-olds barreled past them on bicycles, laughing and whooping as if they were in the middle of a very important race.
I don't want to tell him my news when he's feeling like this,she thought.But what if he never stops feeling like this? Maybe this is my last chance to speak with him.Her stomach tightened at the thought.
They continued to wander for a little while longer and soon found themselves at the gazebo in the center of town. Delilah looked at the charming white structure and thought of the happy hours she had spent in it with Tom, reading the screenplay and bonding.
“Would you like to sit in here for a while?” she asked him, stepping up to the entrance of the gazebo.
Tom nodded but didn't answer her out loud. She sat down on one of the little benches and he sat down beside her slowly, almost gingerly.
“Do you remember our first time under this gazebo?” She smiled at him tenderly, hoping the memory would touch his heart and help pull him out of whatever funk he was experiencing.
Instead of seeming touched however, Tom simply smiled sadly. “I remember,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse. There were a few moments of silence between them, and then he asked, “How did the audition go?”
Delilah took a deep breath, ready to share her news with him. The way he had smiled at her had reassured her somewhat. It was clear that he cared about her a great deal, whether or not something was wrong. She touched his arm gently and smiled, feeling again the full joy of her wonderful news. “The audition went extremely well! At first, I was very nervous.” She laughed. “But I held myself together and just did the scenes the way wepracticed them. And then at the end of the audition, they offered me the part on the spot!”
Tom's face lit up, and he grinned at her exactly the way she'd hoped that he would. He was clearly overjoyed for her. “Delilah, that's fantastic! But I'm not surprised at all. I absolutely knew you would land the part.” For a moment the two of them sat there smiling at each other, but after a few heartbeats his expression fell again. His voice was softer and there was a sadness in his eyes as he said his next words. “I'm sure you're looking forward to starting that next movie and getting out of Rosewood Beach.”
“Why would you think that?” She shook her head, still bewildered by his attitude. She didn't understand why he was keeping his distance from her emotionally. “Tom, what is wrong?” she urged him. “Please tell me the truth.”
He hesitated for a few moments, staring out into space. The wind blew across the town square, ruffling the heads of the flowers and causing the leaves in the trees to rustle like a melancholy music. “I've been thinking,” he said finally. “I've always known our worlds were very different, but during the past couple of days I've really started to seriously consider the situation. It's no secret that Rosewood Beach is a far cry from what you’re used to in Hollywood. You’re used to living a glamorous, movie star existence. I know you've been enjoying spending time in our little town, but I also know that after a while the simplicity of our lives here would start to bore you. Wouldn't it?”
“No. Definitely not.” Her tone was emphatic, but then she laughed. “Tom, is that all? You don't need to worry about that.” She touched his hand tenderly. “Rosewood Beach has completely captured my heart. As have you.”
To her dismay however, Tom didn't seem to believe her words. He shook his head, looking at her sadly. “I know you lovebeing here now,” he told her, “but soon, you’ll feel the need to go back to your normal life. And I would be more than willing to visit you out in Hollywood, but I wouldn't be willing to move there. I have deep roots here in my hometown and too many friendships to leave behind. I love my job, and I want to stay here where I have peace and a strong, supportive community. It just isn't realistic to entertain the idea of maintaining what we've started here once we both go back to our normal lives.”
“Tom, no,” she whispered. “Anything is possible when you care for one another.” She watched his face, feeling sad and concerned. He stared out across the garden, looking as though there was a heavy weight pulling him down. “Can I ask what brought about this change of heart?”
Tom didn't speak for a few seconds, and then he sighed. “When I went to drop off the card and the pastry for you at your trailer, I overheard a couple of your coworkers talking. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I thought the first door led to your trailer and I was about to knock on it when I heard them speaking through the window. They were talking about us. They were saying that I'm not at all in your league, and they're absolutely right. I thought that from the beginning, but I let myself forget about it. I shouldn't have. They might have been the only ones that I heard say it, but I'm sure everyone is thinking along similar lines. How could they not be?”
Delilah felt heartbroken. She knew exactly who he must have overheard, and she felt frustrated that he'd happened to walk past two of the pettiest people she knew in the middle of a conversation that he never should have overheard. “You don't need to worry about what anyone thinks,” she told him. “As a movie star, I had to learn that the hard way a long time ago. People will always have their opinions about the lives of others, and after a certain point, there is nothing you can do to consistently win people's favor. And what does it matter? Small-minded people will always have small-minded opinions. We shouldn't let that ruin our happiness.”
Tom looked into her eyes, and for a moment she thought that he was going to accept what she was saying, but a second later he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Delilah.” His voice sounded heavy. “There’s just too many things that make me think this isn’t going to last. I wish it could—but I don’t see it working out. I think it’s better to end things now before either of us get more hurt.”
“But what if it does work out?” she whispered, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking. The thought of never getting to see him again made her want to burst into tears, but she was determined to hold it together. Being an actress allowed her to fake emotions, and it had also taught her how to conceal her own.
“It simply doesn’t make sense,” he told her.
His words hung in the air between them, and she considered beating them away with a barrage of reassurances and protests. She could tell him how much she liked him, how much she loved his town, and how much she thought that she could fall in love with him—more than she’d ever been in love with Hollywood, or her career.
