CHAPTER 31
~Luke~
JANE’S BEEN ASLEEP for over an hour. We’re somewhere between Tucson and Kingman, so more than halfway. Taking our late start into account, we won’t make it back to LA before early morning. I haven’t seen a pit stop since she fell asleep and I need to take a piss. Deciding I can’t wait any longer, I pull off the road and take the path less traveled until the highway is in the distance and we’re hidden to any cars driving by.
Maybe I’ll get some winks in too. I cut the engine and take the keys, locking her protectively inside, and trek off. When I return to the car, the headlights are on and she’s sitting on the hood. “I was looking for you.”
“I had to piss.”
When I come closer, she lies back. “Have you seen this?”
“What?” I ask, maneuvering between her legs while running my hands up and down her outer thighs.
“Look up.”
I do. “The stars?”
“The universe, Luke. It’s like we’re the only two people in the universe. It’s spectacular.”
“We need to get out of the city more.”
“Lie next to me.”
Silently, I climb up on the hood and lie down. I take her hand and we stare up at the vast desert sky together. The silence doesn’t last long because I ask, “Wanna have sex?”
“Sure do.”
She can’t see it right now, but my smile grows to mass proportions, matching other parts of my body.
Cool desert air.
Dark, star-filled night.
Headlights creating shadows of our union.
The most beautiful woman in the world.
The smooth, silver surface of her BMW.
My hard against her soft.
I have the best fucking life.
Thirty minutes later, we’re tangled in the backseat. Her eyes are closed, her breathing even.
This.
This right here is perfection.
I want this all the time.
I want this woman in my arms forever. “Janie?” I whisper and rub her arm. “Jane?”
When she stirs, she yawns. “Hmm?”
“Marry me.”
Her body goes rigid, and then pops up, pressing her palms to my chest. Looking down on me, she checks to make sure she heard me right. “What did you say?”
“I don’t have a ring and I’m not down on one knee, but I want to marry you more than I’ve wanted anything in my life. Let’s get married and live A forever together.”
“You want A forever with me?” she asks, smiling.
Stroking her hair back and tucking some strands behind her ear, I reply, “I do owe you one, after all.” I sit up, readjusting her on my lap. Her arms are around my neck, and I lower mine to her hips. “Will you marry me?”
The moonlight shining in the back window reflects in her teary eyes. Reaching up, I run my thumbs gently under each, catching the tears before they streak her pretty face. “Don’t cry, baby.”
“They’re happy tears.”
“So that’s a yes?”
Nodding, her smile grows wider, and she throws herself against me. “Yes, so much yes.” Her head drops to my shoulder and her body shakes in my arms.
I kiss the back of her head. “I love you.”
She lifts up and kisses me even harder. “I love you, too.”
“I have always loved you and I always will. I promise I will never hurt you again and I will always fight for us.” With her complete attention, I turn serious, needing her to understand the depth of my love for her. “I will never let you walk away again because I never want to be apart from you again.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry I didn’t stay and fight for us. I’m sorry I was blind to what we had and…” She looks away, shame filling her features when she squeezes her eyes closed. “I’m sorry I was with someone else.” I caress her cheek with her eyes on mine. She says, “And I’m sorry I let you sleep with half of LA.”
When she smirks, I do too, and correct her, “I wouldn’t say half.”
“A good quarter?”
“Maybe one-eighth. It is a city of seven million. I’m good, but I don’t think even my ego can make that claim.”
A playful punch to my chest pushes me back. I lie down again. It’s horribly uncomfortable back here, but being with her like this is so worth the seatbelt latch stabbing me in the back.
Jane shifts and moves on top of me. Lifting up, I kiss her cheek. “Love you.”
With a knitted brow, she asks, “What about Jessica?”
“I’ve been thinking about that situation.”
“Situation indeed.”
I angle toward her. “Most likely she won’t do any voiceover work or retakes since I took off. I need you to be prepared for the possibility of this movie never being finished.”
“But there’s a contract in place?”
“She knows the loopholes.”
“She’ll ruin the movie because she can’t be with you? That’s why you agreed to her deal, to make sure the movie is finished?”
I nod.
“You broke my heart to save my movie.” The pieces fall into place and she rests her hand over my pounding heart. “You did it for me, didn’t you?” The quiet stretches between us. “Tell me, Luke. Please.”
“I know the contract you signed. If the movie doesn’t get sold, you lose the backend payout. I can’t sell a movie if it doesn’t get made.”
“Silly man. Why would you ever think I would rather have a paycheck than you?”
“It felt selfish to sacrifice money I know you need because I wanted to be with you.”
“I want to be with you, Luke.” She laughs lightly. “I just agreed to marry you. The money is meaningless without happiness.”
Looking out the window, I confess, “You don’t know how to ask for help. You lived in a motel for months. I don’t know your current financial situation, but I can guess. So maybe I was being selfish, but I couldn’t stand the thought of you not able to support yourself.”
