Page 39 of (Not So) Famous in Paradise

I roll my eyes. Which must activate whatever magnetic force makes my hands go to her waist again. Heat surges through my fingertips, searing them to the soft curve of her hips until I’ve walked her off camera.

“Cut!” Ike yells.

Nick lowers his camera, and then the entire crew claps.

My hands are still at Georgia’s waist, and neither of us moves.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Ike says—no, yells—as he closes the ten feet between us. “That kind of banter is exactly what will make this show a hit. You two are a dream team.”

Georgia beams, and I can’t help but feel as happy as she does. I don’t need to rewatch the video to know we just filmed a great scene. We were totally in sync. Funny. Engaging. Interesting. All the things that people will want to see onAt Home with Georgia Rose.

For the rest of the day, Georgia and I both float on the adrenaline left over from the shoot. That energy only increases when Adam and Evie show up on set. Demo is Adam’s department, but Ike wants shots of us working together, so I take a few sledgehammer swings at the closets that are coming out.

Then I take a few more because it feels so good to being doing something with my brother again. With his engagement to Evie, the tension that’s been between us for nearly a year has disappeared. One more reason to spend the day with my feet barely touching the ground.

It’s not until I watch the Stella-edited videos on theGeorgia Roseaccounts that I come back to earth. And that return is like a sky jumper’s whose parachute doesn’t open: a hard crash.

The one thing Georgia and I didn’t get right was the thing we meant to do: make Carly see we’re just friends.

Chapter 14

Zach

Carly doesn’t answer my calls or texts again Friday night or Saturday morning. All the confidence I had about our relationship working disappears faster than bean dip during a Super Bowl party.

Finally around noon, she sends me a message.

Carly: I really thought you meant it when you said you loved me. But you can’t even make time to come see me. I have to watch another video of you and Georgia acting like you’re together. She’s the only person you really care about.

My chest plummets as I read. I even have Siri read it to me, hoping I’ve misread. But nope. Even in Siri’s robot voice I hear the hurt in Carly’s. And I’m the cause of it.

I have to go to her. I can’t apologize over text. The only way to prove how much I care and how sorry I am for hurting her is by telling her in person.

Luckily, Ike doesn’t have any shots planned with me in them today. Everyone else—including Adam and Evie—has to work, despite it being Saturday, because we’re already behind on our shooting schedule. There’s demo to be done, which means it’s Adam’s turn to be ogled. Thank goodness. I’m in no mood to be funny, engaging, or interesting.

I’m packing an overnight bag, considering if today is the day to propose—it feels like it could be—when I get a text from Georgia. No words, just a picture of Adam in a flannel with the sleeves cut off, the seams frayed to sexy perfection. He could be on the cover of one of those romance novels he thinks no one knows he reads.

It’s February and freezing, but even if it weren’t, Adam only likes his flannels with sleeves. He definitely wasn’t in charge of his wardrobe today.

Three dots appear under the picture, then words pop up.

Georgia: Adam’s biceps are getting lots of close-ups today.

I smile and quickly message back.

Me: They like the spotlight even more than you do.

The next picture is just of Adam’s arm captioned withI’m ready for my close-up.I laugh, even though I’m torn apart by what I’ve done to Carly.

Then another pic appears of him scowling hard enough to punch someone, and I have to laugh again.

Georgia: Do you think he knows his grumpy face only makes him sexier? To other women. Obvs. I think he’s ugly.

Me: Same. Can barely look at him.

We go back and forth a little longer before she asks if everything is okay. I’m not sure how she can tell over text that it isn’t, but she can, so there’s no way I can lie to her. She’d see right through it.

Me: I hurt Carly. I’ve got to go to Florence.

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