I’m standing backstage, waiting for Charlotte to finish talking with the casting directors, never more proud to call her my girl. She gave the audition of a lifetime. If some fluke cheated her out of this role, then she’d get the next—and then the one after that, and so on. Hollywood’s her oyster, and I already know her big debut will cause shockwaves.

“What are you doing here?” Charlotte cries, flying into my arms. She snakes her arms around my neck and nuzzles into my shoulder.

I breathe her in, letting the fresh scent of strawberries and soap wash over me. “I had to see you.”

She pulls back and looks up at me. “Yeah, but I thought you were in New York.”

I raise my eyebrow. “Funny how that works…”

“You tricked me!”

“Well, I am an actor.”

“The popping into a shop? The street noise?”

I laugh. “I was in an airport taxi on my way here. I couldn’t tell you the truth or it would ruin the surprise.”

She bats my arm and then pulls me close. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Of course I’m here,” I murmur into the crook of her neck. “I had to be here for you.”

“How did you even manage to get in here?”

“Oh, I know some people. I’ve starred in a few of Stu’s flicks over the years. It was an easy favor to call in.”

Charlotte tilts her head and gazes into my eyes. “I’m so glad you were out there.”

I wrap my arms around her waist and press her to my chest, leaning down and brushing her cheek with my chin. “I couldn’t stay away. New York was—”

Charlotte yanks herself back. “New York? Oh my God, you shouldn’t be here!”

“What? You just said you were glad I’m here.”

“Yeah, well, that was a moment of weakness.”

“Weakness? So you’re not happy I’m here?”

“No! I mean yes. I mean—” She scowls at me. “Stop changing the topic. You should be in New York, following your dream.”

I grab her hips again and tug her forward. “Who says I’m not?”

She pushes against my chest, fighting to keep her distance. “You must have cut your trip short to make it back here so fast.”

“So?” I say, a wicked glint in my eyes. Damn, I love it when she’s mad like this. I tighten my grip on her hips.

“So…” she leans back “…what if you upset them? You’re their number one choice, but you don’t have a contract yet. Think about your image. You don’t want to come off as more pompous than you already are.”

My image? That’s what this is about? “They gave me a contract.”

She stops struggling for a moment, and I see my opening. I yank her to me, crushing her to my chest.

“Tate!”

“Don’t Tate me, babe. I didn’t come all this way to be scolded.”

“Then why did you come?”

“I told you…” I kiss her nose, then cheeks, then forehead. “I couldn’t stay away from your intoxicating, infuriating, sexy self.” Charlotte wilts in my arms. “What?”

“You can’t say things like that after telling me you’re moving to New York,” she wails.

I pull back and stare at her. “Who said I was moving to New York?”

“You got a contract. That means you got the part.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m taking it.”

Her eyebrows go jagged. “Why wouldn’t you?”

I lean forward and try to kiss her, but she dodges me. “Don’t try getting out of this,” she orders. “Answer the question.”

“I don’t know, Char,” I say, releasing her as I turn away. “I don’t know if New York’s what I want.”

“You don’t?”

I shake my head.

“Then what do you want?” she asks slowly.

You. Us.

I run a quick hand over my hair. “It’s nothing like L.A. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I haven’t traveled or been abroad for work or events. But to live there? I’d have to leave everything behind…I’d have to leave you behind.”

Charlotte narrows her eyes and steps back. “No, Tate. Don’t make this decision about me.”

I glare at her. “How can I not?”

“I told you never to make it me or work. You can have both! I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yeah, well I am! I’d be on the other side of the country, Char. And then they’ll take the show on the road… It’d be a new city or country every other week.”

“I-I’ll come with you.”

“No you won’t because you’re getting this part.”

She rolls her eyes. “You don’t know that.”

“Yes I do. I was in the audience. I saw you up there.”

“So?”

“You were amazing, breathtaking!”

“I was okay,” she mutters, looking away.

“You lived that scene.”

“Well, if I did, it was only because you were here.”

“What?”

“I saw you sitting in the audience, and suddenly I was Michelle because you were Keith.”

