Chapter Twenty-Five
Jake
“You’re falling behind again,” Austin said as we jogged down the street in my neighborhood.
I never thought that once I got back to California, I’d miss the Amazon, but somehow, a part of me did. It wasn’t that I missed the heat or the malaria-riddled mosquitoes, but I missed having those special moments in paradise with Kate. And it was definitely a time of my life that I’d never forget. The time I got to have a second chance with the woman I loved.
Since we’d returned, I hadn’t seen her but for a few brief moments on set. She had been keeping busy with Ben, going over the stages and talking with the special effects department, which needed her expertise for continuity.
Since we were no longer on location, I didn’t know how much longer her presence would be needed. Once Ben was done with her, he was going to let her go.
“I’m trying to keep up, for shit’s sake.” I picked up the pace and tried not to lag behind. “Sorry, I’m just not into it this morning. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
Austin shook his head. “Like what? You’re a superstar, richer than shit, and most men would kill to have your life and your best friend. Because I’m so awesome.”
“And full of shit,” I said. I gave him a pointed look. “I just wasn’t ready for it to end.”
“Oh, here we go. You’re talking about Kate, aren’t you? I know you two got real cozy on location, but I wasn’t sure how serious you really were. I thought once you got over your past and got her out of your system, you’d forget all about her.”
I realized that even after all these years, he didn’t really know me at all. With all it took trying to get over Kate all this time, the countless women he’d seen me come and go with from our shared apartment, it was no wonder he didn’t understand how much she meant to me.
“I can’t forget all about her, Austin. I’m still in love with her. I never cared about all of those other women, you know? They were just something to do or desperate attempts to try and ease my pain. But now, I know it was all in vain. I feel like I shouldn’t be anywhere else in the world without her, you know? I don’t know what to do. I can’t let her get away.”
“Then don’t. But be prepared, man. You’re the hottest Hollywood bachelor, and most of your fans want you to stay that way.”
“They’ll love Kate as much as I do.”
“No, they’ll want to be Kate, but they won’t love her. You’ll be lucky if they tolerate her.”
“I can’t live my life around those crazy, catty women and that Portia is practically a fucking stalker as it is. And I don’t think I just want to date Kate. I think I want to marry her.”
“Damn. You are all about burning bridges. I just hope you don’t light your career on fire. You could burn to the ground just as quickly as they could turn against you.”
“That’s the least of my worries, and I can’t even believe I am saying that.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
“All I keep thinking about is how I might spook her. I mean, the last time, I really think I took her off guard with the whole come with me line. I need to tread carefully so that I don’t scare her away.”
“If she turns you down, she’s nuts. You would be dodging a bullet. Just remember that.”
“She’s not nuts. She’s perfect for me. She makes me wish I was still in that hell hole, and I’d take a thousand snake bites just to be close to her again.”
“Okay, so now you’re the crazy one. Are you on something? You’re bringing me down.”
“What about you and Tess?” I wasn’t naïve enough to think that there was anything serious going on with him and Tess. They had played the close-friends angle most of the time, and unless anyone noticed him staying the night with her, I hadn’t heard anything about it.
Thankfully, Kate and I were careful, minus a few times I made her moan a bit loudly. I felt a sting just thinking about it.
He laughed out loud. “Tess and I were just a fling. And you know we ended things before we got to the Amazon. She didn’t want anything getting around about us. That’s why I slept most nights in the stunt team’s tent, and why I let her kick my ass at poker. We wanted the others to think we had animosity.”
He had played me right along with everyone else? I couldn’t believe it. “Wait, you weren’t with Tess?”
“No way,” he said. “She would have never allowed that. What are you thinking?”
“Kate stayed with me a few nights. We thought you and Tess were in her tent.”