Breaking Stars Read online

  “What?”

  Paige sniffed. “She said, ‘That’s what I used to say too. We all do things to get ahead in this business, Paige. He might have been your first, but I’m sure he won’t be your last. Enjoy your career.’”

  “What a bitch,” I snarled.

  She chuckled. “I should have needed therapy after that fiasco.”

  “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

  Her face finally softened, and the Paige I was growing to adore was back. “It was a long time ago. But thanks.”

  “Random question,” I said as more thoughts filled my mind. She tilted her head, giving me the silent okay to continue. “Did you ever think about suing them? Can you sue the tabloids?”

  “That’s one of the worst parts. You can sue a tabloid or a news outlet, but all the obligation is on you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, like we just talked about, they can pretty much say and write whatever they want to sell papers, advertising, however it is they make their money. They can do whatever they want. But if I wanted to defend myself in court, I would have to prove that their words caused me to lose money. Like if they defamed my character, I would have to prove that their defamation cost me. Either I stopped getting job offers, or I lost roles I was up for. Things like that. But I would have to prove that all those things happened because of the articles and claims made by them. Gosh, am I making any sense at all?”

  “You’re making sense, but the situation doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I know. They can print complete and utter lies, defame my character, and I can’t really do anything about it. I have a publicist and she puts out the fires if necessary, but that whole affair thing. God, I wanted to sue. I wanted them to stop. But I didn’t lose work because of it. Only sleep, tears, pride, self-worth. Nothing that stands up in a court of law.”

  “It shouldn’t be like that. They shouldn’t be allowed to do that kind of stuff.”

  “But it makes them so much money, why would they ever stop?”

  Frowning, I admitted, “I’m starting to get angry, Paige.”

  “Don’t. It’s not worth it. I’ve been doing this long enough that I’ve got it under control, for the most part. They don’t say many bad things about me. I’m lucky in that regard.”

  “Lucky? You don’t do anything for them to talk about. You don’t do anything wrong.”

  “I know. And that’s exactly why. There hadn’t been anything dramatic written until—”

  “Until Douchepants cheated on you.” I finished her thought for her, and she lowered her head.

  “Yeah. That was mortifying. Is”—she looked at me—“is mortifying.”

  I leaned toward her, placing my hand on her knee. “He’s an idiot.”

  “True,” she said with a smile.

  “Do you miss him?” It was another loaded question, but this detail was more recent. Forget my simply wanting to know…I needed to know.

  “Missing him is the easy part. I don’t. At all. We were both so busy and rarely in the same place at the same time, that there isn’t really a lot to miss. I’m more angry at myself, to be honest. I feel like I was a complete idiot and I should have known better.”

  I nodded. “That’s how I feel about Brina. Like I should have known she was just using me the whole time.”

  “How could you have known something like that?”

  “How could you?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted with a little shrug. “I just feel like I should have.”

  “Me too.”

  We stayed silent for a minute, maybe more, letting the similarities of our experiences sink in. At least, that was what I was doing. I’d never expected us to have much of anything in common, but I was learning how wrong I was.

  “Will you tell me what happened with your dad?”

  I sucked in a breath. Was I ready to head down this road? If I didn’t drive down it now with her, when would I? Talking about this would never be an easy conversation to have, but I wanted to be open with Paige. She needed to know this side of me, and understand the moment that had altered my life.

  “I came home for Thanksgiving break. Mama had dinner ready, and we were waiting on my dad to come home. He was late and wasn’t answering the phone, so Mama asked me to run to the shop and go get him.”

  I looked away from Paige’s eyes, staring firmly at the wall behind her before meeting them again. Reliving that day hurt like hell, but I’d do it for her. My throat felt thick and it was hard to swallow, but I continued.

  “I pulled my truck up to the shop and saw all the lights on. Thinking everything was okay, I yelled for him to wrap it up and come home to eat before Mama killed him. The music was playing and Buster was whining, but my dad didn’t respond. I walked through the office and into the garage when I saw him lying there. The truck he had been working on had fallen off the jack and was lying right on top of his body. All I could see were his legs and a pool of blood.”

