It was the role of a lifetime for Serena. Her chance to break out of the rom-com heroine typecast. And I’d love to be a part of that.
But I didn’t accept the role. I told them I needed to talk to Serena first.
The old me who made decisions for both of us was gone. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again. If I was going to be enmeshed in her career, it had to be because she made that choice. Assuming I belonged there would be just as bad as not listening to her concerns.
And I refused to take the role if it would make her feel pressured or like our real intimacy was just another scene we had to perform in front of a crew.
She deserved to know I would make decisions that were in her best interest, after talking them through with her first.
So a couple of weeks after our rooftop date, I asked her to come to Malibu. She hadn’t been back to my house since she put that well-deserved distance between us.
After firing Maddie, I’d spent two full days quietly removing every last trace of her from my home. Furniture she’d sat on, small items she’d left behind, even the guest room she’d once stayed in. It had all been replaced with Serena’s taste in mind.
When she walked through the door, she noticed immediately.
“You changed things.” Her gaze moved over the new furniture.
“I cleared out every single thing that reminded me of the mistakes I made. Even if you never live here, this house is ours now. Without ghosts or history that doesn’t belong to us.”
“It looks more my style now.” She walked slowly through the living room, fingertips brushing the back of the new couch. I stayed where I was, giving her space. “But it’s your house, Hudson. Not mine.”
“About that.” I scrubbed my palm over my bearded jaw. “I didn’t just redecorate.”
Turning toward me, her brows drew together. “What else did you do?”
“I wanted you to know that you have the authority to say who belongs in this house…and who doesn’t. Maybe if I’d asked you to move in with me before Maddie showed up, things would’ve been different.” When her eyes narrowed, I realized I wasn’t doing a great job of explaining myself. “I’d been thinking about asking you to move in with me before Maddie showed up, but Ikept putting it off. I was scared it would complicate things for Avery. Looking back, I realize that part of it was also that I was afraid to fully commit. But losing you was hell. So I had my lawyer file a quitclaim deed. Your name is on the house now. If you never want to live here, that’s okay. But I needed you to know that this place belongs to you as much as it belongs to me. No one can take that away. Not even me.”
The irritation in her eyes had been replaced by shock. “You added my name to the multimillion-dollar home you love?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, that’s…surprising.”
I flashed her my most charming smile. “Good surprising?”
“Yeah.” She shook her head with a soft laugh. “It’s kind of hard to be angry about something like that, especially knowing the thought behind it.”
“Keep that in mind for the next bit of news.”
I handed her the printed copy of the email John had sent over with the official offer from the studio. The part would put us on set together for months, acting out love scenes while we were still rebuilding the real thing.
“I was offered the male lead opposite you in the grieving journalist project,” I explained. “I want to take it, but I don’t want to put any pressure on you.”
“You’re just full of surprises today.”
Her tone didn’t give away how she felt about the possibility of working together again. And with her head tipped down, I couldn’t see her pretty green eyes.
My hands were sweating as she read it. Turning this down would have been easy if it were any other project. But this was her big break — the role she’d been dreaming about. If she said no, it would feel like proof that I’d damaged us beyond repair. If she said yes, I’d have to prove every single day on set that I was worthy of standing beside her.
Stepping closer, I added, “I know how important this project is for you, and I want to be part of your life in every way possible, Serena. To stand beside you on set if that’s what you want.”
Hope shone from her eyes. “You’d really leave the decision up to me?”
“Yes, but I want you to understand what you’d be agreeing to first. I’m asking if you’ll let me earn the right to be there—as your partner, not just your co-star.” I took a deep breath, reminding myself that she deserved everything from me. “I turned down another offer that would have kept me away from you for months. This one I couldn’t say yes or no to without talking to you first. Because the old me made decisions for both of us. The new me wants to make them with you.”
“You really turned down a movie?” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Was it a good offer?”
“I did, and it was. John wasn’t happy, but he finally understands where my priorities lie. With you. Which is why he’s also talking to the studio about the press junket forBroken Reckoning. I’ll do what I’m contractually required, but that’s it. And my out-of-town interviews will be scheduled to limit the time I’m away. It’ll mean some grueling days, but it’ll be worth it.” I reached for her hands and held them gently. “Because I’m done putting anything ahead of you. Work, friendship, ego. None of it matters without you at my side. So if you want me in this movie with you, I’ll call them tomorrow and say yes. If you want me to step back and let you shine alone, I’ll do that too. I just want you to know I’m all in, however you’ll have me.”
