The next day, the whole world knew about our engagement. Every hour, I would get a call from the front desk to come pick up a congratulatory flower arrangement or gift that was being sent over. Apparently, some fashion designers and energy drinks were very interested in our “brand” as a couple. Where I come from, getting engaged meant you got Facebook posts from your high-school friends and second cousin. In Hollywood, apparently you got a crate of diet soda and a gift bag from a skin-care line. The whole thing was more than a little weird.

I went over to the set to meet Jax for lunch, but was waylaid by Morgan first.

“Congrats!” she said, giving me an enormous hug. “We are so happy for you guys.”

She seemed genuinely excited, and I was grateful for her support.

“We might have done something for you,” Morgan told me as she steered me towards the craft table.

It was a giant cake and dozens of bottles of champagne, and the entire cast and crew waiting to celebrate with us.

“You guys!” I exclaimed, touched. “That’s so sweet.”

“They just want an excuse to party,” Jax grinned, coming to join me. They poured us a glass, and Jax raised it in a toast.

“Thank you,” he said. “It is such an honor to work with all of you, and Penny and I are so grateful that we get to share this important moment in our lives with all of you.”

Everyone cheered, and then Morgan began pumping me for details.

“So, I saw the pictures of the engagement,” she said, unusually giddy. “So sweet. So romantic. Did you know it was coming?” she asked me.

“I might have suspected something,” I answered carefully. “But I wasn’t expecting it to be like that.”

At least that was the truth.

“Have you made any decisions yet?” Morgan wanted to know. “Are you going to live in New York or Los Angeles? Or London?”

“Um . . .” I didn’t have an answer, but Morgan was happy to move on to the next in a long line of questions.

“What about the wedding? Big wedding? Little wedding?”

“Shotgun wedding?” Lulu interjected, a fake smile on her face.

“Shut up, Lulu,” Morgan snapped at her. “Just because Jax wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole doesn’t mean you get to be a bitch today.”

Lulu went red and skulked away.

Morgan turned back to me, her expression eager. “Have you at least thought about your dress?”

I felt terrible lying to Morgan. She had been such a good friend, and I didn’t like deceiving her. I didn’t like deceiving anyone.

“Hey.” Morgan’s face softened into a worried expression. “Are you OK?”

I forced a smile. “Of course,” I reassured her. “Just a little overwhelmed, you know. It’s all so exciting!”

She grinned at me. “You know I’m going to want to be a bridesmaid,” she told me.

“Of course,” I agreed, feeling worse and worse about the lies I was telling her.

For the first time, I realized, it wasn’t as simple as just slipping on a ring. This engagement was going to be big. And it had only just begun.

I spent the whole day lying. And then, when I got back to the hotel, I had to lie to the people I loved the most. My parents and Mia. Both were understandably shocked, but my parents took it better than Mia did. They remembered Jax, and even though they had been surprised a few weeks ago when I told them I was going to London with him, they seemed to think the engagement was terribly romantic.

“You deserve to be happy, sweetheart,” my dad said.

“Are you insane?” was Mia’s reaction when I finally called her.

“I thought you would be excited for me,” I protested guiltily. “You told me to take risks. I did, and look what happened.” I felt uncomfortable with every word. I hated throwing Mia’s words back in her face, especially when this whole thing was a lie.

Just then, Jax came back from set. He gave me a questioning frown and gestured at my phone.

“Mia,” I mouthed to him and he nodded.

“I know it’s all happening fast,” I told Mia.

“Fast?” Mia screeched. “This isn’t fast. This is lightning speed.” She took a deep breath. “I’m just concerned,” she said. “He’s Jax fricking Hawthorne. A movie star.”

Suddenly Jax pulled the phone out of my hand.

“A movie star that’s crazy about her.” He put Mia on speakerphone, though she had apparently been talking loud enough for Jax to hear. “Hi, Mia,” he said.

“Jax,” she responded, not sounding very impressed. “I thought I told you that she was too good for you.”

“Mia!” I gasped. “When did you tell him that?”

“At the junket,” she told me. “And he clearly does not listen.”

“I listen,” Jax said. “And I totally agree. Penny is too good for me. Which is why I’m the luckiest bloke in the whole world. She could do so much better and yet she’s agreed to marry me.”

It was hard not to swoon at that, and I could tell Mia was swooning. Just a little.

“I’ve got my eyes on you, Hawthorne,” she said, but her voice was softer.

“I’d expect nothing less,” he responded.

She hung up, and Jax tossed my phone on the bed.

“I’m sorry, I know you hate lying to everyone,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Maybe I can talk to Stella, have her make an exception for Mia and your parents?”

“No,” I sighed. “It’s too late for that. they’d just be hurt I didn’t tell them sooner.”

Jax winced. “I guess we didn’t think this part through.”

“I’m just getting used to it all,” I told him. “I don’t think I was prepared for it.”

“It’s all going to work out,” he reassured me. “Trust me.”

Then he kissed me and everything else just melted away. Because despite the lies stacking up, and all my guilt, it still felt like the first time whenever his lips met mine. The heat, the chemistry . . . it was intoxicating. I lost myself in the moment. All that mattered was me and Jax and his mind-bending kisses that went on and on and on.