Page 60 of Beyond the Spotlight Discreet Version
I’ve missed out on a lot of important things in my lifetime because of my career. Because I was chasing fame.
“Mylan,” I begin, and my friend lifts his head. “I’m really sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
“Ren, you don’t need to...”
“WhenMetal & Mayhemwrapped, I had a lot of projects lined up. I barely had time to breathe, let alone hang out with you and Jensen. I missed you guys so much and it hurt to see you two get closer without me. It’s my fault though. You’d both text me and invite me to things, but I just couldn’t find the time.”
“You were doing what was best for you and your career.”
I drop my eyes down to my lap where I’m picking at my hangnails.
“I suppose... but it was fucking lonely.”
I made friends, but they weren’t like Mylan and Jensen. Not authentic. What’s worse is how I had to read the tabloids about the people who came into Mylan’s life when me or Jensen weren’t around. They’d get close to him, pretend to be his friend, then take advantage of him. They’d betray his trust and leak secrets about him in exchange for money.
Mylan slaps his palm on my shoulder. “What matters now is that you’re here. I’m here. We’re doing this movie together and after, we’ll keep in touch, right?”
“You bet your arse, mate.”
“Maybe you can move back to L.A.,” Mylan says.
It’s something I’ve considered, but I buried Annalee in New Jersey. I take Adeline to visit her grave once a month. I raised Addy on the East Coast, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to move her away just yet.
Forthenextweek,I stay busy filming. The days were long, making up for the ones I missed. Today was my last long shoot before I have two days off.
Two days.
I plan to spend every single minute of them with Savannah.
I return home at one in the morning to find Savannah in my bed. It’s like a reward after a trying day at work. I slip in quietly, making sure not to wake her, and pass out the moment my head hits the pillow.
When I wake, I’m rewarded with a body curled up against my side.
Something I’ve noticed about Savannah is how she tosses and turns in her sleep. She did it a lot when we were sick. She woke me up once by kicking me in the shin. I couldn’t fall back asleep after that, so I watched as she jerked around, attempting to get comfortable.
She doesn’t seem to do it when Adeline is in the bed with her, though. It’s as if her body knows to keep still. Except Addy isn’t here now, and Savannah has wormed her way over to me and slung her arm over my stomach.
I smooth my palm over her bare arm and kiss the top of her head. She smells like coconut and peaches.
She smells as good as she tastes.
I only got a small taste, and I’ve been craving more.
“Good morning, BG,” she mumbles into my stomach. I laugh and it shakes her head.
“Good morning, Savvy.”
She scoffs, her hot breath fanning across my skin since I like to sleep without a shirt on.
“What’s the matter? Don’t like when I call you that?”
She shrugs. “Doesn’t matter to me.”
I take her arms to lift her off me and topple her over onto her back. She yelps at the fast movement.
“Quit,” I begin, and place a kiss on her cheek. “Calling me...” A kiss on her jaw. “British Guy.” Another kiss on her neck. I graze my teeth against the skin there and she arches off the bed.
“Or what?” she challenges, like the first time we woke up together with her cuddling me.
