Page 54 of Fragile Heart

I put my hands on her hips and pull her close to me. Leaning down to her ear, I whisper, “I’m pretty sure you screaming my name last night and every night this past week should’ve solidified that.”

She chokes as I nibble on her earlobe, unable to control myself being this close to her. “Oh.”

“But in case you’re still wondering, you’re mine now, baby. There’s no turning back.” I know we haven’t discussed what happens when my time in Georgia is up, but I feel confident that we’ll figure it out. Now that I’ve had her, I know I can’t let her go. “You good with that?”

Her big brown eyes look between mine, trying to figure something out, but all she does is nod. I kiss her, sealing the deal right here in front of all these breakfast goers, hoping Jake can see how Quinn melts into my body.

I reluctantly pull away and go back to my seat to finish my coffee, making eye contact with Jakey-boy to reiterate that Quinn is off-limits.

Quinn delivers my food, and I eat quickly before heading to work. I give Quinn a quick kiss, telling her I’ll see her later before heading to my car.

When I get to set, I’m whisked off to makeup, where Vaughn is already in a chair with someone dabbing away at his face.

“What’s up, man?” he asks in greeting.

“Another day.”

He laughs. “You ready for this weekend?”

Quinn and I are flying out to LA tomorrow, but my meeting with Omega isn’t until Saturday. I’ve already told Vaughn about it, and we’ve gone through so many different scenarios of what the movie might be.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’m trying not to think about it so I don’t get nervous.”

He chuckles. “The great Hudson Porter is nervous about an audition.”

“This role could be huge for my career if I get it.” He knows that. Anyone in the industry would know that.

“Isn’t your career already huge?” Yeah, I’ve got a longer resume than he does, but I still don’t feel like I’ve hit my stride. I know I’m capable of more.

“I don’t know, man. I feel like everyone still sees me as the kid fromChampions of Olympia, you know? Am I ever going to get away from that? Am I ever going to be seen as a serious actor? It’s more than just a paycheck for me. I’m tired of doing movies that no one takes seriously.”

“Dude, you were nominated for an Oscar for those movies.” I give him a sharp look.

“Yeah, nominated. Didn’t win. And it’s not about the awards. When people hear my name, I don’t want their immediate thought to be, ‘oh, he’s the guy from that kid series.’”

Vaughn doesn’t say anything for a minute. I haven’t really talked about this with anyone except for Quinn.

“I get it. I do. Nothing wrong with ambition. I hope this is it for you, man. I really do.”

“Thanks.” My makeup artist puts a towel under my face and gets started.

“So, you’re taking Quinn with you? She ready for it?” he asks after a few minutes of silence.

“Yeah, I think so. She’s excited to see California.” I close my eyes and lean back on the chair.

“No, I mean is she ready for Hudson’s version of LA?” My brows wrinkle, which immediately causes my makeup artist to tell me to relax as she dabs her little sponge thing between my eyes again.

“What do you mean, my version?”

“Dude, you can’t even go to the gas station without a camera in your face. You know that paparazzi are gonna be all over you while you’re there. Especially with a new woman on your arm.” I hadn’t thought about it. Which, now that I am thinking about it, is strange. My entire life before coming to Georgia was me trying to escape the cameras. That’s why I have a hat and sunglasses with me at all times.

I’ve felt calm since being here. I hardly ever look over my shoulder to see if there’s a creepy man with a camera watching my every move. Back in LA, I could usually feel them looking at me. But none of that has happened here. It makes me dread having to deal with it again.

“I guess I’ll need to warn her. I hadn’t thought about it.”

I open my eyes to see him staring at me, smiling. “You’re different now.”

“How so?” I question.

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