by Kailin Gow
A single tear drop falls on his cheek and unto the hand he’s holding against his cheek. His voice seems loud and clear when he says this, “I can’t be with you anymore, Summer Jones. I will always love you. You are the sweetest, most kind person with the biggest heart I’ve ever met, but you’re too good for me, and I can’t fulfill what you need from me, given my schedule and everything. This relationship just won’t work.”
With that, he gets up from the table, dropping my hand, and stepping away from the table.
It’s silent all around, and it’s like the whole place suddenly stopped talking, cluing into our conversation. The silence is broken then as one person from another table close by snapped a photo of us from their phone, while a few others snapped photos, too.
“Come on,” Astor whispers into my ears, “Let’s get out of here,” he takes my hand and leads me out so fast to his car, I barely have the chance to snatch my coat and purse.
He helps me into the car before hurrying up into his side and quickly backing out of the parking lot of the restaurant.
“Summer?” he asks when we’re far away enough. “Are you alright? You haven’t said a word since we left the restaurant.”
I turn to look at him, and I don’t know whether to slap him or to kiss him.
“Summer?” he touches my chin and cheeks with his hand and caresses my face. He has a look of adoration in his eyes and a little bit of triumph. “I’m sorry I broke up with you at the restaurant,” he says.
“At a very public restaurant,” I say.
“A very public restaurant,” Astor agrees.
“Where everyone can see how clearly you broke up with me, instead of the other way around,” I say. “Now it’ll be all over the tabloids…”
“And no one can blame you for anything, and no one can be jealous of you for being with me,” Astor says.
“So you did all this to get your fans off of me,” I say.
“Rachel thought it up,” Astor says. “She’s got the makings of a publicist.”
“She wants to go into acting,” I say.
“She does?” Astor asks. “Maybe I can help her there.”
I take his hand in mine. “Astor, you are too good to be true.”
“I wish you can change your mind about us one day, Summer. I only broke up with you publicly because I don’t want you being ripped to shreds by the obsessed fans. Not all of them are like that, but you never know, and given what happened today…”
“I know,” I kiss his hand and bring it to my cheek.
Astor inhales sharply and says, “Summer…”
“Astor…”
“I’m not going to push you or embarrass me any further,” he says. “But you are going down in my book, as one of my greatest love one day, and hopefully the only.”
“We’re still young,” I say. “I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’m not planning on getting marry anytime soon. I’ve learned that from Aunt Sookie. To live a little, to travel a little, see more, meet more people, and experience more things…and if we’re meant to be, Astor, someday, that will come true.”
“For now,” he says, “I’ll savor this, and I’ll savor our friendship. After all,” he says. “Good friends are hard to find.”
“Yes,” I say. “They are, and I value your friendship more than anything.”
“Same here,” he looks wistfully at me before wiping the corner of his eye.
Chapter 13
Summer
When I get home, Astor walks me to the door. He kisses me softly on the lips and lingers there for a moment before letting go. He’s standing there holding me tightly against him, hugging me as though he won’t let go, when Rachel opens the door.
“Oh hi,” she says looking as innocent as possible. “Hope everything went well,” she gives Astor a look, and he nods before turning away.
I watch his sexy body walk away from me, all six feet of him, and see him turn back to look at me. His mouth is open, and I see him look anguished before he gets into his car. He looks at me through the windshield, and holds my gaze. I feel like crying, like running to him and throwing open his car door, and to jump in to hold him, but he revs up his engine, and drives away before I can blink.
Rachel’s voice brings me out of my misery. “For what it’s worth, Summer, Astor’s a great guy. I wished it could’ve worked out for you and him. I’m Team Astor, of course, if you haven’t figured that out. He really cares for you, Summer, so much so that he is willing to have his heart broken all over again to do this just so he can deflect all that hatred away from you.”
“I know, Rachel,” I say. “There is really more to Astor than what everyone else sees in public. I do understand him, and I’ll miss him very much.”
