Page 89 of Falling Like Stars

April 25th Edition

SCANDAL SHEET EXCLUSIVE: “Mystery Woman” Identified and Spotted Kissing ZACHARY BUTLER During a Visit With Family!!!

Ladies, it’s over. Our resident megastar, Zachary Butler, has been spotted in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, sucking face with none other than the mysterious blonde production assistant who’s been at the center of recent rumors. The gal who’s stolen our boy’s heart is Rowan Walsh, and she’s been a crewmember on not one, but two(!) productions with Zach. This shocking development has taken social media by storm, to say the least.

Behold: These exclusive photos obtained by The Scandal Sheet show Zach and Ms. Walsh enjoying a cozy family outing in the posh Kirkwood neighborhood outside St. Louis with Zachary’s family. The pair appeared relaxed and at ease, sharing laughs and even—gasp!—a kiss.

What, pray tell, might Eva Dean be thinking about this development?? Like the rest of us, she’ll have to await official confirmation about the nature of Zach’s new relationship, but taking his new gal to meet the parents feels like a huge step to me.

The Scandal Sheet will continue to uncover the latest developments in this unfolding story. Stay tuned!

Chapter Twenty-Five

“ROWAN, COME SIT with me.”

It’s late morning on the second day of our visit. After an amazing home-cooked breakfast, Zach and Jeremy were sent to clean out the garage while I helped Paul and Dinah with the dishes. After, Paul took a walk with their neighbors and now Dinah wants to sit with me on the back porch.

She looks to be about sixty-five, with a kind face, graying brown hair, and the same hazel eyes as her sons.

“Isn’t it so lovely?” she says, gesturing at the green pastures and huge pond as I take a seat beside her on one of the cushioned wicker chairs. “When Zach put the housekeys in my hand, I cried. I grew up struggling, as did Paul. We fought to give everything to our boys, but I never dreamed any of this was possible.” She glances at me. “That’s a lot for Day Two, I know, but I feel like I can be honest with you, Rowan.”

I smile, a warm feeling in my chest. “That’s almost verbatim what Zach said to me when we first met.”

“Is it?” Dinah grins. “He’s like me, while Jeremy takes after Paul.”

I don’t know this woman, but I can see she has something on her mind. “Is there something else you wanted to talk about?”

She sighs. “Oh, I don’t know, Rowan. Zach has been so busy lately. One project to the next. We’re so proud of him. Beyond words, really. It’s quite surreal to see your son on the big screen, being someone else so convincingly. It makes me wonder…”

“About?”

“We hardly see him. So much less these past few years. Since…well.” She smooths her white capris, her mouth drawn down. “Never mind. Tell me about you. Are you from Los Angeles?”

“Yes. Tarzana.”

“I don’t know where that is. Los Angeles feels like such an alien world. I can hardly step foot over there without feeling out of place.” Dinah chuckles. “Zach asked me to the Oscars. Can you imagine?”

I smile. “Yeah, I can.”

Dinah’s smile fades and I know we’re both thinking of who he did take to the Oscars.

“It’s quite odd,” she says. “Jeremy has taken a job where he goes to faraway regions, doing God-knows-what, and yet I’m more concerned about Zach. I think it’s because their personalities were already so distinct from the beginning. I had to resign myself to Jeremy jumping off roofs and racing bikes, so that groove has been worn down. But Zachary takes all his risks in matters of the heart.”

“I think that’s beautiful, Mrs. Butler.”

She looks at me, touched. “I appreciate that more than I can say. And I agree, it’s beautiful how he gives himself to his roles and to the loves in his life. Zach’s always been a romantic. He loves simple things, small moments, which is rather odd given his outlandish career trajectory. It makes him a brilliant actor, but the fame and celebrity part of it…that’s harder, I think. I worry about him. There are many amazing things that go along with his job, this house notwithstanding. But I worry he’ll get caught up in all the wrong parts of it. Like she did. He has an inherent goodness in him that I don’t ever want to see damaged.”

“Me neither,” I say, thinking of what she did.

“I know Eva hurt him,” Dinah says, staring straight ahead, her tone cold. “Worse than Zach probably lets on. And that’s the worst feeling in the world. When your child—no matter if he’s a grown man—is hurting and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

I inwardly flinch, thinking of how I’d hurt him last night. I hadn’t meant to bite him—the orgasm was like a current running through me, shocking in its intensity. Under normal circumstances, the bite wouldn’t have mattered. It probably doesn’t matter; Zach is far from delicate and doesn’t need coddling, but I hate it anyway.

Eva’s a fan of the open-handed slap, he’d said.

I shiver though the air is warm.

“He assures me he’s doing well, but he’s an actor,” Dinah is saying. “He can be convincing when he needs to be. I think, more than anything, I just want to know he’s okay. And right now, you’re closest to him.” She turns to look at me directly. “I’m sorry to put undue pressure on you, but is he okay, Rowan?”

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