Chapter 28
“Okay, what’s wrong?” I ask as Griffin pulls his car to a stop in front of my house. He’s been eerily quiet the entire drive back from the school fundraiser. “Your silence is freaking me out.”
Griffin puts the car in park and turns to me. His tense jaw and furrowed brows send my stomach swirling with concern. “I need to tell you about the call I got during the fundraiser.”
“Whatever it is, you can tell me.” I unbuckle and slide my leg under me, turning sideways to look at him better, before reaching over and interlacing our fingers. “Who called?”
“Karina.”
I squeeze his hand. “Did you get the part?” He nods, and I lean forward, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Griffin, that’s amazing.” I pull back, narrowing my eyes. “Then why do you look like someone just poured pickle juice into your hot chocolate?”
He grimaces. “That sounds disgusting.”
I can feel the tension radiating from him, and I subtly brace myself for whatever bad news he has yet to tell me. “Exactly, so what’s with your face? Why aren’t we celebrating?”
He lets out a long breath. “They want me there next week for a chemistry read.”
“English, please?”
That finally brings a small smile to Griffin’s face. “They want me to sit down with the actresses they have in the running for my love interest to read through scenes with them. They want to make sure we’ll have good on-screen chemistry.”
“That makes sense.” I bite the inside of my cheek, trying not to get emotional at the thought of him leaving.
I’m not even going to think about the fact that he’s going to test his chemistry with other women.
I understand it’s only acting, but I’m only human.
The thought of him kissing anyone else stings.
But I trust him. If he’s all in on me, I know Griffin wouldn’t stray. That doesn’t take away the fact that he’s leaving, though. That he’s choosing this movie over staying here with me.
No. That’s not fair. I can’t blame him for doing his job. But I don’t know if our relationship is strong enough to withstand the distance. I thought we had a few more months until he’d have to leave. It’s like Rhett told me—we need a firm foundation to fall back on with being in the public eye.
I clear my throat. “And you’d leave for the chemistry read next week?” When he nods, I ask, “How long will you be gone?”
Griffin worries his bottom lip. “This movie requires extensive physical training. I don’t know how long that will take. It could be until they start filming.”
I bite my cheek harder to hold back my tears. I never used to cry. I hate showing emotion and looking vulnerable. But Griffin had to go and make me fall for him, which apparently has turned me to mush.
“You’ll be gone for a few months, then?” I will my voice not to crack. I have to be strong for him.
“Yeah, it would be a few months of training and then however long filming takes.” He sounds as heartbroken as I feel. “Do you think I should take the role?”
My eyes go wide. “You haven’t accepted it yet?”
He shakes his head.
“Why not?” I rub circles on the back of his hand. “It’s your dream role.”
“But you’re my dream girl. I could never accept it without talking to you first. You’ll always be my top priority, Mal.
” Griffin looks at me, his eyes earnest and full of hope.
“I thought this movie was everything I ever wanted. That being offered a role I really wanted was going to make me feel like I had made it in life. But all of that means nothing if I don’t have you. ”
“Griffin, you already have me. You can’t give a movie up for me.”
He flinches slightly, but I see it.
“What was that?” I point at him.
He presses his lips into a thin line. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your face did something.” I tap his chest. “Come on, we said we’d always be honest with each other.”
Griffin lets out a resigned sigh. “I didn’t tell you because I never wanted you to feel bad. This was fully my choice, okay?”
“Okay…” I draw out the word, nervous about where this is headed.
“I may have already given up a movie for you.”
“Griff.” My eyes go wide. “Why did you do that?” I reach over and dig into his jacket pocket, trying to find his phone. “I’m going to call Karina right now and tell her you made a mistake. You have to be the lead in The Heartless Prince. I’m not letting you give up your dream.”
He gently takes my hands, stopping my frantic movements. “I haven’t given her an answer on this movie yet. Not until I talked to you.”
“What movie are you talking about, then?”
“The one I was offered right before coming to Louisville. It was another rom-com. I think they wanted to piggyback off the success of Accidentally in Matrimony by pumping out another movie with me. But I would’ve only been able to stay here long enough to make sure Granny was settled in her facility.
I already told Karina I didn’t think I could accept it because I wanted to be here for Granny, and then I ran into you.
” He lets out a breath through his nose, tilting his head.
“There wasn’t a chance I was going to leave after that. ”
My heart stutters in my chest. Before I’d even given him the time of day again—back when I still thought this was all pretend—Griffin gave up a movie.
For me. I always worried I would be second to his career.
He’s shown me otherwise in our time together.
But hearing him say that I’m his priority and that everything else means nothing without me is like the final stitches healing up my past wound.
“Like I said.” Griffin holds one hand up and says, “My career.” He raises his other hand up until it touches the roof of the car. “You.”
His words settle deep in my chest, making me feel a deep sense of belonging.
