Chapter Twenty-One
The paved path running the length of the lake was quieter than I expected, the noise from the fundraiser long gone, and only the sounds of the honking geese and gentle waves lapping the shore filled the vicinity. I stopped to catch my breath under a buzzing streetlamp; its light flickering like it couldn’t decide whether to stay on or give up.
Kind of like me.
I wiped the building sweat from under my eyes, likely smudging my mascara. The adrenaline from my escape had worn off, leaving only a gnawing sense of failure and a bad case of the jitters. Everything was spiraling out of control.
“Molly!”
His voice cut through the quiet, steady and firm. Not a shout. Not angry. Just… Jeremy.
I turned slowly, my breath hitching as he jogged toward me. His tie dangled freely. His hair, usually an untamed mess, looked even wilder from the chase.
He came to a stop a few feet away, one hand disappearing into his pocket while the other held something small and delicate.
“This fell off.”
My hair clip.
His lips quirked into a soft smile. “You must’ve been in a real hurry to lose your femme fatale disguise.”
Despite myself, a laugh broke free, shaky and unsteady. “Guess I’m not cut out for dramatic exits.”
Jeremy stepped closer, slipping the clip into his pocket. His brow furrowed as he searched my face. “Talk to me, Molly. Why’d you run? Was it all the musical faux pas?”
“What?” I blinked through clumpy lashes, and quickly ran a finger over them to fix it.
“Screw up sounded harsh, but if that was it, people will understand… You should still be in your sling.”
My gaze dropped from his warm, sincere smile to the pavement. “It wasn’t that.”
“Was it the media?”
The question landed like a punch.
“You’ve always said I should do my research when it comes to crossword clues I don’t know the answer to, so I did.” His tone was tone teasing but gentle. “Shadowed Realms? That crossword clue the other morning?” He hooked a finger under my chin and lifted it so I’d meet his gaze. “That’s you, isn’t it, Holly Gaudreau?”
“Yes.” My word was breathless. “You knew?”
He shoved a hand through his hair, his expression sheepish. “I wasn’t going to say anything. I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.”
Whether or not I was ready, it was time to tell him.
“I’m sure you’ve already read everything the media said about me.” I hung my head as a dull ache bloomed in my chest. No doubt, it was as poisonous as the set had been.
He set his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll believe what you tell me versus what mainstream media says.”
Searching his dual-coloured eyes, genuine warmth and caring settled in for a long monologue.
“On the last show, I was offered an impossible choice,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper.
Jeremy’s hand tightened around mine, his presence steady and grounding.
“They dangled promises—bigger roles, stardom, everything I’d worked for—but only if I played along.” I swallowed hard, the memory thick in my throat. “When I said no, they punished me. Cut my role, made me invisible. Then one of the executives came to my trailer and… he made it clear what I’d lose if I didn’t comply.”
Jeremy’s jaw tightened, but he stayed silent, his eyes never leaving mine.
“I got out the only way I knew how.” My voice trembled. “I broke my contract and ran away. I thought I’d never work again, but I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t let them take more from me.”
The tears I’d held back for so long spilled over, hot and fast. “I’ve been running ever since. Afraid they’d find me, afraid I’d lose everything. Again.”
Jeremy reached up, brushing a tear from my cheek with achingly gentle fingers. “You didn’t lose everything,” he said softly. “You found yourself.”
The dam broke wide open.
Jeremy wrapped me in his arms and soothingly stroked my back. “I believe you, and think you are incredibly brave.”
I stayed there in his arms until I felt I could breathe again. Once I’d caught my breath, I pulled back to take in the man holding me together.
Still unsure of what was happening, I blinked at him, stunned. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner. I was scared. Scared that if anyone found out who I was, they’d try to take advantage of me or my money.”
“Is that what your family did?” A note of anger ribboned through his question.
“Yes.” For the first time, I wasn’t embarrassed or shamed by this; after all I’d only been a child, a teen, a minor in the eyes of the law. “And once you figured out who I was? You… you didn’t care?”
He stepped closer, his gaze locking on mine. “Molly, I’d already fallen for you before I discovered who you are, or what you did. It wasn’t some acting résumé that did it for me. It was you.” Under the glow of the streetlight flicker, his cheeks pinked. “I’ve had a crush on you since the first day you walked into the motel office and asked for a room with a view.”
My breath caught, his words knocking the air clean out of my lungs. The best view I got was from the bathroom window, which looked out to the spruce trees edging along the river.
His hand brushed against my arm, his touch warm despite the cold night. “I adore hearing you hum and sing along to the overhead music at the Coffee Loft. When I go grocery shopping, I make sure to select the reddish, shiniest apples as I know those are the ones you secretly dig for.”
What? That was so sweet.
“And I love the woman who played me like a fiddle at trivia night.” There was a mocking tone woven through his words. “You know more about that universe than you’d let on.”
I couldn’t help the smile bubbling to my lips and pushing my cheeks nice and high.
“I especially love the one who calls a wooden truck ‘Elmer Pinewood.” Shaking his head, he smiled, soft and crooked. “You are someone who makes me feel alive every single morning with a coffee, a sweet smile, and a ridiculous pun.” He took a step closer, and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. “That’s who I’m in love with.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I tried to look away, but his hand caught my chin, tilting my face back toward his.
“Now you go, but about me.”
My mind blanked.
“Just kidding.” He sent a leg-weakening wink in my direction. “But in all seriousness, Molly, you don’t have to run anymore,” he said, his voice low but steady. “Not from them, not from me. Just… stay. Please.”
I closed my eyes, his words unearthing something raw and vulnerable inside me. When I opened them again, more tears spilled over, sliding down my cheeks. My heart stuttered. For the first time in forever, I couldn’t think of a witty comeback.
“Well, if that’s the case,” I finally managed, my voice wobbling but light, “you’re stuck with me. Because I love you too. I’ve never been as comfortable with someone as I am with you, Being with you is as natural as breathing.”
The relief on his face was so pure, so heart-melting, I didn’t care that I probably looked a mess, with my hair half-fallen out of my updo and my mascara smudged. He cupped my face, brushing his thumb along my jaw, and I leaned into him like I’d been waiting my whole life to close the distance.
Jeremy tilted his head, his eyes soft but steady. The same way they’d been the night we’d kissed at trivia, and the same way they’d been on the dance floor when he’d confessed his feelings. Only now, something had shifted. There was no audience, no plan, no pretending.
It was just us.
And then he kissed me.
It wasn’t like the trivia night, or even like the ballroom. This kiss was everything we were: messy, beautiful, and completely, gloriously real.
When we finally broke apart, breathless and grinning, Jeremy leaned his forehead against mine.
“Still think you’re the femme fatale?”
I laughed, leaning into him, my heart lighter than it had been in years. “Not anymore.”
He smiled, his thumb brushing my cheek. “Good. Because I prefer you like this—just Molly.”
The warmth in his gaze melted the last of my fear. For the first time in forever, I felt seen, safe, and whole.
“Their story might end here,” I murmured, glancing toward the lodge, “but ours is just beginning.”
And as his hand found mine, for the first time in forever, I wasn’t afraid of how my story might end.