She waved goodbye to her parents as Jake walked her out of the restaurant. They seemed gleeful he was taking her out, which only made her frown in confusion. Her poor parents were hoping to marry her off to their surrogate son, while all Jake wanted was to rekindle their friendship.
How awkward.
What was even more annoying was the fact that she thought he wantedmore.
Of course he doesn’t want more. I’ve been nothing but mean to him since I came home,so why would he want anything more to do with me?
If she had been alone, she’d have slapped herself on the forehead, but since she was walking side by side with the town’s golden boy, she resisted the urge.
The sun had long since disappeared behind Mount Luna, finally giving up its dominion over the vast sky. She glanced up at the twinkling stars beside the crescent-shaped moon. Without the light pollution of LA, the sliver of moonlight illuminated the town in a soft glow.
It was moments like these she missed. Being able to look up at the sky and see the inky darkness sprinkled with gleaming lights. Out here, nothing could mute the brilliance of the cloudless sky.
It was impossible not to feel small under the open sky. She was merely a speck on the map in the grand scheme of things, butthere was something freeing about it, too. Under the mountains, she was only another person staring at the moon.
It seemed paradoxical. She should feel insignificant, but if anything, she felt the opposite. The weight of the world didn’t feel as heavy. While people recognized her as a celebrity, it wasn’t the only thing they talked about. If anything, people asked about her as if theycared.
When Diem and Alina came in for dinner, they’d asked for her number so they could plan a girls’ night.
A girls’ night. With me.
It was such a normal ask, but had she ever been invited to a girls’ night before? One that didn’t involve alcohol or drugs, or rubbing elbows with someone who could advance her career?
The answer was no. This innocuous question felt monumental for her. Though she hadn’t agreed on the spot, always leery of handing out her phone number to strangers, she was considering it.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Zings of awareness danced down her spine at Jake’s low timbre.
Gia flicked her gaze up at Jake’s looming presence. Half of his face was hidden in shadows, lending a mysterious air to him. All this time she’d been back, she hadn’t once bothered to get to know the new Jake.
“I’m a terrible friend to you, aren’t I?”
This time, when the corner of his lip inched up, she didn’t have the irrational urge to smack him. Worst of all, she felt an unmistakable churning in her stomach that most definitely was not gas. She was familiar with this sensation, and it hadn’t ended well for her last time.
“You’re not a terrible friend, Gia.” Jake bumped lightly against her arm.
“And you’re a terrible liar.” She smiled warmly. It felt reminiscent of their easy camaraderie and the way she fell in love with him so easily when they were younger.
“Not all of us are meant for Hollywood, darling.”
Heat colored her cheeks at the term of endearment. They fell silent, walking side by side down Main Street. Jake occasionally nodded to passersby as they greeted him. His easygoing nature was a stark contrast to her prickly one. She tried to ignore the way goosebumps erupted on her skin with every brush of his arm.
Would it be so bad to let Jake back in?
Under the soft glow of the street lamp, Jake stopped and turned toward her. Glancing up, his eyes glowed like neon lights peering into her soul. She wrapped her arms around herself defensively. Jake raised a hand and cupped her jaw, his heated touch against her cool skin causing lightning to arc beneath her skin.
“You have always been more to me than just a friend, Gia.”
Her lips parted, blood thundering through her veins. She reached up to touch his hand where he held her, feeling the gravity of his confession in her marrow—but before she could respond in kind, a burst of noise interrupted the moment, causing Gia to jump backward. She’d been so lost in the moment she hadn’t realized they’d stopped in front of Crystal Hollow Grill.
Jake’s hand dropped back to his side as a passing couple greeted him. He held her gaze for a beat longer than polite before turning to address the newcomers.
“Are you coming in for dinner, Jake?” the woman asked, one arm wrapped around the bicep of her partner.
“Actually, yes, we are.” A warm hand rested on the small of her back. Her stomach clenched at the gesture.
“And who is your date?” Dark brown eyes met hers.
“Oh, no, this isn’t a da—” she stammered.
