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His mind left future roles and once again returned to her.

He said her name aloud.

“Tessa.”

A wry smile turned his lips upward.

But Lissa…

How could he have thought she was the one he’d be with forever just two days ago and now be developing feelings for Tessa? Did that mean what he had with Lissa wasn’t real?

He stood from the chair and walked toward the railing, his shoes thudding heavily on the wooden planks of the deck.

There were lots of other people in the canyon, not to mention cars and homes. But with the thick trees, they were difficult to see, giving him the illusion of seclusion.

Gave him space to think too.

Lissa was the one who’d left him. Maybe that meant what they’d had was never real.

Or maybe it was real and he actually was torn-up over the breakup. Maybe he was so messed up, in fact, that his head was all jumbled.

It wasn’t fair to Tessa. She shouldn’t be caught in the crossfire. Maybe he should call off their little excursion tomorrow. Call off the whole crazy plan he’d hatched to get Lissa back.

Or…

He could let things play out. Tessa might have been a Little but she was an adult. She knew what the stakes were.

And were the stakes really that high?

This was just two friends—albeit new friends—helping each other out.

Tessa was helping him make Lissa jealous and he was helping her get some Little gear and have some fun experiences. This was a win-win that was working out well for the both of them.

And these feelings he was having? Just a silly little crush. Harmless. Those things happened sometimes between friends. But it wouldn’t last.

He was supposed to be with Lissa. Not Tessa.

This little crush would pass soon. There was no reason to go making it into something it wasn’t, blowing things out of proportion.

Yet he couldn’t help but check his phone to see if Tessa had texted him.

She hadn’t.

Probably just as well. Because again, this was a silly but harmless crush that would drift away like the rush-hour exhaust that floated over the valley each weeknight.

That’s what he kept telling himself, at least.

Chapter Eighteen

“Can you believe everything that’s happened, Buttercup?”

Tessa asked the question of her stuffie while she was looking in the full-length mirror, making sure her outfit looked okay.

Once again, they were clothes she’d picked up on the cheap back home. Hardly befitting of doing something—whatever she would be doing—with a movie star.

But it was all she had. And they looked nice, she thought.

Even if it didn’t, the clothes would have to do.