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“It took years, but he helped me remove them legally and he became my guardian and financial advisor. But by that time, I was already knee-deep in drugs. After he forced me to go to rehab to gain access to my funds, I turned to alcohol and women. Tessa is supposed to help keep me on track for this upcoming project.
“But then we got word that my parents are violating our legal agreement and they’re trying to gain access to everything again. They think that they’ll be able to convince me in person to give them something or make a change to the agreement. Somehow, they got wind of this new project before it was announced to the media, but we should have seen it coming. So, when Tessa told me that they had been seeking me out, I turned into that hurt kid that just wanted his parents to love him and spend time with him but instead was pushed and pushed just for money.”
“Can they do that? I mean, can they get everything overturned?”
“I don’t really know. My uncle and aunt, who is a lawyer, are trying their best to fix it and keep it out of the press. I need to stay focused on this new movie.”
“Do you have any good memories with your parents?”
“Not really. Nothing worth letting them back into my life. I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me we are estranged.”
“I’m sorry, Devyn.”
“I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through too, Larsen,” he echoes as he tucks my head under his chin, bringing our bodies as close as physically possible.
“We make a great pair, don’t we?” I whisper.
His answering chuckle vibrates across my entire body. “Yeah, the movie star and the waitress. Seems a bit cliché, don’t you think?”
I giggle along with him, and as his arm reaches around me and tries to pull me even closer, I slip my leg between his. I try to fight against falling asleep, knowing that our time is running out, but I lose the battle and slumber overtakes me.
I can feel him slipping away before the bed even moves. The sheets rustle sounding as loud as a Mack truck against my ear, but I make no move to open my eyes. I know what’s coming, and even though I thought I was ready, I’m not. How can two days together feel more like two years? How can someone possibly feel this way about a stranger so quickly?
He must be tugging on his pants and the shoes that we left on the bedroom floor last night because the bed jostles as he rolls off. A minute or so later I hear the toilet flush in the attached bathroom and I know the time has come.
I pry my eyes open, the crust of old tears pulling at my lashes.
“Hey,” he whispers as he moves to my side of the bed and crouches down, his chin resting on his crossed arms lying on top of the duvet.
“Hey.”
“I need to go. Tessa just texted.”
“Okay,” I choke out.
One of his hands reaches out and he tucks my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering for a moment before pulling away.
“I’m going to miss you. I wish that you had a cell phone so I could text you. I can try to call your landline. I’ll dial my phone from it so I can grab the number and write mine down for you.”
“I’m going to miss you too, but it’s better this way. You’re going to move on to much bigger and better things. I want the best for you, Devyn.”
“And you’re going to be an amazing nurse. I have faith in you.”
“Thanks.” The edges of my lips tilt up in a smile.
We both stare at each other wanting to say more but knowing that we can’t. We were just supposed to be friends for the weekend, two people with nothing in common. Instead, we formed a relationship from the shards of our broken hearts.
We both startle as his phone buzzes in his pocket and the edge of the bed bends as Devyn reaches down and silences the device.
Leaning forward, I press my lips to his forehead. I don’t want our last real kiss to be one out of sadness. “Take care of yourself, Devyn.”
There isn’t anything more to say, and as he stands and leaves the bedroom, I don’t turn to face his retreat. Instead, I stare out the window and watch the sun slowly rise over the horizon.
Time slips by and I’m unsure how much of it has passed. I work the lunch and dinner shift today so I have no need to get up early. I suppose I should feel some sort of grief at Devyn’s departure. And considering I’ll never again have another chance at meeting a celebrity I most certainly should feel something other than the numbness surrounding me.
But as I get ready for my shift, I stare at myself in the mirror over my dresser. I expect to look different, to look morphed from my time with him, but I still look the same as I always have. My eyes are the same shade of brown, hair same tone of blonde, the scar still ugly and jagged, but there is a new look in my eyes, a glimmer of something that takes me a while to recognize – determination. My time with Devyn has shown me how much of my life I was letting slip away.