Page 91 of Falling Like Stars

“How long have you been with Zach?”

“Is it serious? Is it true you’re staying with his family?”

I want to tell them to fuck off, but that might be bad PR for Zach. I jump on the bike and pedal back to the house as fast as I can. Are they going to follow me? To Zach’s parents’ private house? I’m pissed that the tranquil little Main Street is spoiled a bit, and maybe now Dinah and Paul’s home too. But the roads behind me stay empty.

Back at the house, I put the bike in the garage and lay my backpack on the kitchen counter. I find Zach in the den that looks like a small library with wall-to-wall built-in bookshelves. He’s sitting by the window, his laptop open, wearing an expression of concentration.

“Whatcha doing?” I ask, not wanting to ruin his afternoon just yet with news that the bloodhounds have found us.

“Reading the script my team sent me for an upcoming project.” He looks up at me, troubled. “I got a message from my publicist. There’s a new Scandal Sheet.”

“Ugh. There’s paparazzi downtown, too,” I say, moving around Zach’s shoulder to read the tabloid on his laptop. It’s a short blurb and pictures of us kissing outside the ice cream shop. “How the hell did they get this up so fast? We were there like five minutes ago.”

“That’s tabloid gossip, for you,” Zach says. “But check out the comments.”

“Do I have to?”

Zach scrolls down to the dreaded comment section, and I brace myself for a boatload of vitriol against me. I get just the opposite.

JellybeanIrene

Tell me the last time we saw Zach look this happy? Years. Literal years.

here4it

She’s actually really pretty.

icovetzach

Look at his face! I feel like it’s been forever since he’s smiled like that.

56smileyface

Please God or Someone put Zach Butler in a romcom. I need more of this energy.

I let out a breath. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Zach pulls me sideways onto his lap. “I’m not surprised,” he says with a grin. “You’re actually really pretty.”

I roll my eyes and ring my arms around his neck. A smartass remark is on my lips, but it’s good just being here.

He cups my cheek with one hand. “I can’t remember the last time I was this happy.”

My eyes sting and I nod. “Me neither.”

Zach’s hazel gaze is intent on mine, speaking volumes, even before he kisses me. I linger in the moment, in this happiness. The voices that say this isn’t for you still whisper, and I know they’ll come roaring back eventually; I’m not absolved and won’t ever be. But I can do my best for Zach. Maybe that will mean something.

“Can you take a break from the script?” I ask.

“Sure. What do you have planned?” Zach’s hand slides up my thigh, over the denim of my black jeans. “Does it involve you, naked, on the nearest available flat surface?”

“Yes, but that’s tonight. Give me a few.”

I bound off his lap and go to the kitchen. Ten minutes later, I’ve got a picnic basket tucked under my arm, Zach’s got a heavy blanket, and I’m leading him by the hand outside to the small dock.

“Canoe picnic,” I say. “Given our recent exploits at a certain producer’s pool, this might be a bad idea, but…” I glance up at Zach. “You like?”

He smiles down at me. “I love.”

---