“Seriously?” he says after a heartbeat. “Are we really not going to talk about this? You’re going to school, Avery. School. Like, a legit school. Are you seriously going to tell me that you’re not freaked?”
I’m freaked. I am so freakin’ freaked. But I feel ridiculous for being so nervous. I mean, this is what I wanted. I fought my mom tooth and nail to let me go to a normal high school rather than continue being homeschooled on set and at our house like I have been for as long as I can remember.
But going to school means not working nonstop, so my mom balked. We finally came up with a compromise. No normal high school for me, but she did agree to let me register at Trudale School of Academics in the Arts for Gifted Learners.
Ugh. Talk about a long-ass, pompous name. It’s a boarding school that caters to the elite—the wealthy, the celebrities, the children of celebrities.
They’re focused on the arts, though they have a reputation for a great, well-rounded education. They also have a policy of working around conflicts for those students who earn a living. They arrange classes to fit your schedule, which means I’ll be joining the junior class a month into their school year and will be allowed to leave periodically for pre-approved events and film shoots.
I get to go to a school, albeit a prestigious, elite one, and my mom doesn’t lose her one and only client to something so prosaic as high school.
Gabe leans across the table, and his knowing smirk is replaced by kind eyes and a gentle smile as he places a hand over mine. “You’re going to do great.”
I flip my hand over so I can squeeze his hand. “Am I?” Okay, there goes the confident routine. But I’m a wreck and there’s no denying it.
His look of disbelief is so over the top it’s equally entertaining and disheartening because he’s so clearly lying. “Are you kidding?” he says. “They’re going to love you.”
Now it’s my turn to arch my brows in disbelief. “They’re going to hate me.”
He clearly wants to protest but he can’t. “Only because they don’t know you.”
I sip my coffee to hide how much that hurts. I mean, I’m glad that he’s not trying to lie to me. I love him for his honesty, but it only confirms how badly this is going to suck.
But it’s what you wanted. That thought has me straightening in my seat and taking a deep, fortifying breath. This is what I wanted. A normal life. Or, at least, as normal as my life can get.
I down the last of my latte in one gulp and set the cup down. “Sorry to cut this short but I need to get to the gym so my trainer can kick my ass.” What I wouldn’t give to be able to sit here and gossip with my best friend. I watch greedily as he inhales the last of the scone.
And eat. What I wouldn’t give to sit here and eat.
Gabe is chewing furiously. “Are you seriously going to leave before we can discuss the Trent situation?” He looks horrified but this is my cue to leave.
There’s nervous about starting a new school, and then there’s terror. And the thought of meeting the guy who may or may not be the love of my life?
Yeah, that falls into the terror category.
“There’s nothing to discuss,” I say as I pull my earbuds out of my bag, already getting ready to flee.
He lets out a snort. “Right. Nothing to discuss. You’re only going to meet the dude you’ve been crushing on for years, but why would we ever want to talk about that?”
That’s not entirely true. It hasn’t been years. I’ve only just discovered the brilliance that is Trent Wagner this year. But his point is valid. I am in love. Or, at least, as in love as one can be with a guy one only knows as a voice.
Okay, I may have seen his headshot on the audiobook site as well. But really, my love affair is with his voice and his talent. The fact that he’s a hottie? That’s just icing on the cake.
In case it’s not already obvious, I’m a reader. A big one. I consume books in every way possible, hardcovers, paperbacks, e-books, and audiobooks. With my hectic schedule, audiobooks are the easiest way for me to get a literary fix. Trent Wagner narrates my favorite series, Rogue Debutante by Celeste Cleary. It’s a steampunk pirate romance series that’s seemingly endless. The author puts out new books every five seconds, it seems, and they’re followed up quickly with Trent’s version.
I have an addiction. A serious problem. And Gabe knows all about it.
He also knows that Trent Wagner is a senior at Trudale, a fact he alerted me to two days ago and which I still haven’t quite digested.
I mean, this should be a good thing, right? Most girls would probably be psyched knowing they’re going to meet the guy they’ve been dreaming about for months.
Me?
I’m terrified. And by the way Gabe is watching me, he knows it. Or at least, he knows there’s more going on here than I’m willing to admit.
I shrug helplessly. “I’ve seriously got to go, G. You’ve seen my trainer.” I get up and grab my bag. “Would you want to make him angry?”
Gabe’s not fooled but he doesn’t try to stop me. “You can’t avoid me forever.”
I flash him a smile as I pop my earbuds in and sling my bag over my shoulder. “How could I avoid you, you’re taking me to that club opening tonight, right?”
He gives me the cocky lopsided smile he’s known for and leans back in his seat. “Of course. I’m going to need a wingman, babe.”
I laugh and roll my eyes. Gabe never needs a wingman. He does just fine on his own. But we do have more fun when we’re together and right now a night out dancing with my best friend is exactly what I need to get my mind off Trudale and Trent and the fact that in two days’ time I’ll be filming a sex scene with Henry the angry pervert.
But for now…I hold up my hand to say goodbye to Gabe and hit play on my iPhone to pick up where I left off. Trent’s voice is in my ears, filling me with the kind of sweet euphoric sensation I imagine heroin addicts experience.
His voice and the story help me face the photographers who are blocking the path to my car. I can make out the words coming out of their mouths, though the sound is drowned out by my hottie narrator, currently giving voice to a sexy werewolf.
“Avery, over here. Give us a smile.” I see it mouthed by a bald old dude with face tattoos.
Yeah, no. Not today, thanks.
I mean, I could smile, but it wouldn’t be real. These days it feels like the most real thing in my life are my books, the stories…this voice. He has this genuine quality, a way of capturing the truth in each character that puts every actor I know to shame. The stories might be silly and the plotlines outlandish, but he brings them to life, he makes them real and true.
So yeah, what you see is never what you get.
But what you hear?
That’s another story.
To continue reading, check out Audible Love
About the Author
MAGGIE DALLEN IS a big city girl living in Montana. She writes romantic comedies in a range of genres including young adult, historical, contemporary, and fantasy. An unapologetic addict of all things romance, she loves to connect with fellow avid readers. Subscribe to her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bFEVsL
IG: Mag_Dallen
Facebook: facebook.com/MaggieDallenAuthor
Twitter: twitter.com/Mag_Dallen
Website: maggiedallen.com
Tall, Dark, and Nerdy: High School Billionaire #1 Page 17