Page 147 of Reel Love

I lean in toward her again and tell her, “I want this life—or any life—with you. And I don’t want a future without you, so I’m here to step into the whirlwind. We’ll face the public criticism, the paparazzi, and your parents, together from now on.”

Alana puts her hand on my knee and smiles up at me.

“Oh! I love you two already,” Sharla says. Then she turns toward the cameras. “I got a call asking me if I would host Rex and Alana. And you know I snatched that opportunity up like a housewife grabbing the last remaining toaster at a Black Friday sale. But then, this morning, I got another call from Alana’s publicist. And she told me Stevens wanted to be here to set the record straight with America. I know you’ve all been dying to hear the story behind the viral social media post. So, of course, I invited Stevens here.”

Sharla turns to Rex, “So, I take it you and Alana are definitely not dating.”

Rex smiles and chuckles softly. “No. We are not. Alana’s a good friend. She’s an amazing and talented actress, someone I deeply respect. Working together fosters the kinds of relationships that can lead to romance. For us, though, we’ve realized we make better friends than anything else. We were not dating when sheand Stevens got involved with one another.” Rex turns toward the cameras. “And, to the guy who wrote the piece for the Hollywood Star Journal, she’s also not carrying anyone’s alien baby.”

Sharla laughs. “Tabloids, am I right?”

Then she asks Rex, “So, you give Alana and Stevens your official stamp of approval?”

“Not that they need it, but I definitely approve of how he makes her smile. They’re obviously good for one another.”

Sharla turns to me and Alana. “Well, that clears up a whole lot of speculation.”

Alana relaxes into me.

Sharla asks me, “Stevens, tell us how you came to know Alana.”

“We met through mutual friends. Though it feels like I’ve known her forever.”

“Awww.” Sharla smiles at me and then Alana.

“Any details you want to add to that, Alana?”

Alana looks up at me. I smile down at her. We’re here, together. And nothing has imploded or exploded yet. Maybe it will. And when it does, I’m going to scoop her up and block her from as much shrapnel as I can. And then we’ll dust off and move on.

I have no idea what Alana will tell Sharla. Will she admit we met building sandcastles on a private beach when we were kids? Or will she share that we were friendly competitors onPlay on Words? I doubt she’ll disclose that I happened to fill in as her water taxi driver. Maybe she’ll go with the least invasive disclosure, that we bumped into one another at a friend’s barbecue.

Alana surprises me by turning toward the camera and saying, “Actually, Stevens and I just discovered that we’ve known one another since childhood. But, as he said, we recently connected through mutual friends, among other things.”

Sharla lets out a little squeal. “So, you’re telling me you two just reconnected after knowing each other as children?”

“That’s right,” I say.

“That’s so romantic.” Sharla says, beaming at us and then the cameras.

When Sharla turns back to us, she asks, “What’s the thing about Alana that drew you to her—besides the obvious fact that she’s Alana Graves? I mean, how does a marine biologist end up dating a movie star?”

I laugh. “I really don’t know the answer to how this happened. Some things in life are just mysteries.” I wink at Alana and she smiles up at me. “But I wasn’t really attracted to her because of her stardom. If anything, that mostly intimidated me whenever I thought too deeply about it. I’m drawn to her despite her life as an actress. She’s got a kind heart, a bright mind, and those captivating eyes.” I look over at Alana and smile. “And her laugh.” I tell Alana, “I love her laugh.”

She’s beaming at me now, obviously adjusting to my insistence that I’m not backing away at the first sign of trouble.

“And Alana, I’m taking it by the way you’re leaning into Stevens that you have feelings for him too?”

“I do. He’s an amazing man. He’s smart, thoughtful, funny, and he’s got this quiet confidence that always makes me feel safe. He’s really good at flirting too.”

I glance from Alana to Sharla. “I’m really not. She’s seen my awkward side on more than one occasion.” I look back at Alana. “I think you just bring that out in me.”

Alana smiles at me and then she tells Sharla, “Stevens is actually …” Alana turns her head so she’s looking straight into my eyes. “... my boyfriend.”

“Your boyfriend!” Sharla exclaims, putting both hands to her cheeks. Then she turns toward the camera. “You heard it first here, America. Alana Graves has a boyfriend. Stevens Reed, a marine biologist. And for those of you who need glasses, I’ll confirm, he’s gorgeous, and you can already tell he’s got personality to spare.”

I feel the blush rise up my neck.

Sharla looks at me with a smile. “What America really wantsto know is if you were a fan of Alana’s movies before you started seeing her romantically.”

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