Breaking Stars (The Celebrity 2)

I kicked at the dirt and tried to stop feeling so damned frustrated, but dealing with Brina made everything ten times worse. Stalking away, I balled my hands into fists before releasing them. I refused to let Brina affect me. Seeing Paige ahead in the distance waiting for me, I broke into a jog as my anger dissipated.

“Sorry. I wanted to ask them to keep quiet about you being here.”

Paige smiled and I stared at her mouth. Like, I couldn’t take my eyes off her full lips and I wanted to feel them, taste them, have them pressed against mine.

“What’d they say?” she asked, her voice interrupting my inappropriate thoughts.

“They said they would.”

“That’s a good start, right?”

I think she gave people more credit than they deserved, but I didn’t want to disappoint her. “Yeah, it’s a good start.” I smiled back at her, and even though it didn’t seem possible, her smile grew larger. She was so damned optimistic, and it made me want her even more.

We walked side by side the rest of the way to Mama’s house as my insides tore in two. One half wanted to stop overthinking everything in my life and enjoy whatever time I had with Paige doing whatever she’d allow me to do with her, while the other half refused to let down its guard. I didn’t handle being hurt well; I’d learned that from experience. But weren’t some people worth the risk?

I wasn’t so sure.

As we neared the house, I was no closer to an answer.

Partying in the South

Paige

With all the excitement of Tatum crashing my swimming-hole party and making me leave, I’d completely forgotten about my car. I didn’t even think to ask him about when the tire would be in. And the honest-to-God truth was that at the moment, I didn’t care at all. I’d stay here all summer if I could. And I think I’d like it. I liked the way he acted like he was protecting me. With Tatum, it didn’t seem self-serving; he seemed to genuinely want to keep me safe. Part of me didn’t know how to reconcile that in my head. I could count on one hand how many people truly cared about me.

After changing out of my bikini, I walked into the kitchen to hear Tatum and his mom talking about me.

“Tatum. Take her to the field. It will be fun for her,” his mom insisted, and Tatum grunted.

“You grunt a lot,” I said, announcing my presence.

“What?” He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.

“That sound. You do it a lot when you’re irritated. Or maybe you just do it a lot around me because I irritate you.”

He looked away. “You don’t irritate me.”

“Coulda fooled me.”

His head finally turned in my direction and his blue eyes pierced right through me. “I already told you I’m not good at making small talk.”

“Tatum, stop snapping at her and apologize this instant!” his mom yelled before smacking him on the back of the head.

“Sorry.”

“I did not raise you to be so impolite to a guest, or to a woman for that matter,” she said, and stomped a foot on the floor for emphasis.

“You’re right, Mama.”

Seeing his relationship with his mom only made him hotter in my eyes. Who didn’t swoon over a man who respected his mom?

“It’s okay, Mrs. Montgomery, clearly he can’t help himself. I’m sure you did the best you could.” I felt awful for Tatum’s mom getting caught in our crossfire, but I headed into my room and closed the door before I could take it all back.

The screen door slammed shut, followed by a light knock on my bedroom door. A woman’s voice called out, “Paige, can I come in?”

“Of course,” I said from my bed. When Mrs. Montgomery walked in, I apologized immediately. “I didn’t mean to say that to you. I was just trying to get to him.”

She smiled warmly. “I know, but I still wanted to apologize for my son.”