My jaw dropped. “Luke?”
“Fargo thinks your boyfriend’s perfect for the role.” My agent’s words tumbled out faster than I could keep up. “I told him you might have notes, of course. It’s your story, after all.”
“Notes?” I echoed dumbly. My brain was lagging, stuck somewhere betweenbidding warandfilm rights.
“You’re a superstar, Anna,” she said before hanging up, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I sank onto the couch, my phone still clutched in my hand, my mind racing. A published novel. A famous director wanting to buy the movie rights. A movie star boyfriend.
What was my life?
58
LUKE
“Honey, I’m home,”I called out, grinning like an idiot as I burst through the front door of our house in New Orleans.
Anna jumped up from the couch, and before I knew it, she was in my arms, her momentum nearly knocking me off balance. Her face was glowing, her eyes wide with excitement. “You’re starring in a movie based on my book.”
I didn’t think. I just kissed her. The kind of kiss that made the world disappear, where everything else faded into the background. Her lips were velvet against mine. Every single time I kissed her, it reminded me just how much I loved doing it.
When we pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, her smile breathless. I brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. “Do you realize what this means?” I asked. “We’re officially a Hollywood power couple now.”
She rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched into that smile I could never get enough of. “It’s just a small story, Luke. Nothing glamorous.”
“Small?” I stepped back, feigning offense. “Anna, it’s incredible. Fargo said he hasn’t been this excited about a script sinceApocalypse Tomorrow.”
Her jaw dropped. “You talked to him?”
“Of course. He called me,” I said, trying not to sound too smug. “Said he loved the emotional depth, called itMarvel Universe meets Eternal Sunshine.”
Anna blinked, stunned. “He said that? Aboutmystory?”
“Yours,” I confirmed, squeezing her shoulder. I let out a breath, stepping back just enough to look at her thoroughly. “It’s crazy. A year ago, I was killing myself to land anything decent. Then I nailed the role in Fargo’s last movie so hard that I haven’t had to audition since. Now, I can pick my projects and write my ticket. But this? Your story? This feels different.”
Anna’s cheeks flushed, and she shook her head, laughing. “You make it sound likeThe Godfather.It’s just a superhero story.”
“Notjustanything,” I said firmly. “It’s raw, real. The emotional depth, the way you capture fear and strength—it’s why people are obsessed with you.” I gestured vaguely to her phone, where everything my PR team published on social media about our relationship was met with fanfare. “The way they talk about you, Anna, it’s like you’re their hero.”
She ducked her head, embarrassed. “That’s an exaggeration.”
“Not even close.” I leaned in, catching her eyes. “Being with you hasn’t just made my life better, it’s mademebetter. People see it. I see it. You’ve changed me.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “So, what now?”
“We keep splitting our time between New Orleans and Hollywood. This is working. We’ve found a balance. You keep writing, I keep acting, and we figure it out as we go.”
Her lips quirked up into a grin. “That’s a plan?”
“It’s the only one that matters,” I said, brushing her hair back gently. “Besides, I guess I’ll be playing your hero now.”
Anna leaned closer, her voice warm and her eyes full of love. “You already were.”
I kissed her again. Because I could, because she let me, and because every time I did, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be.
59
ANNA
