Page 44 of To the Moon and Back

It made sense. Carly wasn’t used to having eyeballs staring ather. “That part doesn’t matter. You’re just going to go out there and do thesame show we just finished running today.” Lauren knelt in front of her andrested her hands on Carly’s knees. “You’re going to get angry with me, and thenconfide in me, and we’re going to laugh together, and kiss, and then get rippeddramatically apart so we can find our way back once again in a grocery store,of all places. It’ll be grand.”

“But the audience will be there,” Carly said, as if she wasinforming Lauren of something she didn’t seem to realize.

“That part is true. They might also be noisy. Gum wrappers, cellphones, and the occasional vocal participant are all things I’ve gotten usedto, working here. The elderly crowd have some opinions.” She shrugged and triedto send Carly a reassuring smile. “Just part of what makes live theater unique.I think you might actually like it.”

Something unexpected happened. Instead of smiling back, Carly’seyes brimmed with tears. “Sorry,” she said, trying to find her voice that seemedstrangled and not entirely available. She paused to wait for it to return, andLauren’s heart squeezed. She slid her hands up to the outsides of Carly’sthighs, trying to bring them closer. Her instinct was to shelter Carly in anyway she could, even physically.

“Hey, look at me.”

Carly did, though her bottom lip quivered.

“I’m right here. It’s just us. You don’t have anything toapologize for.” Lauren had talked actresses down a million and nine times, butnot a single one of those conversations had affected her as potently as thisone was. She had a lump in her own damn throat.

“It’s just”—Carly wiped her eyes—“there’s always been this littlepart of me that’s wondered if my success in film was because of how I look, youknow? That my talent mattered less when they could send a makeup artist ontoset to touch you up every five minutes, and give you fifteen takes to make amoment work. Here…” She shook her head and sighed. “It’s so raw. There’s nosmoke and mirrors. It’s going to be me just standing there, acting, sweating,and crying, and I’m pretty sure that’s not going to be enough.”

Lauren gathered Carly’s hands in hers. “I don’t know who in theworld has gotten in your head and made you think that you’re not talentedoutright, but let me be the one to set you straight. Can I be brutally honest?”

Carly laughed. “I feel like you’re always honest. But yes, let’stoss in brutal, for God’s sake.”

“I wasn’t thrilled when I heard they’d cast you in this show.”Carly nodded, taking it in. “I’d read that you were unreliable, into partying,and held up production with your antics.”

“Most of that was true,” Carly admitted. “Not all. But most.”

Lauren wasn’t finished. “Never once, however, did I doubt yourtalent or ability to completely master this role in every sense. Not for onesecond.”

Carly blinked. “Really?” She touched Lauren’s cheek. “Come on.That can’t be true.”

“Except it is. I’ve seen many of your movies and have alwaysadmired your work.” She inclined her head from side to side. “I mean, if youthink about it, the reason they put up with you in Hollywood for so long isbecause you’re good. Otherwise? You’d have been blacklisted years back.”

Carly laughed, and that felt like progress. “I never looked at itlike that.”

Lauren straightened. “That’s me. Voice of reason.”

“Isn’t that the damn truth?” Carly said. “Come here, please. Let’ssee if some of that reason will rub off.” She leaned in, her gaze dipping toLauren’s lips. Lauren, as if pulled by that ever-present magnet, met herhalfway. “Hi,” Carly whispered, just before kissing her softly. Lauren drank inevery sensation that kiss brought with it. She’d learned to revel in eachshiver, flutter, and hit of pleasure that came her way from being near Carly.If those things worried or scared her before, she’d now embraced the power thatCarly had over her body. Touching her only intensified the effect times ten.Lauren joined Carly on the couch, first sitting alongside her as they kissedlike lust-starved teenagers, then welcoming Carly into her lap as she straddledLauren and cradled her face as their mouths battled and explored. With herhands on Carly’s ass, she wanted nothing more than her out of those pants. Sheimagined Carly naked in the same position and had to pause their kissing toensure she received enough oxygen for basic survival.

Carly waited while she took several necessary breaths. There wasthe air, slowly returning. “You okay?” Carly asked.

Lauren nodded. “Sometimes it feels like we combust.”

“So I’m not the only one, then?”

“I don’t know if you experience what I do, but I can tell you it’smore than a little intense.”

Carly nodded and traced the line of Lauren’s collarbone. “You knowsomething else?”

“Tell me.”

Carly shook her head but held her gaze on the progress her fingermade, not meeting Lauren’s eyes. “I really like you. It’s not just theattraction. It’s…everything.”

Lauren took a minute to absorb Carly’s words because it wasapparent how closely she held them. They heard voices of their castmatespassing Lauren’s dressing room and for a moment, she thought they’d lose thisimportant exchange.

“I like you a lot, too. Maybe that’s part of what makes this allso scary. We’re in the midst of one of the biggest things that’s ever happenedto me, but I’m confident it wouldn’t be nearly as gratifying if I wasn’texperiencing it with you.”

Carly’s smile began small and then took over her entire face. “Doyou really mean that?”

“Of course, I do.” A kiss. Another one. Lauren laughed. “Did Imention I like you back?”

“You just did. Your lips are so fucking kissable,” Carly murmured.“And when you wear autumn colors, I’m done. Everything about you makes my headspin in the best way. When you wear fall boots? I want to invest in a catalogcompany that specializes in them.” Lauren laughed again. Carly touched herchest and eased herself off Lauren until they were sitting side by side on evenground. “Thank you for talking me off the ledge. Even temporarily.”

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