Chapter 26
LUKE
Tom burst through the door, his expression grim but controlled. “A tornado’s been sighted a couple of miles from here. We need to get you both to an interior bathroom. Now.”
I glanced at Anna, catching the flicker of fear in her eyes.
She’d just opened up to me about her mom and shared pieces of herself I knew weren’t easy to remember.
And now this storm was bearing down on us, like the universe had decided she hadn’t been through enough.
My chest tightened, not from fear for myself but from the overwhelming need to keep her safe.
Without thinking, I squeezed her hand tighter. Her fingers were cold, and the slight tremble in her grip tugged at something deep in me. “We’ll be fine.” I kept my voice steady and calm. “We’ll be fine.” I’ll make sure of it. You have to believe that, Anna.
All I wanted at that moment was to shield her from everything, to wrap her in something so solid even the storm couldn’t touch her.
“Come on,” I said, guiding her as we followed Tom. Her hand was still in mine, and I wasn’t letting go. Not until I was sure she was safe. “Tom and Hal are pros. They’ve planned for every possible scenario.”
The wind howled outside, shaking the windows. I glanced back at her as we moved, and something about the trust in her eyes, even through the fear, nearly leveled me. She didn’t let go of my hand, and that simple act filled me with a determination I couldn’t quite put into words.
Whatever happens, I’m not letting anything hurt her. Not tonight. Not ever.
Tom led us to a sleek, high-tech guest bathroom on the first floor.
“You’ll be safe here.” He gestured toward the spacious, marble-clad room, then pointed to the sculpted bathtub at its center.
“If you hear loud winds or crashing sounds, get into the tub. It’s anchored and will give you extra protection. ”
“And you and Hal?” Anna asked.
Tom nodded reassuringly. “We’ll be nearby, in safe positions, to monitor the property. Just stay here, and we’ll let you know when it’s clear.”
I tightened my grip on Anna’s hand as Tom left, the door clicking shut behind him.
Anna’s eyes darted around the space, her shoulders visibly relaxing just a fraction. “Of all the places to ride out a tornado, this has to be the fanciest bathroom I’ve ever seen.”
I scanned the bathroom, taking in the marble countertops, the gilded mirror, and the chandelier overhead.
It was the kind of place that felt more suited to a palace than a house.
“Yeah.” I glanced up at the absurdly opulent light fixture before my eyes landed on something even more baffling—a plush ottoman tucked in the corner.
“Why would you even need an ottoman in a bathroom? Are people just… lounging in here?”
She let out a laugh, the kind of laugh that snuck under your skin and made you feel like maybe things weren’t so bad.
I stood and walked to a panel on the wall, my fingers hovering over a button. “What do you think this does?”
The room transformed instantly as I pressed the button. Soft LED lights embedded in the ceiling and floor tiles flickered to life, shifting through calming blues, vibrant purples, and warm golds.
I grinned. “It’s like we’re in a chic nightclub. Only it’s a bathroom. Club Porcelain.”
Anna giggled and then motioned toward an electronic panel on the opposite wall. “Let’s see what else this place can do.”
She tapped an icon that looked like musical notes surrounded by swirls.
Instantly, the soothing sounds of a babbling brook and chirping birds filled the room, creating a spa-like ambiance.
But then, a calm, authoritative voice boomed from hidden speakers: “Begin your journey to tranquility. Close your eyes and envision yourself as an oak tree.”
Startled, I fumbled with the controls, but instead of silencing the voice, I cranked the volume all the way up. The voice exploded through the room, almost comical in its intensity. YOUR ROOTS DIG DEEP INTO THE EARTH, GROUNDING YOU.
Anna was shouting over the noise, her laughter bubbling up. “I think you’ve found the meditation program.”
EMbrACE THE SOOTHING HUM OF THE UNIVERSE.
“How do you turn this off?” I yelled back, frantically pressing random buttons.
IMAGINE YOUR THOUGHTS DRIFTING AWAY LIKE AUTUMN LEAVES.
“Let me try this,” she suggested, hitting a large button labeled “Stop.” The voice cut off mid-sentence, leaving the room blissfully silent—except for our uncontrollable laughter.
“We might’ve been stuck in here until we both achieved nirvana,” I joked, easing myself to the cool tile floor. She did the same.