The more I think back on the last month with him, everything becomes clear.
He’s left a trail of memories and whispered promises, showing me how much he cares.
The signs have been there all along, pointing to him.
I was just so scared that I wouldn’t allow myself to believe it.
Knowing that Griffin wants me—blunt honesty and all—over anything else in his life brings a rush of tears to my eyes.
“What is it, beautiful?” Griffin leans forward, pressing his forehead to mine.
“I can’t believe you’d pick me over a movie.”
“Well, you better believe it.” He kisses my temple. “I’ll do it again, if you want me to stay.”
He’s already given up one big opportunity. I refuse to let him give up another.
There’s no sugarcoating, a long-distance relationship with Griffin would be hard, a trial to put our relationship to the test. Being apart from him would feel like death by a thousand cuts—every part of me raw and aching for him.
It would suck not being able to see each other every day and to miss important events.
The thought of not being able to drive over to his house after a hard day and be wrapped up in his strong, safe arms is gut-wrenching.
But if he feels as strongly as he’s said and as his actions have shown, then we just might have a shot at this.
At love.
At a future together.
“You have to accept this role.” I pull back, squeezing his hands. “This is everything you’ve been working toward. I want you to achieve your dreams, but—”
Griffin has repeatedly reassured me of his feelings this past month.
He even told me he’s falling in love with me.
But I’ve been holding back, terrified that I would tell Griffin that I’m falling for him only for him to turn around and leave.
I’m done holding back, though. He deserves to know my heart and receive validation, too.
I take a steadying breath, preparing myself to put my heart on the line. “I want you to achieve your dreams, but I want to be part of them too.”
His eyes turn glossy, filled with tears that could only be described as happy because of the tilted smile on his face. “You do?”
I nod. “I don’t know what life looks like dating Hollywood’s hottest actor.
Or how we’ll handle living over two thousand miles apart.
But there are things I do know. I love how you go all in, like getting a to-go cup of hot chocolate tattooed on your ribcage when you didn’t know if our paths would ever cross again.
I never want to go a day without seeing the adorable, goofy smile you get whenever you’re around me.
I love how generous you are. I think you’re truly the most selfless man I’ve ever met.
You don’t do things for recognition, but just because you care. ”
A tear drips from his eye onto his cheek, and I wipe it away. “I know I used to call you Mr. Razzle-Dazzle as a joke, but it’s the truth. All of the goodness that’s in you shines through in your words and actions.”
Griffin blows out a breath as more tears fall. “Are you trying to make me cry here?” He laughs.
I smile. “I just want you to know that you’re worth it all. The long-distance. Dealing with the paparazzi. Upending my life as I know it to trade it for a new one—a better one—with you.”
He stares at me for a beat before unbuckling his seatbelt. Before I can ask what he’s doing, Griffin is out of the car, jogging around to my side. He opens my door and lifts me out of the car, enveloping me in his muscular arms.
“Thank you,” he whispers into my ear. “I think I needed to hear that you choose me, too. That you choose this life. I never wanted to force you into the public eye.”
I pull back just enough to press my lips to his. The kiss is gentle, but filled with desire and anticipation. A kiss to remember this moment by for the rest of our lives. “If I wasn’t already clear, this is me choosing you.”
His mouth tilts up at the corner. “Does that mean I get the honor of having you on my arm at every red carpet and gala?”
“As long as you don’t mind taking me dress shopping.”
Griffin chuckles. “Deal.”
I run my fingers along the hair at the nape of his neck. “Does this mean you’ll finally call Karina and tell her you’re accepting the role? I bet she’s freaking out.”
“As long as you’re sure that you’re okay with me taking it.” He sighs. “I hate the thought of leaving you and Granny so soon, and I could never ask you to come with me. I know how much your job, friends, and family mean to you. But we’ll be in completely different time zones.”
“It’s only for a season,” I say, trying to give him every reason to pursue his dream, because I want that for him. And I want to be right by his side, cheering him on as he achieves them.
“Whenever you’re filming, I could fly out during my school’s spring and summer breaks to be with you.
And if you ever have a free weekend, you could come visit.
” I press a kiss to his cheek. “We’ll make things work for this movie once you get a better idea of what your schedule will look like, then we can figure out what we want to do moving forward. ”
“I’ll happily limit the number of projects I take on each year.”
“You don’t need to make any promises like that now, Griff. The only promise I want you to make is that you’ll always come home to me.” I move my fingers up into his hair, trailing them along his scalp. He closes his eyes and leans his head into my touch.
“Always.” Griffin’s voice is low and raspy, his eyes focused on my lips. He traces the outline of my jaw from my ear to my chin.
I inch my mouth closer to his, our breath intermingling in the air between us. “Good, because the truth is, I’m falling for you, too.”
Griffin closes the remaining distance and shows me how deeply he cares about me with every press of his lips to mine.