Page 25 of Beyond the Bright Lights

She stands and starts pacing.

“Argh! I hate this. I hate feeling this way again.” She throws her arms up in defeat. “It’s been eighteen years. Eighteen. I can’t keep doing this to myself. I can’t keep mourning him. I can’t—”

She stops pacing and hides her face in her hands, sobbing.

I stand up to walk to her. “Can I hug you?”

Her tear-soaked face lifts, tilting way up since I'm that much taller than her.

“You’re asking?”

“I am.”

“To hug me?”

“That’s what I’m asking.”

She lets out a tear-laden laugh.

I open my arms wide. “Come on. I’m really good at giving hugs.”

She hesitates, totally suspicious of me.

“Just a hug, I promise.”

Her bottom lip shakes, her body shakes, her breath shakes as she collapses into my embrace.

We hug.

Just a hug.

Chapter 7 - Lana

The hug threw me off.

It was . . . nice.

Not only because I can’t remember the last time a man hugged me like this—and the drunken embraces from regulars at Lilies or the hugs from my family and friends don’t count—but also because I hadn’t expected Mylan to be so compassionate.

He's just some beautiful Hollywood actor. He’s only supposed to care about his fame, money, and good looks. But right now, as he eats his cake donut while scrolling through his phone, crumbs stuck in the hairs on his chin and around his mouth because he didn’t shave this morning, he almost appears normal.

He must have felt my eyes on him because he glances up, then down, then back up.

He sets his phone down and smiles. “Were you staring at me?”

I clear my throat and hand him a paper towel. For some reason, I fail to form words, so I point around my mouth. He takes the paper towel, and with eyes locked on mine, he carefully, methodically, torturously wipes the crumbs away.

“I always make a mess when the donuts are this good.”

I inhale a sharp breath as his earlier words repeat in my mind.

I guarantee you that I’d be better than a donut.

I stand up. “Okay, I think we’ve wasted enough time.”

After watching the viral video, Mylan suggested we take a break for more donuts and coffee. I was surprised he offered. I was grateful he offered. And between this offer and the ‘just a hug,’ I almost took away his strike.

Almost.

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