Page 106 of Claim to Fame

“You can’t let him get to you, Hannah.”

“I’m not. I’m just…done. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I think—no, I know, this is it. It’s time for me to close this chapter.”

“You’re a Broadway actress,” Micah said, shaking his head. “You don’t give all that up.”

“Iwasa Broadway actress. And I’ve been miserable. Now I think I’d like to like to try just being Hannah for a while.”

Chapter Thirty

Angie crossed the gravel parking lot and wrapped Ethan in a hug. “You’re sure you can be seen with me? It won’t sully your family name?”

“I deserved that,” Ethan said as he gestured for her to go ahead of him into the vineyard.

“You deserve worse, but I suppose if I can forgive you for the time you threw a snowball at me and it was made entirely of ice, then I can forgive you for this.”

“I was seven.”

“And I forgave you.” Angie stepped into the large open lobby and sighed deeply, her shoulders relaxing as her eyes scanned the space. “I haven’t been here since we were kids.”

“It hasn’t changed much.”

“By design, I’m sure.”

Ethan invited her to take a seat in one of the oversized leather armchairs. “I owe you an apology.”

She leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs, studying him with an amused expression. “Finally, we get to the good stuff. I love a good grovel.”

“I’ve never been great at trusting people. At opening up. And after everything that happened when Stephanie got pregnant… My therapist says I put too high of a value on other people’s approval because I learned acceptance was conditional on my not fucking up, and when I did fuck up, it cost me my family.”

“Your therapist, huh?” Angie smiled. “Glad to see you’re finally exorcising those demons you’ve been carrying around.”

Heat rose in Ethan’s ears, but he shook it off. “The point is, all that stuff about you not coming to Reader Fest, about not letting this part of my life be associated with that part of my life, it had nothing to do with you or your books. That was all me and my shit.”

“Oh, Ethan, please, I’m well aware,” she chuckled.

“You should come to Reader Fest. I don’t know if I’m ready to be there as Slade yet, but that shouldn’t stop you from attending.”

“Thank you. And don’t think I won’t be writing extra spicy dragon shifter scenes for you to narrate just to see you blush as pay back,” she said, waggling a finger at the lingering redness in his cheeks. “But I know you didn’t drag me all the way down to Rhode Island to apologize, so spit it out. What’s on your mind?”

This time he couldn’t shake off the embarrassment coloring his skin. “Another thing I’ve never been good at is asking for help.”

She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the knees of her tailored linen pants. “Now I’m intrigued.”

∞∞∞

Six weeks, three days, five hours, and twenty-seven minutes.

That’s how long it had been since Ethan had last seen Hannah. Within minutes of letting her go, he’d known it was a mistake, that he would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t fight like hell to get her back.

That the fight had begun without her knowledge in weekly therapy appointments and long, uncomfortable conversations with his parents and Tessa, well, that was something he hadn’t anticipated.

He just hoped he hadn’t waited too long.

Six weeks, three days, five hours, and twenty-eight minutes.

Hold on, city girl. I’m coming.

“Dad, are you listening?” Tessa asked.

---