Chapter 14
THE DREAM
“Jules, don’t go…” Chris pleaded. He sounded tired, not physically, but from the endless tug-of-war between them. Why were they always like this? They were like a storm. All passion or all fury. There was never an in-between.
“We are never gonna work,” she said. “You’re the hottest guy in Hollywood, and I’m just… me.” She shrugged with a bitter laugh. Whatever this was—this chaotic, magnetic thing they had going—it was incredible. Hot. Delicious. But also messy. Too messy. The second it felt too real, she hated it.
His life was far from what she envisioned for herself.
And it wasn’t like either of them had promised anything more.
From the beginning, it was always clear that they were “hanging out” while working on this project.
Once it wrapped, so would they. No strings or expectations.
Relationships didn’t fit into their lives right now.
Especially one with such high-maintenance intensity.
Chris stepped closer, gently taking her hands in his. In his head echoed ‘How could she feel this way?’ because from the moment he met her, he was the one constantly thinking he wasn’t enough for her. His ocean blue eyes locked onto hers.
“There is absolutely nothing about you that resonates with the word just,” he said steadily. “In fact, the only word I think of when it comes to you is… everything.”
Then his lips were on her neck, sucking on her skin like he couldn’t help himself. His hand moved across her body with a kind of urgency that left her dizzy. How did they always get here? How could they go from fighting to devouring each other in seconds? Not this time.
She couldn’t let it happen when she knew how it would end.
“I can’t do this!” She cried out, pulling away.
“Come on, Blaze…” Chris whispered, his eyes boring into hers. “Paparazzi can be a pain, I know. Just… don’t let it ruin our fun, okay?” His tone was soft, almost pleading, but she shook her head.
“It’s not fun anymore. Whatever we’re doing. It’s not…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish it. She hated how close she was to saying too much, to let him see how deep her feelings ran.
Chris’ jaw tightened. They were at a standstill. Neither willing to admit what was so painfully obvious.
The paparazzi incident had tipped things over, but it was never really about the photos, or about the danger of losing her job. It was all an excuse to run, because missing him now, in the beginning, might hurt less than staying and falling harder, when they inevitably crashed and burned.
She stepped out of his reach and turned toward the door.
“What do you need? An official girlfriend title? Fine. Let’s do this. Let’s do the boyfriend-girlfriend thing. Hell, let’s issue a statement to the press. Whatever you want.”
She froze, her hand on the doorknob, torn between leaving and—what? Staying? Letting herself believe they could be something more?
“You’re not the boyfriend kind,” she whispered, but it was enough for him to catch it. “You said it yourself when we met,” her voice grew steadier. “And me? I’m definitely not ready to be in a relationship. So let’s stop trying to make this into something it’s not.”
They didn’t say anything. Then, slowly, he stepped closer, his hands moved back to her waist, and he turned her around.
“Stop…” He whispered.
Her heart was pounding against her ribs. “I’m not…”
“Okay. Okay,” he interrupted. “I will stop with the madness. With the pretending. With the games.” He then took a step back, letting her go. Her stomach twisted. Was he giving up? Was he about to let her walk out the door?
“Jules,” he said before taking a deep breath like he was about to jump off a cliff. “Being with you has been the closest I’ve ever gotten to who I truly am. I don’t care about the words boyfriend, fiancé, husband. I don’t. At the end of the day, I’m simply… yours.”
Silence.
She could see it in his eyes. There was no mask, no charm.
Just him. His arms twitched as if he wanted to reach for her, but he stayed put, waiting.
The ball was in her court. Letting her metal-grade walls come down wasn’t wise, she knew that.
But as messy and complicated as this all was, he was the only person she wanted to be around.
The only person who made her feel safe enough to be her truest, most unfiltered self.
“Chris…” Her voice cracked, barely there. He panicked for a split second. He had laid his heart bare, and she had the power to crush him completely. Not a feeling he was used to. He definitely didn’t like it.
Jules stepped forward and crashed into him, her lips finding his in a kiss so intense that it felt like she was never letting go.
And she didn’t.
Because from that day on, they were inseparable.