“Look at me, Luke.” When I do, she says, “It was a hotel, not a motel. Secondly, I’d find a way. I always do. I have a second script in the hands of several directors and producers. Hell, I bought my own car. I’m not doing too shabby. So what you did, I want to be mad at you for doing that to us, but now I know. I know you did it for me and I just can’t be mad at you for that.” She kisses my temple. “Anyway, how can I be upset when we’re together and getting married?”
“You can’t.” I waggle my eyebrows. “See how that works.”
Her laughter fills the car. Best sound ever. “So the movie’s gone is what you’re saying?”
“I’m pretty sure she’ll check herself into rehab to shelve the project.”
“It’s a beautiful film. It’ll be sad that no one will see it. As much as Ian was annoying, he’s a brilliant director with a great vision.”
“I knew he’d do this movie justice.”
“Is there anything we can do to finish it? I’ll give back the money I’ve already been paid if that helps.”
“You’re not going to pay for it. I’ve already taken two hits on my paycheck for it. Ian even took a twenty K pay cut to help.”
“Why did I not know about any of this?”
“Because it’s my job to worry about, not yours. I still failed you though.”
Her fingers run through my hair, her nails lightly scratching my scalp. I close my eyes not wanting her to see the guilt I carry.
“You did not fail me. Listen to me,” she says. I open my eyes to see her determined ones locked on mine. “You did more than you should have. Ultimately we can’t control if the movie is completed. We can only do our best. Jessica is going to do what Jessica wants to do like she always does. We’ll do what we have to.”
“When we get back, I’m going to make some calls. I’m not giving up yet. But I’m going to have to talk to her.”
“How do you feel about talking to her as a married man? I want to seal this deal sooner than later.”
“I could be tempted.”
“Just us.”
Just making sure she’s thinking through everything thoroughly, I say, “You know our families will be upset. Our friends might be offended.”
Her head goes to my chest and tilts down, all her energy escaping as she molds to me. “I’m willing to take the chance.”
~Jane~
I WATCH THE sunrise from the back seat of my car wrapped in Luke’s arms. It was the best sight I’ve ever seen. Both of them. I feel at peace for the first time in years. I’m finally on the right path again. I can feel it in my bones.
As I doodle on his chest, he smiles, his inner peace shining in his eyes when they open. “Good morning.”
“The best morning.”
He takes my left hand and kisses my ring finger. “We’re engaged.”
“Yes, we are,” I reply happily.
“Let’s get married in Vegas.”
“No dress. No guests, No—”
“Nothing but us.”
I kiss him on the lips. “Sounds divine.”
“I don’t think I can feel my legs.”
Looking over his tall frame, I slide to the side and open the back door to get out. Luke works his way out and stretches toward the sky. “Remind me to get you an SUV. This car is a killer on the body.”
“I didn’t buy it thinking I’d be sleeping in it.”
“True. I’ll be back.” I watch as he walks thirty yards or so, but turn and tend to my own business, hiding behind the car.
Meeting back at the car, I say, “I cannot wait to get to Vegas to shower. I feel gross.” I take him by the front of the shirt and sway a little, flirting. “I can’t wait to be back in yours as well.”
Taking me by the waist, he says, “About my shower—”
Ten minutes later, I’m sitting behind the wheel of my car with Luke in the passenger’s seat, and I’m completely flabbergasted. “You traded your house to get my movie made?”
“It wasn’t a trade. It was collateral.”
“I don’t understand why you would do that.”
“I felt confident in the movie, and because you always dreamed of having one of your scripts made into a film. It was a risk, but how could I not help make that dream come true?”
My heart patters, my feelings about to burst from my chest. He did everything for me. He was showing his love when I was too blind to see. I’m glad I know so I can spend my life showing him. I know inside that we would have found our way back to each other, but I still have to give him a hard time. He took a chance on something he shouldn’t have. “There’s a difference between a calculated risk and a gamble.”
“I don’t see it that way.”
“You trading your dream for mine was a gamble and now you might lose your home.”
“It’s a house, not a home.” Taking my hand in his, he says, “You’re the only home I know and want. Owning that house was amazing, but there will be others. Your movie—I read the first page and knew that was the one. Your story is magic, the script captivating from the first page.”
“I’ve never heard of someone putting their home up as collateral to get a movie made.”
“I called in favors from friends. We needed the money. We had an investor pull out after production started. If we can get it through editing, I can sell it.”
“You’ve done so much for me and for this film. How will I ever be able to repay you?”
“You don’t have to repay me. We’re getting married. That’s my dream come true.”
His hand warms my cheek, the feeling flooding my veins. “I can’t have you lose your house because of me.”
“It’s not because of you. It’s because of Jessica. So I’ll pay her a visit after we get back and sort it out.”
“You sound confident.” I’m not happy about this situation he’s in, especially because it all balances on the whim of an overly dramatic starlet. “What happens if she won’t agree to finish the film?”
“You’re worried, but I’m not. I have money saved. I’ll make more. This will work out. I promise you, Jane.”
“I believe you. I believe in you.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say that again.”
“You’ve more than earned my trust. I’m sorry I lost faith.”
He kisses me gently. “This is where we are, so we’ll deal with it, and homeless or not, we’re together.”
“That is way more important than any movie.”