Page 65 of Love to Prove You Wrong

He shook his head. “I don’t know. They have certain requirements. Giant ones. It’s not like those movies where they ask you to shave your hair off or lose ten pounds.”

“Then what do they want?” I asked. “I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”

He swallowed. “They want me to sign a contract that stipulates me not having a romantic relationship for at least a year. Apparently, the public prefers their superheroes to be single. It’s good for profits and marketing,” he said, his voice shaky.

“They can’t do that, right? I mean, they can’t interfere with your personal life like that.”

Justin scoffed. “They can, believe me. It’s their way or the highway.”

I tried to meet his eyes, but he wouldn’t let me. “So if you agree and take the role, we won’t be able to see each other anymore?”

He coughed, then nodded. “Yes. I don’t want to lose you, Addy. But this is Crocodile Man.”

This is Crocodile Man. The words every girl dreams of hearing.

My arms felt like lead and my mouth hung slightly open. I couldn’t find any words, or move. Justin was ditching me, before we had even truly begun developing this relationship, or whatever it was that we shared.

In my head, I tallied up my losses so far. There was the land that got snatched up right before I had the chance to buy it, and now Justin was telling me he was going to choose some superhero role instead of me. All I had to do now was wait for another disaster, as bad luck always came in threes, no?

“Here you go,” Leanne said, and placed our burgers down. She had walked to our table without me even noticing. “Enjoy.”

I stared at the burger and fries in front of me. My appetite had completely vanished.

“Addy?” Justin asked. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

I shook my head. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from crying. “There’s nothing to say.”

“This doesn’t have to mean the end for us, you know.”

I shoved my plate away and put my elbows on the table so I had a place to rest my head. “A year without seeing each other? Thatdoesmean the end for us. I thought you told me you were thinking of taking a break from acting? What’s changed between now and then?”

Justin leaned back in his seat and held his hands up. “I know, you’re right. I did say that and I meant it at the time. But this is Crocodile Man. It’s a huge opportunity.”

Again with the Crocodile Man. I got it. Crocodile Man was every boy’s dream, unlike me. I wasn’t anyone’s dream. Not anymore.

“Look,” he continued. “I get that you don’t understand what this means, but I can’t say no to it.”

“Why wouldn’t I understand? Because I’m nothing more than a dumb small-town girl?”

He shot me a surprised look. “That’s not what I said. Don’t twist my words, Addy. Look, I don’t like it either, but this is how Hollywood works.”

Our realities had never seemed further apart. I had been delusional if I ever believed we stood a chance. He was a guy who flew helicopters and didn’t flinch at an eleven-thousand-dollar suit. I drove an old car and bought my clothes off the rack during a sale. The gap between us was too big to cross. I hated for it to be true, but it was.

“So, this is it for us?” I asked, trying to keep the tears from streaming down my face. I didn’t want to make a scene at the diner. This punch in the gut called for a private crying session with copious amounts of Glen and Barry. Or the real deal. I had plenty of money now that I couldn’t buy the land for my petting zoo. I might as well splurge on tubs of brand-name ice cream.

Justin shook his head. “It doesn’t have to be. We could stay in touch. Have secret dates.”

“I don’t want to hide.”

“I don’t want to either, but I can’t break my contract. They’d sue me without blinking.”

“If you’re taking this job, then fine. But you’ll lose me.”

His silence told me he’d already made his choice. I got up and threw a ten-dollar bill down for the food and drinks. “I think I should go.”

“Please don’t, Addy,” he pleaded. “Stay and talk about this.”

“There’s nothing left to say,” I said.

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