Page 81 of Victorious: Part 2
He goes to respond when a familiar voice cuts through thenoise around us, making both of us freeze.
“Well, I’ll be damned. If it isn’t the lovebirds from the bottle trees.”
We turn, and my heart does this weird little flip when I see Luke, the retired actor, better known as his alter ego, Cedar, approaching us with that same easy smile he had in the desert. He looks different here under the Vegas lights, more polished somehow, but those eyes still carry that weight I remember.
The sadness that never quite goes away.
Behind him is his girlfriend, Celene. She had an accident where she lost her long-term memory and has been trapped in the last character she played in their final onscreen role together. Since then, she believes she is Meadow, and that Luke is his character Cedar. It’s a tragedy of epic proportions, but rather than have Celene locked away in a facility, Luke quit acting to live his life as his final character to be with the woman he loves, even if he has to play a character to be with her forever.
Nowthatis love.
Meadow practically bounces toward us, her flowing dress catching the neon lights like she’s some kind of ethereal butterfly. Her bare feet have been replaced with strappy sandals, but everything else about her energy is exactly the same. “Oh, my goddess, Cedar, look. It’s our beautiful desert angels.” Meadow throws her arms around me before I can even process what’s happening, enveloping me in the scent of patchouli and something sweet that might be vanilla. “The universe has brought us together again. This is somagical.”
Phoenix tenses beside me, his protective instincts kicking in, but I catch his eye and shake my head slightly.
These aren’t the kind of people we need to worry about.
“Meadow, baby, give them some space to breathe,” Cedar says gently, but there’s affection in his voice as he watches her. He turns to us with an apologetic smile. “She gets excited when shesees friendly faces. Vegas can be overwhelming.”
“It’s fine,” I say, meaning it. “Good to see you both again. What are the odds?”
“In Vegas? Pretty damn good, actually,” Cedar replies, and I catch something in his expression, a flicker of the man Luke used to be before the accident, before everything changed. “This place has a way of bringing people together when they need it the most.”
Meadow finally releases me but stays close, her energy practically vibrating with excitement. “We were just about to grab some dinner, and then Cedar promised to show me the fountains that dance with music. Isn’t that just the most beautiful thing you’veeverheard?”
“Sounds incredible,” I say, and I mean it. There’s something infectious about her joy, even knowing what’s behind it.
“You two should join us!” Meadow claps her hands together like she’s just solved world hunger. “The more beautiful souls we gather, the more magic we can create together.”
Phoenix’s grip on my hand tightens almost imperceptibly. I know what he’s thinking. We should stick to the plan. Have dinner, just the two of us, keep a low profile. But looking at Cedar’s face, seeing that flicker of hope in his eyes at the prospect of normal human interaction, something in my chest tugs hard.
“That sounds really nice,” I hear myself saying before my brain fully catches up.
Phoenix turns to look at me, one eyebrow raised in that way that says,‘Are you sure about this?’But there’s no judgment in his expression, just a question.
I squeeze his hand and lean closer so only he can hear me. “One dinner. They seem lonely, and we could use some normal for a few hours.”
He studies my face for a moment, then nods slowly. “Okay.But I’m not sure dinner with Meadow will ever be classified as‘normal.’”
Cedar claps Phoenix on the shoulder, that genuine smile spreading across his face again. “Brother, you have no idea what you just signed up for. Meadow’s idea of a simple dinner usually involves at least three different restaurants and a street performance of some kind.”
“Hey!” Meadow protests, but she lets out a small laugh. “That wasone time, and the fire juggler was asking for audience participation.”
“Wait,” Phoenix snaps, looking between them with growing alarm. “Fire juggler?”
I bite back my laughter at his expression and nudge his shoulder. “Relax, tough guy. I promise not to volunteer you for any fire-related activities.”
“That’s what you said about the cat, and look how that turned out. We’re practically cat parents,” he mutters, but there’s a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Cedar throws back his head and laughs a real, honest-to-God belly laugh that transforms his entire face. “Oh, man, I like you two already. Come on, I know a place that serves the best steaks in Vegas and has zero fire jugglers. Scout’s honor.”
“Were you actually a Scout?” Meadow asks, linking her arm through his as we start walking.
“No, but I played one in a commercial once,” he replies without missing a beat.
Her eyes light up in excitement. “No way? You were on TV? I’m dating a real-life star, and I didn’t even know it,” she gushes, cuddling into Cedar.
He smiles, but the pain behind it is genuine, while Meadow snuggles into him, completely oblivious.