“I’m so sorry, Summer,” Rachel says, hugging me. “I wish you can find some happiness in your love life.”
“I don’t know what to do with you,” I say, almost laughing. “That was pretty bold what you and Astor cooked up, but I have to love you for it.”
“How about thanking me for coming up with something that may get you out of the limelight and into obscurity once again,” she says.
“We can try a manicure with ice cream or shakes again,” I say.
“Maybe in a day or two when I have class again,” she says.
“Deal. And if we run into Nicole or Steph, the evil twin bitches again, we can test out whether your plotting with Astor worked.”
“True,” Rachel says. “Although if it doesn’t. I wouldn’t mind dumping our milkshakes on both of their heads again.”
I laugh. “Pretty satisfying, wasn’t it?”
“Very.”
Chapter 14
Summer
The tabloids are all over Astor’s breakup with me, and I’m not sure if it’s bringing more attention to me than before or less. In the beginning there’s a lot of gossip and tweeting about how Astor Fairway has come to his senses, about how he realizes he is really in love with his film’s co-star, Lauren Banks, how I’m not his type anyways. All this fervor of news about me lasted for a full couple of days.
Afterwards, news of Astor’s movie details and other details about him drowned out news about our relationship. Instead, photos of Astor and Lauren Banks began surfacing. At first when I looked at those photos where he would have his arm around her shoulders, I would feel myself grow heated with jealousy. Does Astor tell Lauren how much she means to him like the way he does with me? Does he kiss her slowly like the way he does with me? Does he give her thoughtful gifts?
I stop myself from torturing myself with these insecure thoughts. Why should I care? We are no longer together. I’m not even sure if we have been exclusive. I think Astor may have been more than I, but then again, Astor has been spending a lot of time on the set with his co-star. She’s there where he is, on set and on location. She plays someone who’s intimate with him. She knows exactly what he’s going through because she’s a famous actor, too. She’s beautiful, talented, and probably nice. Astor has mentioned how he gets lonely in Vancouver without me there. Now that he doesn’t have any ties to me, he’s free to start dating her. Suddenly I feel the impact of our breakup. It feels like a slap in the face, a loss, and then something hollow. Astor was Aunt Sookie’s prize student, and his mentor. Now she’s gone, and he’s gone.
I’m feeling pretty bad about the breakup and go out jogging along the beach, exercising off the tension I’ve felt for the past couple of days. As I jog to a natural rhythm, feeling my feet pound on the soft shifting sand, I hear footsteps following me on the sand. It’s like déjà vu. I turn around, half expecting to see Drew jogging up to me like he and I did all summer long, jogging to keep fit.
It’s not Drew jogging behind me, but another Donovan.
Tall, handsome, and broody. It’s Nat, and he’s wearing a black skintight shirt that outlines his muscular upper body, and black jogging pants. He looks fit enough to have stepped out of Fitness magazine. When did he get that fit? He’s a
lways been fit, but not cut like he is now. That is Drew’s area, not Nat’s. but then again, it seems the lines are blurring.
“Hi Summer,” Nat says, jogging effortlessly up to me. “Mind if I join you?”
“Of course not,” I say, smiling and wanting to hug him. “When did you get back?”
“Not that long ago. Rach told me you’re out jogging so I figured I could use a jog.”
“When did you start pumping up?” I smile back. “You’re going to look like Drew, and then I can’t tell you two apart.”
“Oh you can tell us apart, Summer. It’s not that difficult.” Nat says. “With or without clothes on. In my case, I’m the one who would be a passionate and attentive lover, taking care of all your needs before mine.”
I licked my lips and laugh it off. “That sounds tempting, Mr. Fitness Model. No seriously, I haven’t seen you in months and now you’re so…” I swallowed, narrowing my eyes in desire as I openly ogle Nat’s smooth muscular beauty.
Nat chuckles, enjoying my embarrassment at finding how we affected each other. “I started working out more after starting college. It helps me deal with stress and letting things go.”
