Page 89 of When Stars Fall

“You don’t believe I haven’t been drinking. Fine. I have a promotional tour forSixty Seconds to Live—it’s not long. Then I should start work on the Kirkton project if we have a new lead. Step in for her. Give me a chance to prove I’m not the man you think I am.”

“You couldn’t stop drinking for a week. Why would I tie myself to you for months?”

“We’re already tied for years. Her name is Haven.”

She lifts her hair and lets it fall and then gathers it up again, placing it over one shoulder. With her arms crossed, she bites her lip. “Why this project?”

“Why not a movie project? We’ll both have a few weeks to cool off. Then we have a few months to work together. During our free time, we can figure out this family thing.”

“This ‘family thing’?”

I don’t like her mocking tone, but I’m also not letting this opportunity go. I’m close to winning her over. She doesn’t completely hate the idea, though I’m surprised. “You, me, and Haven.”

“I’m off the table. There will be no relationship between you and me. We’re not anything. Co-parents. We’re not a family.”

Her words slice through me. I came here for her, but with Haven in the picture, a life I never knew I could have stretches out in front of me. But it doesn’t include supervised visits or never being with Ellie again. After last night, I want it all.

“We could be a family. I know you’ve felt it too. It’s possible.”

“You’re lying to me. Not a doubt in my mind.” She points her finger at my chest. A deep shuddering breath only partially conceals the sob rising into her throat, leaking into her voice. “And it breaks my heart that I let myself believe you were better than this last night.”

The sob escapes her now, and I draw her into my arms. She comes willingly, and my shirt absorbs her tears while my heart breaks with hers. One stupid fucking mistake, and it’s all crashing down around me.

“I’ll prove you wrong,” I murmur into her hair. “Do the movie. I’ll prove you wrong.”

“We’ll never be anything again.” Ellie pushes away from me, sniffing and wiping her tears.

There’s so much conviction in her voice that anger rises in me. One mistake, one I didn’t realize had this much weight, shouldn’t have the power to undo the progress we’ve made this week.

“Tell me last night meant nothing,” I say.

Ellie steps toward me, fury vibrating off her. “It meanteverythingto me.” Her voice fills with agony. “And then I found twenty minibar bottles in your garbage.” She points her finger at me again. “Tell me the truth. Did you drink them?”

“No,” I fire back. “I’m not drinking.”

Her shoulders drop, and the fight goes out of her. “I’ll do the movie. But I’m doing it for your relationship with Haven. That lie—the one you just told me—it cost you us. I can’t trust you.”

If I told her the truth now, the consequences are laid out before me. Supervised visits, court battles, more lost time. She’s giving me the movie. Months of time. I can win her over. Show her that whether or not I was drinking here, she can trust me. I’m not returning to my old habits.

A text pops up on my phone from Calshae. I need to go, or I’ll miss this flight too. “I have to go,” I say. “I need to get home to Jamal.”

“Have your manager contact mine with the details. We don’t need to talk.”

“We have a daughter.” I throw up my hands. “You’re not denying me access to her.”

“I’ll figure out a way for you to speak to her that doesn’t involve me.” She glares at me.

My instinct is to dig in and keep fighting, but the longer I press her, the worse what little is left of our relationship will get. If I leave now, maybe we can salvage something. We both need time to cool down. “Make sure you do.” In frustration, I run my hands through my hair before passing her on my way to the side door.

“Did you get what you wanted?” Calshae asks when I climb in beside her.

“Not yet,” I say. “But I’m one step closer.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ellie

Present Day

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