We settled into a comfortable conversation, sharing thoughts on books we’d read recently, the ultimate comfort food, and our shared opinion that pineapple had no place on pizza.
It was one of those great, easy conversations where you don’t worry about how you sound to the other person. I hadn’t felt so comfortable in a long time. Anna was curled up on the ottoman beside me, legs tucked under her, a blanket draped over her lap. She looked so at ease.
I stared at the bathroom mirror. “You ever feel like people only want to know the polished version of your story?” I asked, not expecting an answer. “The PR-friendly one. With the clean lines and the perfect ending.”
She glanced over, brow raised slightly. “Yeah. All the time.”
I gave a humorless laugh. “Guess I shouldn’t complain. I’ve been living inside the polished version for years.”
She didn’t say anything, just watched me. Not pressing. Just there.
I shifted, firelight throwing shadows across my face. "No one knows the full story about me and Sienna." I kept my eyes on the flames. "Not the real story."
She turned toward me, and I caught that smile. "What happened?" The way she pulled her knees up, settling in—it was like she was bracing for impact. That kind of attention could make a man say anything.
I ran a hand through my hair and laughed, but it came out wrong. "You know about Sienna. Her and Dylan Sanders. But nobody knows how it actually went down."
Anna's brow furrowed, but she didn't say anything. Just waited.
"We were supposed to go to Paris. First real break we'd had in months.
" I shook my head. "I planned this whole week.
Rented an apartment in Le Marais with a balcony.
Made reservations at all these restaurants she'd mentioned.
Even learned some French because she always gave me grief about my accent. "
Anna put her hand on my knee.
"I thought we needed the time away. Just the two of us. Turns out there were already three of us in the relationship."
Anna looked like she wanted to say something, but she held back.
"The day before we were supposed to leave, we had a talk show. Me, Sienna, Dylan—promoting the movie we were all in together. I got there early because I'm always early." My jaw tightened. "Walked into the wrong green room. Heard her voice and just... opened the door."
The memory hit me like it always did. "She was with him.
And yeah, that part was bad enough. But it was what she was saying.
The same things she'd said to me. 'You make me feel like I'm finally myself.
' 'I've never felt this way with anyone.
' Word for word. Like she had a script, and we were both just playing the same part in different takes. "
Anna's hand found mine.
"I left before they saw me. Closed the door real quiet." I could still feel the doorknob, how my hands shook. "Then I had to go sit on that couch an hour later. Next to both of them. Smiling for the cameras like everything was fine. Because that's what you do, right? The show must go on."
I finally looked at her. Something about the way she was watching me made it easier to keep going.
"Then Dylan announces it. Right there, live. Takes her hand and tells everyone they're together.” I let out a short, humorless laugh. “The host freezes. The crew doesn’t know whether to cut or keep rolling. Half the audience gasps, half of them clap. And I’m just sitting there, trying not to look like I’m falling apart on national television—thinking about the plane tickets burning a hole in my wallet. ”
Anna’s hand found mine and squeezed.
“So I hit him,” I said simply. “Right there on set. Not my best moment, but I’m not sorry either. I’ve dealt with bad scripts, impossible directors, PR disasters. But that day?” I shook my head. “That day, something just broke.”
Anna let out a breath. "After what you saw, I don't know how you even made it onto that stage. That took courage."
"Courage?" I laughed, sharply. "More like shock. And maybe I didn't want to give them the satisfaction." I turned back to the fire. "But I lost it anyway. Just did it on camera in front of millions of people."
Something about the way she listened to me without judging made my chest tighten. It was as if she saw me—the parts of me I worked so hard to keep hidden. Not the Hollywood version, not the polished, carefully managed persona. Just me.
I continued, “I don’t miss her. I miss the idea of her—the comfort of having someone to take to premieres and talk about on talk shows.
But deep down, I always knew we weren’t right for each other.
She wanted Luke Fisher, the movie star. Not me.
But I stayed with her because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do, play the role, keep up appearances. ”
I cleared my throat, glancing away. “Anyway, that’s why I’m here.
Not just to dodge the tabloids or the fallout.
I needed some space. To figure out who I am when the cameras aren’t rolling.
” I winced inwardly at my deflection, feeling the words ring hollow.
Anna didn’t need this canned explanation.
She deserved more, but giving more meant unraveling parts of myself I wasn’t ready to face.