“Stress?” I ask innocently. “What kind of stress does a billionaire’s son have?” I joke.
Nat gives me one of his dry smiles, the one where only the edges of his mouth curls up. Coming from him, it’s seductively mysterious and makes my stomach heat up. I don’t think I’ll ever get over my crush on him.
“Oh, the usual,” he says. “Racking up bills partying at some penthouse mansion, jetting across the world with a bevy of leggy models and starlets, drinking fine champagne, and buying fancy cars…”
“Oh, stop it,” I laugh, shoving him.
“Hey,” he says, “isn’t that what you expect a billionaire’s playboy son to be like?”
“Maybe if he wants to make a jerk of himself,” I say, stopping to catch my breath. Nat stops with me, and he’s not even out of breath like I am. “But I know you, Nat, and you are nothing but a good-hearted, sensitive man who cares deeply about the people you love.”
I’m standing almost face to face to him, except he’s a good head taller, and we’re looking into each other’s eyes. His is such a beautiful pale green that reminds me of summer grass. Nat’s eyes break contact with mine first and glances at my lips and back up to my eyes. “That’s a nice thing to say about me, Summer.”
“Well, it’s true,” I tell him. “I wouldn’t be saying it if I didn’t mean it.”
“I know,” Nat pulls me into a hug. “Thank you for that.”
“Thank you?” I ask, almost unbelievably.
“Well, what do you want me to say?” Nat shoots back.
“How about… ‘and you’re a sweetheart, Summer’ or ‘I think you’re wonderful, too, Summer’…”
Nat laughs and pulls me in tighter. “You know I already think of you that way.”
“Even if you do,” I whisper so close to his chest, I can hardly breathe, “it’ll be nice to hear it.”
Nat looks down at me with pure affection. “You want to hear me say what I think of you, huh?”
“My ego and self-esteem is at its all-time low. I’ve been raked over coals on the internet, gossiped about by the most hateful women, vandalized, and now publicly dumped by Astor Fairway. All this, and I’m supposed to hold my head high, as though nothing bad ever happens to me.”
Nat cups my face in both of his strong hands almost a little too fiercely then. “Don’t ever doubt you’re strong, Summer. Don’t ever think you are any less than who you are.” His eyes are like green fire, blazing into mine. He’s angry.
Then he releases his hold on my face in the most gentlest way. “Summer,” he says, his tone soft and husky. “You are the most incredible woman I know. There isn’t a day that goes by when I think how lucky I am to know you. I don’t ever want to hear you put yourself down.”
“But that’s how I feel,” my voice is on the verge of cracking. Why do I feel so terrible about my break up with Astor? It isn’t as though we were that serious. We couldn’t be, not when I’ve known him not very long. Nat and Drew? I’ve known them forever.
Nat pulls me into a hug, which envelopes me completely. I feel safe in his warm arms, and I bury my face in his chest. He smells like the ocean, clean and free, and because he’s been sweating from jogging, he smells intoxicatingly like musk and salty skin. I’m suddenly fully aware of his entire body crushing me to his chest, and my throat gets dry.
I have the urge to lift his shirt and run my hands all over his sweet and salty skin, before tasting him with my tongue. I look up and see him looking at me hungrily. His hands have been gently stroking my back, massaging it as he holds me. Now they’re reaching down to rest on the curve of my butt.
“So you’re not seeing Astor Fairway anymore,” he says huskily.
I nod “no”. That’s all I can do with him this close and my mouth watering for him.
“That. Makes. Me. Very. Happy,” he says before crushing his lips to mine. My mouth meets his in a ferocious passion, both of us wanting so much of each other, both of us wanting to pull each other closer. When his tongue touches mine, I moan. Nat covers my mouth with his and swallows my moan, while I arch my breasts into him.
