Page 103 of How He Got the Girl
“Thank you,” he whispers into my ear. “I think I needed to hear that you choose me, too. That you choose this life. I never wanted to force you into the public eye.”
I pull back just enough to press my lips to his. The kiss is gentle, but filled with desire and anticipation. A kiss to remember this moment by for the rest of our lives. “If I wasn’t already clear, this is me choosing you.”
His mouth tilts up at the corner. “Does that mean I get the honor of having you on my arm at every red carpet and gala?”
“As long as you don’t mind taking me dress shopping.”
Griffin chuckles. “Deal.”
I run my fingers along the hair at the nape of his neck. “Does this mean you’ll finally call Karina and tell her you’re accepting the role? I bet she’s freaking out.”
“As long as you’re sure that you’re okay with me taking it.” He sighs. “I hate the thought of leaving you and Granny so soon, and I could never ask you to come with me. I know how much your job, friends, and family mean to you. But we’ll be in completely different time zones.”
“It’s only for a season,” I say, trying to give him every reason to pursue his dream, because I want that for him. And I want to be right by his side, cheering him on as he achieves them.
“Whenever you’re filming, I could fly out during my school’s spring and summer breaks to be with you. And if you ever have a free weekend, you could come visit.” I press a kiss to his cheek. “We’ll make things work for this movie once you get a better idea of what your schedule will look like, then we can figure out what we want to do moving forward.”
“I’ll happily limit the number of projects I take on each year.”
“You don’t need to make any promises like that now, Griff. The only promise I want you to make is that you’ll always come home to me.” I move my fingers up into his hair, trailing them along his scalp. He closes his eyes and leans his head into my touch.
“Always.” Griffin’s voice is low and raspy, his eyes focused on my lips. He traces the outline of my jaw from my ear to my chin.
I inch my mouth closer to his, our breath intermingling in the air between us. “Good, because the truth is, I’m falling for you, too.”
Griffin closes the remaining distance and shows me how deeply he cares about me with every press of his lips to mine.
It’sbeenaweeksince Mallory told me she was falling in love with me, and I still haven’t come down from the feeling. I’ve been walking around with my head in the clouds, a permanent smile pasted on my face. One that I never want to fade.
But I have a feeling it will after today. I don’t think it’s possible to leave Mallory behind tomorrow and still wear a grin, even if I’m excited about this movie. Saying ‘see you later’ to her is going to be the hardest thing I’ve done.
One thing at a time,I remind myself. I have to say my goodbyes to Granny first. Today is a whole day of mixed emotions, so I’m going to embrace them. I can feel both joy and dread at the same time.
Ted drops me off and I head inside, waving hi to the receptionist as I pass by. When I arrive outside Granny’s room, I’m greeted with a flood of memories from when Mallory came here with me. With a deep breath, I knock on the door.
“Come in,” Granny’s gentle voice calls out.
I walk in with a forced smile and pull her into a hug. She presses a kiss to my cheek before pulling back.
“You’re feeling a little thin.” Granny pats my stomach. I can’t imagine I’ve lost much weight since I saw her last, but it’s her job to worry about me. “You need some sweets. The dining hall has the best banana pudding. I could get you some.” She gestures to the door, and I shake my head.
“Thanks for the offer, but I can’t stay long.” I help her back into her recliner and sit on the edge of the coffee table across from her.
“I know, I was just trying to prolong our goodbye.” Her smile is as warm and sweet as a chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven. “I’m so proud of you, Griffie. This role is going to open even more opportunities for you. I know it.”
Her words bolster my spirit. “Do you think the Griffies will jump from the rom-com to the fantasy train?”
“They will if I tell them to,” she tuts.
I raise my brow. It’s taken over two years, but I caught her red-handed. “Ha! You finally admitted you’re the creator of my fandom.”
Granny’s mouth drops open, and she sputters. “I— You— I did no such thing.”
“Sure.” I’m not one to second-guess her intentions, so I let it slide. Even though we both know the truth. “I know you’ve said you’ll be okay, but I feel awful leaving you here alone.”
Granny waves off my comment. “Oh, don’t fret about me. I’ve made a few friends to keep me company. And, like I said, the banana pudding really is something to talk about.”
“Well, I just can’t compete with banana pudding.”