  I lowered my head and started shaking it back and forth. “I didn’t know what to do, so I tried to lift the truck. Like with my bare hands. I tried to tried to get it off of his body, but it wouldn’t budge. I screamed for him, shouted his name, but he didn’t move. I fell to my knees at the front of the car to see if I could pull him out somehow, but that was when I saw that his chest was crushed and a piece of metal had pierced through his stomach. That’s where all the blood came from. I knew he was gone, but I refused to believe it and I didn’t want my mama to see him like that, so I ran to Doc Tracy’s house. I don’t even remember running there, but apparently I did. I don’t remember most of what happened after, but my God, Paige. I wish every day it didn’t happen. I wish every day that I’d gone to check on him sooner.”

  Paige reached out and intertwined her fingers with mine. Squeezing them, she brought my knuckles to her lips and placed a kiss against them before bringing my hand to her lap and holding on tight.

  “Doc Tracy said there wasn’t anything that I could have done. That he most likely died instantly, but those words never seem to make a difference. You can hear them a hundred times, but your brain refuses to believe it. What if I’d shown up ten minutes earlier? What if Buster had run home to get me, like the damn dogs do in movies? What if, what if, what if…” My voice drifted off as the pain came crushing back.

  Paige squeezed my hand. “I’m so sorry, Tatum. I’m so sorry that you lost your dad like that, and that you were the one to find him.”

  “I’m glad it was me and not Mama. I don’t think she could have ever recovered from seeing him like that. The funeral was bad enough.”

  “So after he died, you never went back to school?” She adjusted herself on the couch and sat up straighter against the back.

  I sighed. “I went back. But only to quit the football team, drop my classes, and get my stuff.” She nodded as if my words resonated deep within her. “What are you thinking?” I asked.

  “That I would have done the same thing,” she admitted with a shrug.

  “Really?” I couldn’t believe it.

  She continued to nod. “I think so. I mean, on one hand, school would have been a great distraction, but I couldn’t imagine leaving my family after a tragedy like that. I’d want to be home. I’d feel like everything else could wait.”

  “That’s exactly how I felt. I didn’t want to play football anymore. I didn’t care. And who was going to run my dad’s shop and support our family? My mom? She’s not a mechanic. And no one in town was interested in buying it. The shop has been in our family for generations. It seemed like the right thing to do.”

  “I completely understand.”

  “Brina didn’t.”

  “I heard a little about that from Celeste,” she said, and I instantly bristled.

  “Yeah. I realized later that Brina was just using me as her get-out-of-town ticket. And when that fell through, she wanted nothing more to do with me.” I blew out a loud breath. “I thought she really
cared about me. I don’t understand how someone can fake something like that for so long.”

  “I’m sure she wasn’t faking all of it. She can’t be that cruel,” Paige said, giving Brina the benefit of the doubt, even though she didn’t deserve it.

  “Who gives a shit? No more talking, Paige,” I said, the weight of our discussion bearing down on me. I was exhausted emotionally, but I needed her more than ever.

  “More kissing?” she asked through puckered lips.

  “Lots more kissing. Stay here with me tonight.”

  “I thought you weren’t ready for that?” She pulled her head back in surprise, and I wondered what exactly she was thinking.

  “I just want to hold you in my arms all night, if that’s all right with you.”

  “It’s more than all right,” she breathed out before standing and reaching out her hand for mine. She led me into the bedroom, kicked off her shoes and looked at me. “What do you normally sleep in?”

  “Nothing,” I said with a big smile.

  “I figured. But what will you be sleeping in tonight?” She walked over to my dresser and opened up the top drawer before closing it. Opening up the drawer beneath it, she smiled and pulled out a pair of my workout shorts. I assumed they were for me to sleep in, but she unbuttoned her jean shorts and dropped them to the floor. My eyes fixed on her bare thighs, her hips, and the tiny piece of red cotton covering her skin. She pulled my shorts on over her underwear and I blinked.