“Nat,” I say breathlessly. “I want to…”
Nat kisses my mouth before I can finish talking and trails his lips down my neck, making me shiver with pleasure and desire. His lips is on top of my chest edging closer to my harden nipples peeking clearly outlined against my flimsy bra and shirt, when he scoops me up and lays me on the sand covering me with his body as he trails kisses up and down my shoulders and neck. “Believe me, Summer, I want to, too…”
I writhe underneath him, my lower body completely inflamed for him. “I want you, Nat,” I groan. “I’ve always wanted you, but now you’re…”
Nat kisses me once more before groaning against my cheeks. I can feel how aroused he is as he adjusts himself against me. “We’re in public, Summer,” he says. “The last thing we would want is to be caught for public indecency.”
“Summer?” A feminine voice calls out close by. “Summer? Where are you?”
It’s Rachel.
Nat jumps off me, and pulls me up with him when he gets up, brushing off sand from my hair and my shirt.
“Oh,” Rachel appears at the top of the small cliff above us. “There you are. Nat, too.” She runs down the ramp to come over. “Wow, you two,” she says, “jogging and some sun looks good on both of you. You both got some color on you.”
I glance over at Nat, noticing his smirk at Rachel’s comment. If Rachel only knew.
“What do you want?” Nat asks, clearing his throat, and looking a little irritated. Although his black pants is loose enough, I could notice the bulge at his crotch. It makes my nipples harden just thinking about how close we came to getting naked on the beach.
“Hi to you, too, Big Bro,” Rachel says, oblivious to the heavy sexual tension going on between Nat and I. “By the way, Drew is going to be back tomorrow night for the rest of this week. It’ll be like old times with all of us here.”
I smile. That’s a good thought. Despite how hot I was feeling for Nat at the moment, I couldn’t help feeling my spirit lift hearing Drew’s name. In front of Rachel and Nat, I play down my excitement. “So, Rach,” I say. “How’s the second time teaching improv to the kids?”
Rachel’s grin is huge as she says, “Fantastic!”
Her grin is contagious so I’m grinning back at her when I ask. “Closing up not a problem?’
“That’s what I need to tell you,” Rachel says, her entire expression changing into seriousness.
“What? No spray painting hate words on the walls again? Milkshake dumping? Online stuff?”
Rachel ignores my attempt at humor, which isn’t like her at all. Something serious must be up.
“I found this around the corner behind the Academy,” Rachel says, taking a crumble piec
e of paper out of her bag.
Nat grabs it from Rachel’s hand and looks it over.
“What is it?” From the clenching of his jaws and frown on his face, I know it’s something upsetting.
“It’s an article about the Academy, written a few months ago, about how the Academy won Best Acting Camp. There’s a picture of Aunt Sookie and you, Summer, standing in front of the school,” Rachel says.
“What’s wrong with that?” I ask, hoping Rachel will just say it.
Nat is fingering the edges of the article, and he lifts it up to smell it. “This paper’s doused with gasoline.” He frowns. “Not that long ago. I’d say maybe an hour ago. The smell is still strong.”
Rachel bites her lips and says, “That’s not all. I found a lighter nearby it.”
“Whoever had this, was planning on starting a fire…a large one, for sure,” Nat says.
“At the Academy,” I add. A shiver runs down my spine. “With you and the kids inside.”
Rachel looks pissed. “You know, right? What kind of a sick bastard would be trying to arson the place with a class of young kids in there?”
Nat looks pissed, too, as he reaches into the pocket of his pants to pull out his phone. “Someone who is very dangerous and don’t care if he’s caught…arson in broad daylight. With some kind of personal vendetta against the school or Aunt Sookie or even you, Summer. Either way, it leads to one goal…”
“To shut down the Academy,” I realize. “Even if they have to kill someone to do.” It’s too much. All of this hatred, bullying, vandalism, and now attempted murder is too much. It’s one thing to have lost Aunt Sookie, but for someone or some group to try to erase her legacy by all of this, then it’s too much. The stress of it physically wears me down, and all I can do at this moment is start crying.