Page 70 of Becoming Cinderella

I only wait for five minutes when I see a golf cart come from the direction of the set. My stomach flips at the reminder of Liam coming down to meet me the first time I came up here. Thankfully, unlike that time, the security guards aren’t pressuring me to leave, even though they are shooting me looks like they’re moments away from informing me I need to move.

I reach over and grab the pie for Liam as I climb out of my car.

“Carter, hi!” Olivia hops out of the golf cart and gives me a hug. Well, at least she doesn’t hate me.

“Hey, thanks so much for helping me.”

“Of course! Between you and me, Liam has been moping around all week.”

I know it shouldn’t, but hearing her say that lights something in me. Not because Liam’s miserable, but because maybe he misses me as much as I miss him.

“I know I probably don’t have a right to ask about Liam, but how is he? Is he ready for your dance scene?”

Olivia lets out a small laugh. “He is, but I can tell he’s nervous about it. He told me you had been helping him practice. I don’t know what he was like when he started, but he’s been great during our rehearsals this past week.”

I stare down at the box in my hand. I hope by the time the movie comes out my heart is healed enough that I can at least watch the dance scene, if not the entire movie.

I think about how he’s going to look in his prince costume twirling Olivia around on the set they built for this scene alone.

“He’s going to be perfect.” I say more to myself than Olivia.

Even though I’m on the outs with Liam, I don’t like knowing filming is almost over. Knowing he will be states away and not city blocks away sends me into a small panic. He’ll never forgive me when he moves back to LA and puts his whole Utah experience behind him.

Next Tuesday the movie wraps and next Saturday is the Homecoming Dance. The dance I don’t have a date to. That doesn’t matter right now though, it stopped mattering when I accepted my feelings for Liam.

Besides, I’m grounded anyway.

I hand over the Banoffee pie. “I better get going so I’m not late for school.”

Olivia takes the box from me, giving me a sad smile. “Are you sure you don’t want me to tell him this is from you? Because that might make him-”

“No, that’s not what this is about. I want him to feel great today, that’s all. I had my chance and I blew it. I said everything I could say, it just wasn’t enough.” I shrug, hoping to hide the sudden quiver in my chin. “He worked so hard and he deserves to nail this scene.”

Olivia looks at me unsure.

“Promise me you won’t say anything, Olivia. Please.”

“Okay, I’ll make sure he gets this, and I promise not to say a word.”

I’m grateful for Olivia and the kindness she has shown me from the moment I met her. “Thank you, Olivia. It was really great to meet you, and I can’t wait to see all the wonderful things that are in store for you.”

She reaches over and gives me a tight one-armed hug since she’s holding the pie in her other hand. “Give Liam some time, okay? I’m sure he’ll come around. I know he misses you.”

I give her a small nod as I open my car door. “Good luck today.”

Olivia flashes her perfect toothpaste commercial ready smile. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. He had a good teacher.” She gives me a wink before she goes and climbs in the back of the golf cart, giving me a final goodbye.

Chapter Twenty-One

“What do you mean you aren’t going to Homecoming?” Penn stares at me, her mouth slightly open.

“Why are you acting so scandalized?” I laugh as I glance up from a game on my phone. “I don’t have a date.”

“You don’t have to have a date to go.”

I pull a face at her. “Really? And third wheel with you and Jared? No offense Penn, but I’d rather not go. Besides, I’m grounded.”

Penn lets out an annoyed huff. “This is your very last Homecoming.”

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