Page 23 of Shine For Me

I slump against the counter, suddenly exhausted. To think I’d been having such a nice day before my mother called and Adam showed up.

“You need more rest,” Adam says immediately, his hand reaching out to grip my forearm. I want to yank it back but what’s the point? It will only make me feel even more foolish than I do right now.

“You’re right,” I say instead. “In fact, I’m going to go upstairs to lie down.” I glare at him. “Which means it’s time for you to go.”

He frowns. “I thought I could take you out for dinner. Or we could stay here—I could cook.”

I feel the tiniest of pangs in my chest. Adam is actually a pretty good cook, though he insists on healthy, grain-free shit most of the time. One of my favorite things to do together was to hang out at home. He would play classical music while he cooked, telling me about the composers and the pieces in a way that wasn’t completely obnoxious. Then we’d take our food out to the patio and drink wine and talk.

Back then, I thought I loved this man. I liked that he was older than me, that he was smarter and more sophisticated. He’d been working in politics under his father for years and now sat on the LA City Council. He had real life experiences that went far behind the Hollywood circles I grew up in. If he sometimes seemed a little condescending, I didn’t mind. Nor did I blame him for not seeming all that invested in hearing about my day. His job was actually important. Meaningful. He helped his community. Why would he give a shit about what happened on a studio lot?

It kills me to know I was so desperate for his affection that I let myself believe all of that garbage.

But I’m not that pathetic, clueless girl anymore. I refuse to be. So I look him straight in the eyes. “I don’t want to have dinner with you. I don’t want to go back to how things were. I don’t want to try again. I just want you to leave.”

He studies me for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “You’re still angry,” he finally says. “And you don’t trust me.”

“What on earth gave you that impression?”

The asshole actually smiles. His expression is downright affectionate, like he thinks I’m being cute or something. “That’s okay,” he says confidently. “It just means I have some work to do. But I’ve never been afraid of hard work.”

“It has nothing to do with work,” I tell him. “I’m not interested in being won over. I’m not interested in you making it better. We’re done, Adam.” I take a deep breath, trying to muster up the courage to say what I should have said a year ago. To tell him that I’m finished with this farce between us and I’m ready to move on—whatever my grandfather might have to say about it. Before I can get the words out, though, he’s leaning down to kiss my cheek.

“I’ll let you rest now,” he says kindly, like he’s doing me some big favor. “But I’m not giving up on us, June. I’m not giving up on you. This is too important.”

I throw up my hands. “There’s nothing to give up on, Adam! This is over. It’s been over.”

He ignores me, just continues to smile in that vaguely patronizing way. “You’ll see,” he says smoothly. “We’ll be happy again.”

Before I can do more than stammer in frustrated anger, he squeezes my arm and turns to go. “We’ll talk soon,” he calls over his shoulder. A moment later, the front door clicks.

I stare around my empty kitchen, as if the silent cabinets might give me some indication of what the hell just happened.

It’s been more than a year since I called off the wedding. A year of us only seeing each other when we had to. Adam Garland’s fiancée was just another role I had to play, whether I liked it or not.

And now he’s going to come in here and tell me he wants another chance? Is he insane?

More importantly, what is he planning? There has to be something he needs. Something that he thinks will be easier to acquire if he’s back on my good side. I should probably call my grandfather and see what he knows. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Jimmy was behind this visit in the first place. Adam showing up here unexpectedly, spouting compliments and apologies, has Jimmy Cain’s fingerprints written all over.

But the very thought of talking to my grandfather right now makes me feel unbearably tired.

You’re leaving in just a few days,I remind myself. I’ll be out of town for two months. There’s no way Adam would ever schlep all the way out to North Carolina. The man gets grumpy if he has to go east of Pasadena.

I try to put the whole morning from my mind. I have a million things to do before I leave town but all I want to do right now is shower and lie down for a solid fifteen minutes. A full nap would be a hell of a lot more welcome, but I can’t remember the last time I had time to do something like that. A minimum of rest will have to be enough before I face the rest of my day.

I’m just entering my bedroom when my phone dings with a text. I almost don’t look, thinking it might be Adam. But I’m so glad when I do and see Fox’s name on the screen.

Fox:Apparently there’s some commercial fishing show the Littles are obsessed with. They’re trying to convince me this is the type of thing I should be packing

I click on the attached photo and let out a very unladylike snort. Fox, looking disgruntled and annoyed, is standing there surrounded by the beaming faces of his sister Violet and his cousins Vega and Cecelia. He’s wearing a camouflage vest and a flowered bucket hat and scowling at the camera.

I type out a response.

Me:PLEASE bring that outfit.

Fox:Why do I have a bad feeling about your enthusiasm for this?

Me:Oh, I have every intention of getting you in front of a photographer in that get-up. Not even going to try to pretend like that’s not my goal.

Fox:I hate you.

I grin to myself as I set my phone on my nightstand before making my way to the shower. Yeah, getting out of Los Angeles is exactly what I need right now.