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Chapter Twenty-Five

It was the following morning, and Damon was still trying to process the events of the day before.

As he sat on his patio, having his coffee and listening to the birds chirp and sing while looking out over the canyon, it occurred to him that he had no idea how he’d ended up in such a predicament yesterday.

Tessa had run up those prop stairs. That much he knew. He had to catch her, of course. There was no way he was just going to let her get hurt. He’d do that much for anyone. But especially her. She was a friend.

Friends were there for each other.

The thing most friends didn’t do was screw each other’s brains out in a faux building on a studio backlot.

Or simply screw each other’s brains out.

Anyway, he just couldn’t figure out how things had moved that direction so quickly!

They weren’t really a couple. He was with Lissa. Or he had been, less than a week ago.

But now he wasn’t really thinking of her at all.

And tonight was the big awards ceremony. He, she, Max, and everyone else who was currently anyone in Hollywood would be crammed in the Dolby Theater, looking their finest and showing off for half the world to see.

The party was after that. And even though both events were hours away, the festivities would kick off soon.

There would be press opportunities, pre-parties, and even before all that, the stylists and designers would want a crack at him. The day was jampacked and he didn’t have time to sit there thinking of his relationships with Tessa and Lissa and the mess he’d made of both of them.

At first, he was so deep in his own head he thought he was imagining Lissa’s voice. But when she spoke again he jerked around to see her standing in the doorway that led from his living room to the deck.

Springing up so quickly that some of his coffee spilled over the mug’s edge and onto his hand, he said, “What are you doing here?”

“I still have a key to your place.”

“That doesn’t really explain why you’re here.”

Lissa stepped forward. “Aren’t you glad to see me? I Figured you’d miss the mornings when we’d sit out on the deck together.”

Damon wasn’t sure he did.

“We aren’t together now. And I’m going to need my key back.” He cleared his throat. “Besides, isn’t Max going to miss you?”

She shook her head. “We don’t live together.”

Damon sat his mug down on the patio table and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Lissa, did you tell Max you were coming here?”

“That’s none of his business.”

“I’m not saying he should keep tabs on you. But I’m asking if you broke things off with him before you came here trying to rekindle things?”

“Why do you care?”

Damon fought the urge to lash back with a snide comment. He was going to be honest, though.

“Because I’m worried you still have him on the hook in case this doesn’t work out. And that’s not fair to him. Or me.”

“Is that how you see me?”

He thought about it before he just fired off an answer. “I’m seeing a lot of things clearer now. About you. Myself. And just life.”

Lissa laughed and moved even closer. “After only a few days? It hasn’t even been a week and already you’ve had some great spiritual awakening?”