Chapter 36
Ava
It feels like we’ve been walking forever. Like this is New York’s preferred method for punishing tourists and the weak.
I’m in a simple white dress I thought would be perfect for the shots. The skirt falls softly just above my knees, and pairs nicely with my ballet slippers.
Harrison is in a suit. A very attractive one.
Navy suit. Crisp shirt. Beard trimmed down to controlled stubble. For a sinfully rugged man, he wears a suit like a second skin.
Of course, he looks good in anything.
He tore off his blazer a block ago. It’s unusually warm today. Hot, by New York standards. Neither of us needs a coat.
Which is fine. I’m pretty sure we hit ten thousand steps twenty minutes ago.
Not that I’m complaining. I’m leaning into my brief era as a New York City pedestrian. Especially since walking in LA is less cardio and more of an extreme sport.
“Tell me again why Travis couldn’t drive us,” Harrison says.
“For a former SEAL, you’re remarkably whiny,” I shoot back. “And if we drive everywhere, I miss all of this.” I gesture broadly. “The hot dog stands. The people. The quaint coffee shops.” I beam.
“The trash bags. The dog piss. A prophet on every corner, screaming the world is coming to an end.”
I ignore him and keep my eyes on my phone, letting the little blue dot lead the way. I punched in the address ahead of time so we’d be early.
Because being early matters.
First on set controls the narrative. And I am very much getting out in front of whatever bullshit theatrics Pierce is planning.
Also, quietly checking any natural barriers I can put between Harrison and him.
Not that I’d lose sleep if something atrocious happened to the prick. But until the premiere, Pierce Maddox needs to stay alive.
“Are you ever going to tell me what I said?” I ask.
“What you said?” Harrison repeats, maneuvering around a woman walking five dogs.
“The text I sent you.”
“Oh. That.” He shrugs. “You said, if flannel is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”
I laugh out loud. “Seriously. What did I say?”
“I believe your exact words were, wood is my happy place.”
A woman passing us stares.
We rush past her and lose it.
“What?” Harrison says innocently. “It’s definitely my happy place.”
Mine, too.
And at least from behind my ultra-dark sunglasses, I’m blissfully unrecognizable. It’s nice.
We make a right. I follow the dot without hesitation.
Harrison, apparently, does not.
“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” he asks, for what has to be the eighteenth time.
“Yes,” I say with absolute certainty.
For the record, I’m not certain. Not even a little. But I have full confidence in the app, which feels like it knows where it’s going.
“Just two more blocks,” I say, chipper and full of hope.
He exhales beside me as we stop at a crosswalk.
“It’s Manhattan. Everything is two more blocks.” A beat. “Until it isn’t.”
I flick him a look. “Have faith.”
“In you?” he questions. “Or the phone?”
I lean in and give him a quick peck on the cheek.
“Both,” I say sweetly.
The crosswalk chirps, and we shuffle forward with the crowd.
That’s when I spot it. Stone and shadow rising above the block. An unmistakable steeple.
“There,” I say, grabbing Harrison’s hand. “I told you.”
He squints ahead. “I thought you said it was two more blocks.”
“It is,” I say breezily. “Just… spiritually.” I tug him forward. “Count the blessing for what it is.”
I stop short once we’re closer.
“Wow,” I murmur, taking it all in. “The location scouts absolutely nailed it. It’s the kind of place every girl dreams of getting married in.”
“You dream of getting married somewhere like this?” Harrison asks, genuinely surprised. “I thought you and Pierce were doing a destination wedding. Fiji. Helicopters. Cases of Dom. Five hundred guests.”
“Don’t believe everything you read.” I keep my eyes on the building, letting the awe settle in my chest.
And something about standing this close to a truly holy place loosens my grip on the lie.
“My engagement was a sham.”
I meet Harrison’s gaze, bracing for it. The look of judgment. Disappointment.
So much so, I have to look away.
“Myra and I were at an event when she said I had to meet Pierce,” I say, pushing on. “Hollywood royalty. Even a quick photo would help my career.” I swallow. “When the photographer raised his camera, Pierce kissed me.”
A flash of anger crosses Harrison’s face, sharp and immediate. “He what?”
“He held me there for fucking ever for the shot.” My jaw tightens. “One second longer and I would’ve kneed him in the balls. But then he let go. I left, and I thought I’d never have to see him again. End of story. But that wasn’t the end of it,” I say, almost sadly.
“I’m sure it wasn’t.” Harrison gestures toward the low stone ledge along the side of the church.
I sit. The moment I do, the weight I’ve been carrying finally loosens.
“My career was on the rise,” I say quietly. “So, he made the most of it.”
“He used you,” Harrison says flatly.
“It’s part of the career I chose.”
“The fucked-up part,” Harrison seethes.
“The next thing I knew, the media was having a field day, saying we were engaged.” I blow out a breath. “And Myra… confirmed it.”
Harrison’s brow furrows hard. “Why?”
“Because Hollywood loves romance. Loves weddings.” I gesture toward the church.
“The agreement was simple. They lied. I stayed quiet.” I pause, then add, “Along with a few other caveats. No outside love interests. Nothing that would publicly embarrass either of us.” I roll my eyes. “I kept my end of the deal.”
“While Pierce broke it all over TikTok,” Harrison says.
“It was supposed to be one movie,” I force out. “Then we’d go our separate ways. Clean. Easy.” I keep my eyes on the traffic sliding past. “I didn’t care what Pierce did, as long as I didn’t have to lie and he was discreet.”
Harrison snorts. “The guy who accidentally pinned a dick pic to his Pinterest board.”
“That’s ‘Pin Prick Pierce’ for you.” I air-quote, push past the mortifying reminder, and keep going. “But he couldn’t keep it in his pants for two more weeks. And when Myra decided my career was spiraling, she panicked.”
“Let me guess,” he huffs. “Another movie.”
“Myra agreed on my behalf.” I shake my head.
“But she knew I’d never do another fake engagement.
” I swallow past the shame lodged in my throat.
“It’s the role of a lifetime. The one I’ve been competing for since before I even knew Pierce Maddox existed.
” My voice drops. “And I didn’t have the guts to say no. ”
With a rough tug, he loosens his tie.
“Does your family know?”
I shake my head. “I signed an NDA. Nobody knows. Just Myra. Pierce. And now you,” I rasp.
“I see.” His lips tighten. “Then they would probably hate him as much as I do.”
“Probably.” I catch a flicker in his eyes, but I can’t read him at all.
His silence presses in, and I feel it in my chest.
I stand, brushing my hands down my thighs like I can wipe the feeling away.
“Come on,” I say, turning toward the doors. “We should go inside.”
I hate that he thinks less of me now.
That maybe I shouldn’t have told him.
Not that it matters.
In a few days, I’ll be back in LA.
And Harrison Evans will be the guy I try not to think about.
The man I bared my soul to.
The one-night stand I made the mistake of falling for.