Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“People are treating me differently. I don’t like it.”
Jayme nudged Eva in the arm and stared off at the ocean. “What’d you expect to happen when you came out?”
“They’re being super nice to me. And the guys who didn’t give me the time of day before have been asking me out.” Eva slouched back into her chair on the dock, waiting for the cast to wrap up with hair and makeup before they began shooting.
“Well, it may have more to do with your change of clothes and makeup. You look a little more alive, don’t you think?”
Luke saw me for me without all of that. She allowed the thought to slip to the front of her mind before scolding herself for it.
Almost a month had gone by since she’d seen him.
It had been four weeks of sulking while simultaneously being excited about her future film with her dad. Harrison’s studio would be supporting the project, and they had an expected release date for 2020.
She’d spent three years hiding only to end up right back where she’d started, but maybe she’d needed that time away to figure out who she was and who she wanted to be.
“Are you ever going to tell me what happened when we were on break that led to”—she waved her hand in the air—“the new you?” She smirked. “I mean, the old you?”
“Don’t you need to be with the crew getting dressed?” Eva arched a brow, hoping her friend would back off.
“I’m not filming today, and you know that, brat. By the way, I know all of your secrets. What is it that you’re keeping from me?” Her arms crossed, as if she could intimidate her.
Yeah, well, she’d been surrounded by Navy SEALs and men who wanted to kill her, so an actress wouldn’t be knocking her off her game anytime soon.
“Nothing happened.” She blew a loose strand of hair off her face and lifted her sunglasses for a brief moment to catch Jayme’s eyes. It was cool outside, but still sunny.
They had started filming at Virginia Beach last week, trying to keep the show as authentic as possible. The U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command was located at Dam Neck, one mile from where Eva sat. Being so close to real SEALs was a harsh reminder of the SEAL she missed.
“Of course something happened.” Her fingernails tapped at her pink lips. “At least tell me when you’re bringing me to California so I can see Harrison.”
“Harrison doesn’t date actresses. Even wonderful ones like you.”
“Dumb rule.”
“Keeps him honest,” she said and grinned. “Now—”
“Holy shit. Who is that guy talking to the guard?” Jayme’s mouth fell open as she shielded her eyes like a visor. “Did we hire a new guy for the show? He sure as hell looks the part. He has the look of a SEAL.” A flash of excitement buzzed in her eyes. A new conquest.
Eva looked over her shoulder, and her heart stuttered in her chest.
Luke.
My Luke.
What the hell?
A tremor of fear shot down her spine. If he was there, did that mean she was in danger again? Why else would he be on set? She hadn’t seen him since she’d slammed the bathroom door in his face in Monaco—a regret that filled her every day because she hated how things had ended.
Maybe she had a second chance to say goodbye now?
Goodbye: such a painstakingly horrible word.
He was wearing shades, but she could still feel his gaze burning straight toward her as his lips stopped moving.
God, he looked so sexy in his jeans and dark brown leather jacket.
“He’s mine. I have dibs,” Jayme announced as Luke headed toward them.
Eva turned back toward her friend and slipped off her sunglasses. Her heart was a slow drum beat now. It was amazing how everything seemed to slow in a moment like this—a moment when your world spins and you can’t tell which way is up.
“He says he knows you,” the guard said from behind.
“Oh yeah, he knows me,” Jayme said with a hint of sexy curled around every one of her words. She played with her blonde tendrils and sunk her teeth into her lip.
“Eva,” the guard responded, and Jayme’s eyes flicked to her, widening in astonishment.
I can do this. She tightened her hand around her glasses at her side as she stood and turned. “Yeah, I know him.” She tried to hide the breathy tone of surprise in her voice.
“Next time, Eva, let me know if we’ll be getting a visitor.” The guard eyed Luke and then shook his head and walked away.
“I’m Jayme.”
Luke kept his focus on Eva despite Jayme’s extended hand.
“Is something wrong?” Eva cut straight to the point, her heart rate now increasing with Luke only two feet away.
His gaze moved to Jayme, and he said, “Can we have a minute?”
“Oh, sure. You know where to find me if you need me.”
Luke removed his sunglasses and held them at his side, and she crossed her arms as if she could shield herself from the heat of his stare. “What are you doing here? How’d you know I was in Virginia?”
“We need to talk.” The pinch of his brows and the set of his jaw had her taking a step back.
“Am I in danger?”
His mouth tightened and he shook his head.
“Is someone I know in trouble?”
“No.”
“Then I can’t think of anything we have to talk about.” She wanted to look away. Hell, she wanted to run away. But she couldn’t seem to get herself to move. She’d been fantasizing about this moment as if her life were a movie.
But, as he loved to point out to her, this was real life, and in real life, not everyone got their happily ever after.
“We need to talk.”
Her shoulders slumped forward. “Fine, but not here.” She couldn’t stop herself from giving in. “We’re about to start shooting. My rental? Seven?”
He gave a stiff nod. “That works.”
“I assume you know where I’m staying since you found me here?”
The gentle curve of his lips into a smile had her stomach dropping.
“Okay, then. You, uh, should go.”
He stayed before her, quietly holding her eyes, creating a strong ache in her chest—a tight grip around her heart.
“Goodbye,” she said, hating her use of the word, but still too confused to know what to do.
“See you soon.” He finally turned, stealing one last glimpse at her before exiting, and it took all her strength not to buckle to her knees.
“Holy mother of all things—”
“Jayme.” Eva pivoted at the sound of her voice and clutched her friend’s arms for balance. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“I was hanging around. I couldn’t miss an epic kiss.” She huffed. “Uh, why wasn’t there an epic kiss?”
Her eyelids tightened at the memory of Luke’s mouth on hers. “Because there never can be. We can’t be together.”
“But you want to be, don’t you?”
“I-I don’t know.”