Page 64 of When I Had You

I can handle all her moods because the one thing I’m learning about Marina is that she’ll tell you when she’s happy or mad, frustrated, or even sad.

I’m not as open, though my emotions have been known to get the better of me. Always learning. Always trying to be better. Sometimes I’m too tempered for her, but I don’t mind being her yin to my yang.

What she doesn’t realize is if I let my mind go to a place of jealousy or anger on her behalf, that director that had her slathering on sunscreen for the camera the other day or the ex that keeps hanging around her trailer like a . . . well, like an ex-boyfriend trying to win his girl back, then I’d be leveling them both with my fist.

She can fight her battles. I’ve been at the receiving end of her sharp tongue. So it’s not that she needs me. She wants me like I want her.

Fuck.

Why the hell are my thoughts so wrapped up in her?

Focus, Warren.

My phone buzzes, so I pull it from my pocket and sit up. Duncan. I snap, “What?”

“Get your ass down the hill. You’re going to eat, then we’re heading into the gym. Neck to help against those G-forces and legs today.”

I hang up and start jogging down the hill. When I finally grab the bottle of water he’s holding for me, he says, “Your endurance has improved quite a bit. You can thank me later.”

I’ll save that task for Marina. I’m already thinking about all the ways we’re going to fu—

“Come on. Let’s eat,” Duncan says, waving me toward catering.

* * *

“I’m not sore anymore,” Marina drops casually into our call.

“That’s too bad. I liked you walking around with the memory of me.” I slide lower on the bed until my head hits the pillow. “But it was a good run.”

“Trust me, I still have the memories.” She giggles, and I find myself holding the phone closer to my ear so I don’t miss any sounds. Then she says, “We need to make new memories soon. When will I see you again?”

Although I know I head home after the race on Sunday night, I have Cullen the following four nights and then Brazil after that. Fuck. I palm my brow and drag my fingers into my hair. “Other than video?”

“A new territory for us to explore soon, but I want to see you in the flesh,” she says, her voice trilling into suggestion.

“What’s your schedule?” I put her on speaker and flip over to my calendar.

“I return to New York on Thursday for a three-day press blitz and the premiere.”

“We can’t see each other then?” I can ask my mom to hang out with Cullen, get a room somewhere, and meet her, even if I can steal an hour of her time.

“I worry about being at the center of a press junket and how I’ll sneak around with the media stalking me and my ex, like we’re still a couple. That news hasn’t broke yet.”

I flex the fingers of my left hand several times. “It’s not obvious? He’s been partying, and you’ve been seen with me.” She sighs into the phone. It’s a topic she hates discussing, but we need to address it. “Smoke equals fire, babe.”

“I can’t answer that. All I know is his team has kept it hush-hush. I have no idea why when they could have used this for their benefit.”

“Why do you have to worry about them? I don’t worry about the guy three cars back. I worry about what’s ahead.”

Soft laughter reaches my ears. “Hollywood is complicated, I guess.”

“Did you hear back about your audition?”

“No.” She hums. “These things take time. My agent will reach out to them next week if we don’t hear anything before then.”

Marina has me thinking differently about things I never really gave a chance to for whatever reason. “I was thinking we could go to a show sometime, one you’ve never seen or even one you love. I’ve never been.”

“You’ve never been to a Broadway show? How’s that possible when you grew up so close to Manhattan?”

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