Page 104 of How He Got the Girl
She shakes a finger at me. “Don’t go twisting my words, Griffie.”
“I’m just kidding.” I wrap my hand around her dainty, wrinkled fingers. “I’ll miss you.”
“Me too, but I refuse to be sad when I’m so excited for you.” She squeezes my hand with surprising strength. “I do have a question, though.”
“Yeah?”
“How are you feeling about leaving Mallory?”
I lean back in my seat and sigh. “I’ve been trying not to think about it.”
“Lucky for you, there are cell phones now and the fancy video calls.”
“It’ll be hard to talk as much as I want with the time difference and demanding schedule.” I inhale a shaky breath.
“How does that make you feel?” Granny asks.
“I feel horrible complaining since I know how lucky I am to have my Mallory and my career, but it feels like I’m going to be leaving half of my heart behind tomorrow.”
“It’s okay to be excited about the movie and also sad about leaving the girl you love behind.” Granny pats my arm. “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. And, trust me, she’ll still feel the same way when you get back. Feelings that deep don’t change in a few months. You two are meant for each other. Just like your grandfather and I were.”
I didn’t know my grandpa well. He died when I was ten, but every story I’ve heard about him has made it feel like he’s still here, still part of me. I think that’s the best we can hope for when we’re gone—that our legacy will live on through our loved ones from the impact we’ve made on them.
Granny always called Grandpa her soulmate. She said she’d never love anyone the way she loved him. And she’s stuck true to that promise. Even though she lost him young,she never considered remarrying. I’ve always dreamed of a love that big, so hearing her compare me and Mallory to them is the highest compliment.
She smiles, making the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth deepen. “A little distance won’t change that.”
“Thank you. I love you.” I pull her into a hug, careful not to squeeze too hard.
She sniffles. “I love you, too. Now, go leave that sweet girl with something to remember you by until the next time you’re able to visit.”
I laugh and press a kiss to her wrinkled cheek. I think I’ll do just that.
“I’m going to miss you, beautiful.” I run my hand over Mallory’s hair, trying to memorize the feel of each strand. Now that I have the honor of calling her mine, I don’t know how I’m going to leave her tonight. There will be plenty of time to miss her in the coming months, but I want to be present while she’s beside me.
Mallory snuggles deeper into my side, resting her head on my chest and her legs across my lap. “I’ll miss you, too.”
I lose all sense of time holding her, soaking in the scent of her tropical shampoo and the way she fits perfectly in my arms. I’m about to ask her what she’s thinking, when my shirt begins to feel damp. I rub Mallory’s back in small, soothing circles and press a kiss to the top of her head.
I clear my throat as Mallory’s breathing steadies. “What are you thinking?”
“Your arms feel like home.” The words come out raw, filled with emotion. It was hard to leave Lover’s Grove, to leave my parents and Granny behind for my career, and LA has never felt like home to me. I haven’t had that settled sensation since leaving Tennessee, not until I found Mallory again.
Tears sting my eyes, and pain twists my heart like a sharp knife. I truly consider calling Karina and telling her this is a huge mistake, that I don’t want to go because I’ve already found what I was looking for.
I keep telling myself that this distance will make our relationship stronger. We’ll grow our communication skills and not take a minute of time together for granted. Plus, Mallory would never let me give up the movie. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t think about how different life would be if I were a normal person able to find a new job to be near the woman I love.
Because I do love her. More than acting. More than life itself. More than I ever imagined possible. But I can’t imagine telling her that now. It sounds ridiculous, like,Hey, I love you. But now I’m gonna hop on this plane, and I won’t be back for months. Okay, love you, bye.
Yeah, that’s not going to fly.
I run my hand along her back, settling it on her hip. “I haven’t had a true home since I left Lover’s Grove for LA, but I found it in you.”
She lifts her chin, leaving our lips a breath apart. “That sounds like it should be a line in a movie.”
“What can I say?” I press my mouth to the corner of hers, teasing. “You inspire me.”
Mallory closes her eyes and murmurs, “Does that make me your muse?”