  Her hands gripped the bottom of her tank top and pulled it over her head as she walked toward my closet and flicked through my hanging shirts. Long brown hair hung down her back, and I realized spending the night just sleeping was going to be more difficult than I had imagined.

  “Where are all your T-shirts?” she turned and asked, her breasts practically busting out of the top of her bra.

  “Dresser,” I mumbled, watching every move she made. When she pulled out a Texas University shirt and slipped it on, I hardened even more. Seeing her dressed from head to toe in my clothing was a ridiculous turn-on.

  “Your turn,” she said softly as she reached for the bottom of my shirt. It was such a bold move, but it felt right in her hands. I lifted my arms above my head as she pulled it off and tossed it to the floor near her discarded clothes.

  This was a side of Paige I didn’t even know existed. This Paige was confident and bold and seemed completely unafraid, while I stood there half-terrified, feeling like my soul had been stripped bare and laid out in front of her. I hoped she’d be gentle with it.

  Once she reached for the button on my jeans, I stopped her and did it myself. I trusted Paige but I was emotionally spent, and having her unbutton my jeans crossed the line from where my sanity and self-control lived. I wanted Paige in my arms. I needed to feel the closeness between us after what I’d just shared with her, but I wasn’t ready to push the boundary. Yet.

  “I know this probably seems crazy to have you here like this and not…” I paused as I pulled the covers back on my bed. “Well, you know.”

  “It’s not messed up. Do you have any idea how many times a girl would just like to be held, or have an amazing talk like we just did and have it not end up in the bedroom? I’m happy to spend the night with you. I’m even happier that it has nothing to do with sex. You have no idea how much of a relief that is for a girl.” She climbed in bed beside me, my shirt hanging well past her hips. “Especially for someone in my position.”

  My emotions still raw, I pulled her against me, still thinking about my dad and feeling vulnerable. She rested her head against my chest and I kissed the top of it. “Thank you. For understanding.”

  “Thank you. For not being typical.”

  “Yeah, I’m definitely not normal. Pretty sure I’m broken, or damaged, or maybe just clinically insane.”

  She looked up at me. “Pretty sure you’re amazing. And I’m lucky to have found you.”

  “Pretty sure you’re just as messed up as I am,” I teased, before finding her lips and kissing her until I could barely stay awake.

  A New Kind of Trust

  Paige

  My eyes fluttered open as the weight of someone’s arm reminded me that I wasn’t alone in bed. Memories of last night flooded through my mind, and I smiled as I buried my face in Tatum’s arm. I tried to turn over, but I couldn’t move. His body pressed against mine as he held me so tightly.

  It was in that moment that I started to freak out, realizing that his mom would know I had spent the night with her son.

  “Oh my gosh, Tatum,” I said, trying to shake him awake. “Tatum, wake up.”

  “What’s up, babe?” he mumbled.

  “Your mom.”

  “What about her? Is she here?” He shot up.

  “No. But she’ll know I spent the night. Oh my gosh, she’s going to kick me out of your house.” I dropped my head into my hands and closed my eyes.

  Tatum wrapped one of his arms around me and squeezed. “She’s not going to do anything except probably bake us both more pie. She’ll be pleased as punch.”

  “Pleased as punch?” I said, turning my head slightly.

  “It’s a Southern thing. It means happy.”

  “How do you know?”

  “You saw her face last night. She lit up like a Christmas tree when we said we were hanging out together. I think she’s been waiting for this since I first brought you home and warned her not to freak out.”

  “You warned her not to freak out? About me?”

  “Well, yeah. I couldn’t just waltz in the house with you and not warn her. I am a gentleman, after all.”

  “Is that what you call it?”

  “What would you call it, Princess?”

