Page 87 of Faking Ties

The car shakes from the wind, and the driver goes extra slow. Loose palm fronds fly through the air, and I’m afraid we won’t make it back without having an accident.

“You okay?” Hunter asks quietly.

“Kind of scared, to be honest. I’ve never been in a hurricane.”

“It’s only a category one,” Hunter says. “We’ll be safe.”

“Uh-huh.” I give the sky another dubious look as my phone pings.

I take it out, surprised to see it’s Stella. We’ve had a few conversations since last week, since her bombshell. We’re working on rebuilding what we had. It’s been slow, but she’s been opening up more about her life, and her discovering that she is indeed adopted. She’s doing what she can to prove that she trusts me, and I appreciate it.

S: It’s canceled?!

Me: Yeah. There’s a hurricane.

S: But I can’t disappoint my fans. We have to do something to make it up to them on the Monday show.

I shovemy phone into my bag. How am I supposed to make it up to the fans? What can I do? I chew it over as we make our way to the room. When we enter, I pace the length of the living room, hoping for an idea to pop into my head.

“What’s going on?” Hunter asks.

“There’s so much pressure on me,” I say, overwhelmed by Stella’s demand. “I can’t disappoint the fans. I’m responsible for them now that I’m Stella. And I don’t know what to do. How can I fix this? How can I help? Stella’s demanding I do something special on Monday since she never cancels. It’s what she’s known for and now we are.”

“It’s not your responsibility to fix anything.”

“Yes, it is. It became mine when I signed the contract.”

“No, it’s not. Life happens. The weather happens.” He points to the massive windows overlooking the ocean. “Accidents happen. None of us have control over any of it, and it’s not your job to make anyone but yourself happy.”

“But that’s selfish, to focus only on me. Of course, I’m responsible for Stella’s happiness while she recovers. And the fans that are shelling out thousands to see her perform. That’s what I’m getting paid for. It’s my job to entertain. It’s my job to make sure my mom isokay. It’s my job to make sure you’re not going to ruin your career because of me.”

“Ella.” Hunter places his hands on my shoulders, grounding me. “None of that is your job. You can’t control another person’s happiness. All the things you listed are Stella’s, your mom’s, and my job to worry about. We’re responsible for our own happiness, and sure, you make us happy by just being you, but that’s as far as it goes.”

I blow out a long breath and search his gaze. “I hear you, but I’m not sure if I believe it?”

“That’s okay.” He rubs his thumbs up and down my neck. “I have all night to convince you.”

“All night, huh?” I jump when the wind and rain batter the window with an intensity that makes me question how safe standing next to floor-to-ceiling glass is in the middle of a hurricane. “Or maybe we need to change our room? Or hide out somewhere safer?”

“Your concern for our safety right now is the exact reason the show’s being rescheduled.”

“I know, but I can’t sit around and do nothing. I’m going to go crazy, and this storm is freaking me out.”

“I know the perfect distraction,” he says.

“You better not say sex.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter.” He grins. “I’ll be right back.”

Hunter disappears into the bedroom for a fewminutes before coming back in with a huge smile. “Your distraction will arrive in fifteen minutes.”

“Not going to lie, that sounds sketch.”

“You’ll like it, I promise.” He turns on the TV and finds a movie channel, avoiding all coverage of the storm. I sit stiffly next to him and text with Stella. I can’t concentrate on what looks like a Hallmark movie while she messages me. Hunter keeps glancing at me, but I ignore it until he pulls the phone out of my hands.

“Hey, I need that,” I say, trying to grab it from him, but he holds it out of my reach.

“Stella has no right to make you feel guilty.”

---