I step toward her. “And that’s why you’ll get it.”

She frowns. “What if I’d rather go to New York with you?”

“Charlotte, no. I forbid it.”

She laughs. “Forbid it? It’s my life. I can do what I want.”

“I won’t let you—”

“And I won’t let you! You’d be making a huge mistake passing up this role just for me.”

“It’s not the same,” I say, rubbing my tired eyes. “You’re at the beginning of your career. This part could be the start of something big.”

“And you’re at the beginning of your stage career. This play could be the start of something big for you.”

I clench my teeth. “Throwing my words back in my face?”

“I’m only trying to show you how crazy this is.”

“Well, what if I don’t care about that? What if…” I step forward and take her back into my arms “…I only care about you?”

“Tate…”

“I mean it,” I say gruffly, staring down at her. “You’re all I could think about in New York. You’re all I ever think about.”

“But—”

“Don’t tell me you don’t feel it, too.”

A pained look comes over her face. “Of course I do.”

“Then why are you fighting it?”

“Because I won’t let you make a terrible mistake!”

“The only mistake I’d be making would be leaving you behind,” I growl.

She pushes against my arms. “I’ve already told you, I’d come to New York before I allowed that.”

“Why?” I demand, gripping her harder. “Why throw it all away just to let me pursue some dream I had before I even meet you?”

“Because…”

“Why?”

She glares up at me with fiery eyes. “Because I love you!”

Time seems to stop. I loosen my grasp, letting her slip from my arms. She steps back and takes a jagged breath.

“I’ve loved you for a while now. Maybe even as far back as when we first met. I tried to hate you at first to push you away. So I wouldn’t get hurt.”

I take a step toward her shaking form, but she holds out a hand.

“No,” she says gently. “Let me get it all out before you say anything. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I thought a lot about telling you this, because, well, it does complicate things…” She throws back her head and takes a deep breath. “But I can’t fight my feelings anymore. And I don’t regret telling you. Even it it means—” She bites her lip. “That you don’t feel the same.”

Not feel the same?

I close the gap between us and wrap my arms around her shaking form. I bring my lips down onto her, kissing her long and hard. She couldn’t be more wrong. I pull away and trace her cheekbone with my fingertip. “I love you, too.”

Her cheeks flush deep red. “Really?”

“Yes. I’ve known for a while now, but it took this last trip to finally make my mind listen to my heart.”

“Are you sure? What if this is just some physical thing, some—”

I bring my lips crashing down on hers, making sure that this kiss wipes away any lingering fears. “Doesn’t that answer your question?” I ask after a long moment.

She blinks a few times. “Um, yes.”

I run my fingers through her hair, cupping her head in my hands. “You’re my world, Charlotte. I never thought I’d be so lucky to find a girl like you. I’ve never been more thankful that you auditioned for a role that I didn’t even want in my life, because…” I pull her to me and kiss her between the eyes “…I couldn’t live without you.”

Tears gather in Charlotte’s eyes as she gazes into mine, and I know she believes me.

She sighs, nuzzling into my palm. “Ditto.”

“How romantic,” I say with a laugh.

She shrugs. “You’re the movie star. I can’t possibly top that heart-melting speech…” She gives a small smile. “And I don’t really want to.”

“You’re going to be a movie star, too. When you get this part.” I grab her hand and tug her toward the door to the theater.

“I may not get it…”

“I thought you were working on that confidence of yours?” I throw open the door and stride up the aisle toward the back. The faster I get us home, the faster I can show Charlotte just how much I really love her. Actions speak louder than words, right?

She laughs softly. “I am. But promise me you’ll consider New York.”

I keep my eyes ahead of me as we reach the front doors. I push through them and pull us into the lobby.

“Tate!” She tugs my hand, and I look back at her. “Please?”

I sigh. Doesn’t she know that she’s worth a thousand plays and a thousand dreams? She’s my world, my life. Everywhere else fades into the background around us.

“I promise,” I half-lie. I don’t need to think about it. I know where my future lies.

It’s walking right behind me.