  I growled and frowned at him. “I hate you and I’m going to make up some stupid nickname for you that you hate. And I’m going to call you by it all the time. Because I’m twelve,” I said with a fake scowl.

  “Sorry, punk.”

  “But seriously, Tatum, I don’t want to disappoint your mom.” I hated the idea of her being upset at me.

  “She’s not going to be disappointed. You’re reading way too much into this,” he insisted.

  “By the way, what’s the deal with my car?” Not that I cared, I just figured I’d ask so I could pretend I needed to know.

  “Oh.” He turned his face away briefly before looking up at the ceiling and shrugging. “I’m, um, never fixing it.”

  I laughed. “That’s just rude, Tatum Alan Montgomery.”

  “Is it?” He leaned over me, his mouth quirking up into a devilish grin. I wanted to smack his arm, be playful, or say something witty, but all I could see were his shoulders and the way his arms flexed as he held himself above me. Nothing in my life had ever been sexier than this moment.

  “You see something you like?” Tatum winked as my focus returned to his face.

  “A lady never tells,” I said coyly.

  “And you, Paige Lockwood,” he kissed my nose, “are most certainly one of those.” With a grin on his face, he rolled off of me and got out of bed. “I’m starving.”

  I moved to get out of bed and change into my clothes when I froze. “Tatum, seriously. I’m putting the same clothes back on and doing the walk of shame. Into your mom’s house!”

  “You’d better bring some of your clothes over here then,” he said as he walked out the door, and my heart melted. I stayed on his bed for a minute, collecting the puddle of myself until I turned solid enough to move again.

  Pulling open the porch door, I prayed that Tatum’s mom wasn’t in the kitchen, or anyplace where she could see me. But the smell of breakfast cooking hit me in the face, and I knew I was in trouble. Mrs. Montgomery turned her head at the sound of the door creaking open, and I pinched my lips together and offered her a tight smile.

  “Morning, Paige,” she said with arched eyebrows.

  Crap. I was so busted.

  “Morning. I’ll just, uh,” nerves fluttered through me, “be right back.” I ru
shed into my bedroom and quickly changed into some clean clothes before returning to the kitchen for breakfast.

  Sitting down at the table, Tatum couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off his face as his mom kept looking between us.

  “I’d really like to take you both out to dinner tonight if that’s okay,” I said. “You do have a restaurant in town, right?” I searched my memory, trying to recall if I’d seen one, but I was certain they had to have one.

  Tatum laughed. “We have one café.”

  Mrs. Montgomery smiled. “You don’t have to do that, Paige, but it’s kind of you to offer.”

  “You both have done so much for me since I’ve been here. And Mrs. Montgomery, you haven’t stopped cooking or baking since I arrived. I’d love to let someone else cook for you for once. Please?” I put my hands together in prayer and stuck out my bottom lip.

  “So you don’t like my cooking? Is that it?” Mrs. Montgomery teased, and as I opened my mouth to argue, she stopped me. “I’m kidding, Paige. That sounds nice. I’d love to go out.”

  “Yay!” I said a little too enthusiastically, and Tatum rolled his eyes.

  Rubbing my full stomach, I hoped that my day with Tatum would consist of more talking much like last night. My thoughts felt somewhat pushy in a sense, but I hoped he was on the same page as I was. As we washed the dishes from breakfast, I nudged my hip against his upper thigh, shoving him over a step. He turned and splashed water from the sink at me, and I squealed.

  “All right, you two. I can do the dishes. Get out of here.” Mrs. Montgomery came up from behind us and took the plate from my hand.

  “No, really. We can do it,” I argued.

  “You’ll make a mess of my floors and I’ll have to mop them. Get on out.” She reached for a towel and tried to smack Tatum with it.

  “Let’s get out of here before she beats us to death.” Tatum squirmed to get away from her well-aimed swipes. He ran outside, Buster on his heels and me not far behind. “Wanna go for a walk?” he suggested, and I felt my face light up.

  “I would love that.”