Page 82 of Give Me a Reason

“Oh, you’ll get the offer,” Meredith said with enough confidence for both of them. “In the meantime, I’ll keep you posted on the audition, so you’ll have time to prepare for it.”

“Whatever happens, you and I make a great team.” Anne stuck out her hand.

“Damn right, girl.” Meredith gave her a firm handshake. “Hollywood won’t know what hit them.”

They squealed, laughed, and hugged each other before Meredith hurried to her car for her next meeting. Anne took a deep breath even as she smiled broadly, both nervous and giddy. She couldn’t quite believe this was happening.

Was she really doing this?Yes.This was the right choice. She felt lighter than she had in years, yet more grounded… more alive. This washerchoice.

“Anne.” Andrew hurried down the street toward her.

“Andrew?” She frowned. “Did you forget something at the café?”

“As it happens, I did.” He grinned, dimples appearing in his cheeks. He really was too handsome for his own good. “I forgot to give you my number.”

“Oh.” She blinked in surprise.

“No pressure.” He raised his hands. “You absolutely do not need to reach out to me. But”—his dimples reappeared—“if youwantto, I’ll be waiting with bated breath.”

“You really shouldn’t hold your breath,” Anne half joked, accepting his business card.

“Nevertheless.” Andrew gestured toward the card. “My cell phone number is on the back.”

Anne glanced down at the slanted numbers scrawled across the back of the card. It was so different from Frederick’s strong but elegant handwriting—half print, half cursive.

What does that have to do with anything?

Frederick invaded her thoughts at the most inconvenient times. But she realized with a jolt that she hadn’t thought about him for nearly an hour. That was the longest she’d gone—by far—without thinking about him and Bosque Verde.

She looked up at Andrew, then back down at his business card. In more ways than one, Andrew Cha and this film could be really good for her. If she allowed herself to open up to… possibilities, she might finally be able to move on from the past.

Frederick certainly seemed to have moved on with Bethany. Why else wouldn’t he have at least texted her? His silence confirmed her suspicions—he’d only needed a warm body that night. And she was okay with that. At least, she would be soon.

When she met Andrew’s wide, besotted eyes, he snapped his gaping mouth shut. Fighting back a smile, she said, “I wouldn’t want to do anything that would influence your decision on the casting.”

“And I wouldn’t letanything—even someone as extraordinary as you—influence my work.” He didn’t shy away from her gaze. “My work is my life. I would never compromise my very soul. I meant what I said about you being perfect for the role of Elizabeth Bennet.”

“I believe you.” And she did. Pinching his business card between her fingers, she lightly saluted him. “It was nice to formally meet you, Breadstick Guy.”

Anne walked away from him, feeling his warm laughter and appreciative gaze following her. When she got to her car, she smiled down at Andrew’s business card and tucked it into her purse for safekeeping. She liked being the center of someone’s attention for a change.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Frederick dropped his head on the sofa and threw his arm over his eyes. Spending his off day alone at home might not have been the best idea in his current state. He sat up with a frustrated groan and picked up his phone for the one hundred… thousand and first time this week. And for the one hundred thousand and first time, he put it down again.

The problem with texting Anne was that he had no idea how to say what he needed to say. Maybe the bigger problem was he still didn’t knowwhatto say. At least, not all of it.

Hi, Anne. I don’t regret sleeping with you.That just sounded insulting.Hi, Anne. That night meant something to me.That was a little better, but if she asked what thatsomethingwas, he wouldn’t know what to tell her.

And he was a big fucking liar. He buried his head in his hands with a frustrated groan. His anger, resentment, and pride had blinded him, but he couldn’t ignore the truth any longer. He wanted to be with Anne. He woulddieto be with her. Why couldn’t he tell her that? Just like that?

Because she would think he had completely and utterly lost his mind. Right? No, that wasn’t the real reason for his reluctance either. He was terrified his love would go unrequited.Love?He shook his head so hard that his teeth clacked. But if not love,then what? He had no other answer except that he was too afraid to look closely at the L word.

All Frederick knew was if he took this step to be with her, he would be putting his heart on the line. He’d done it once when he had no idea what he was getting into. He’d thought their forever was guaranteed—that his heart was safe in her hands. But he knew better this time. This time, if she said no, his broken heart would never heal. He wouldn’t recover from losing her a second time.

So what? Was he just going to sit on his couch and pine after Anne for the rest of his life? Was this yawning hunger—this bone-deep loneliness—better than a broken heart? Did he really want to live the rest of his life without her?

When his phone dinged, he nearly flipped over the coffee table in his rush to grab it. Then he checked the screen and sighed. Of course it wasn’t Anne. His brain had already known that, but his heart plummeted regardless. That was because his heart had the intelligence of a goldfish.

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