Page 65 of Backed By You
Shea waits approximately two seconds before bursting into laughter. “Your face right now is priceless.”
“It’s not funny,” I grumble as Maya helps me carefully step out of the dress. My mind swims with what they could possibly need to talk about. Of course, the only thing that comes to mind is…me. “You know how he is.”
“Beau can handle himself,” Shea says confidently. “That man radiates ‘can handle himself’ energy.”
Once I’m back in a cozy white robe, Maya leaves with the dress, promising to return it by this evening. As the door closes behind her, Shea plops onto the sofa beside me, tucking her feet beneath her. “So,” she says, her expression turning serious. “Now that we’re alone—what’s really going on with you two?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, Cals. You’ve been vague about your relationship for months. Thenboom!he’s your boyfriend on national television. That’s a big step for someone who’s been keeping her dating life under lock and key since college.”
I sigh, knowing she’s right. “We’ve been serious for the last three weeks. It just sort of…happened.”
“The best things usually do,” she says with a smile. “But are you happy? Because I’ve been watching you two and I’ve never seen you like this with anyone.”
“Like what?”
“Completely yourself,” she says simply. “No filters, no walls, no director-mode armor. You look at him like he’s your safe place.” Adding coyly, “Similar to how you look at me, actually.”
I laugh, but her observation hits closer to home than I expected. “He is,” I admit quietly.
“So it’s serious?” Shea asks, her eyes soft with understanding.
I nod, a little surprised at how easy the admission is. “Yeah. It is.”
“And the L-word?”
“We haven’t said it,” I confess. “But I think…it’s there.”
Shea squeals, bouncing in her seat. “I knew it! The way he looks at you when you’re not watching—that man isgonefor you.”
“Really?” I can’t help the hopeful note in my voice. Does he? Could he really…love me already? It’s fast.Reallyfast. But it feels right. So damn right it’s hard to comprehend.
“Absolutely. And I have to say, as your best friend who’s seen you through some truly questionable choices—” She gives me a pointed look. “—I approve. One hundred percent.”
I smile, laughing with watery eyes. “You do?”
“He’s solid, Cal. Grounded. And he clearly adores you without trying to use your success as a stepping stone. Plus,” she adds with a grin, “he was ready to murder Jack yesterday for touching yourkneeof all things. That’s both terrifying and hot.”
I laugh, feeling a weight lift that I didn’t realize I was carrying. “I wasn’t sure if… I mean, this world is so different from his.”
“Maybe that’s exactly what you need,” Shea suggests. “Someone who sees past all this—” She gestures around the luxury hotel room. “—to therealyou.”
The real me. The me that’s not sidelined by fear and paranoia. The me that loves movies and writing and directing. “I like her better, I think.”
“I like her, too,” Shea says, her expression turning slightly mischievous. “Also, the sex must beincredible, because you’re practically glowing.”
“Shea!”
“What? I’m simply saying what we’re all thinking. That man looks like he knows what he’s doing.”
My cheeks heat. “I’m not discussing this with you…right now.” She knows I tell her everything, but not when Beau or my dad could walk in at any moment.
“Your blush tells me everything I need to know,” she says triumphantly. Then, more seriously, “I’m happy for you, Cals. Really.”
“Thanks,” I say, feeling emotional. “Your opinion means a lot to me.”
“I know,” she says with exaggerated confidence that makes me laugh. “Now, tell me honestly, what do they feed these men out there? Are they all built likethat?”
