Page 92 of Stone Promises

I shake my head as it dawns on me. “What’s going on is I think all the crazy is finally out of my life.”

Julian pats me on the back. “Well thank God for small favors. Or huge ones.” He laughs.

I look across the room at my gorgeous fiancée. “Yes,” I say, agreeing whole-heartedly. “Thank God for those.”

~ ~ ~

Mallory pulls the covers up to her chin as I spoon her from behind. “I don’t want to leave you,” she says, sadly.

“Then don’t,” I tell her.

I know her job is important to her and I’d never ask her to quit for me. On the other hand, it will keep us apart more than it’ll keep us together. The reality of it is sinking in now that she has to go home and prepare for the new school year.

She cranes her neck around, rolling her eyes at me. “You know I have to, Chad. School starts in a week and I have to get ready.”

I pull her tightly against me. “I know. I just want you with me all the time.”

“I want that, too. I wish there were a way to have youandmy job,” she says.

“You can have both,” I tell her. “Youdohave both. We’ll make it work. After the next few weeks of voice-overs and L.A. reshoots, I’ll have a long break untilDark Tunnelsfilmingstarts.” I rise up on an elbow and rub my hand down her arm. “I just have one request, babe.”

“Anything.” She smiles over her shoulder at me.

“If by some miracle, I ever get nominated for anything, I’m going to need you there with me. I know the awards shows all fall during the school year. But I’m not sure I could handle—”

“Chad,” she interrupts. “That goes without saying. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.” She turns around to face me. “And it won’t be by some miracle that you get nominated. It will be because of your talent. You’re a genius in front of the camera, Chad Stone. I don’t make many promises. But I promise you this: if you continue to perform like you did for this film, we’ll have to get a pretty big display case for our new pad because you’ll be filling it with all kinds of awards.”

“It’s you,” I tell her. “You bring out the best in me, Mal.”

She smiles. “We bring out the best in each other.”

I kiss the tip of her nose. “I’m glad you think so. But you were perfectbeforeme.”

“There wasn’t a before you, Chad,” she says, her eyes glistening in the morning light. “I don’t even have any memories of a time you weren’t either in my life or in my heart. The day you walked up to my bus stop was the day I began living.”

She snuggles into the crook of my neck. “It’ll be strange, you know, not living in my dad’s house. There are a lot of memories there.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind if you visit a lot,” I say. “Maybe we could make it a thing. You know, Sunday dinner in the old ‘hood. I’d like to get you back on the court from time to time. I’m not sure we can find a place in the city where we can have one.”

“Do you want to live in the city?” she asks.

“I want to live wherever you do, Mal.”

“Really? Because I want to live there so badly,” she says, her voice perking up. “All my friends live there. I’ve always been so jealous over how they can just walk out their front doors and go shopping. Or get coffee. Or walk home from clubbing.”

“Then it’s settled,” I tell her. “We’ll live in the city.”

After looking downright giddy for a few seconds, her smile turns into a frown. “Are you sure that’s wise? I mean, you’ll get bothered all the time. You won’t be able to walk down the street, Chad.”

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to do that no matter where we live.”

“We’ll have to live in a place with good security,” she says. “That can be expensive.”

I stare at her with raised brows.

She rolls her eyes. “Right. Sorry,” she says. “Sometimes I forget you have more money than God.”

I laugh. “Wedo, babe.Wehave more money than God,” I joke. Then I trace the outline of her face with my finger. “Everything I have is yours.”

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