Star-Crossed Letters (Falling for Famous #1)(73)

Daisy taps her long nails against the table. “Fine,” she says. “But as soon as there’s no more danger, she needs to know.”

“Agreed,” I say.

This is all coming to an end. At least I can build a few more memories and ensure she’s protected before she leaves for good.





CHAPTER 28





Olivia



There are many things I never imagined. I never imagined making out with Chase James. Or living in a mansion full of hot celebrities. I also never imagined that the first time I met Cassidy Reynolds, I’d be facedown, ass-up, almost naked, getting massaged by a very tall woman named Helga.

Life. It’s a constant surprise.

This is no luxury spa day. The massage is therapeutic because after all the running, roller-skating, and pole dancing, I can barely walk without tears. So, when Cassidy Reynolds saunters by, I’m lying on a massage table by the pool while Helga rubs my body all over until my aching muscles feel like jelly.

Helga gasps and pounds on my back a little too hard.

“Look! It is Cassidy Reynolds,” she squeals. I didn’t know a sound like that could come out of such a formidable body.

“What? Where?”

“There! Her legs! Her shoulders! Her perfect body alignment. I could give her a good massage.” she sighs.

I look up from the massage table and get a glimpse of what might be Cassidy Reynolds’s toned backside walking toward Chase’s bungalow. She’s wearing a white sundress and heels. The pleasure from my massage dissipates, and for the second time, I want to cry, this time not from muscle pain.

Helga pushes me back down, my face slamming into the little hole in the massage table. She enthusiastically goes to work on my other arm, rhapsodizing about the talented and beautiful Ms. Reynolds.

I shouldn’t feel so shitty. I already assumed Chase and Cassidy got back together. But I’ve ignored that inconvenient thought as best as I could because, for the last week, Chase and I have been hanging out more and more. We start the mornings with a run and eat breakfast together after we cool down. Then, he goes off to do whatever it is that movie stars do during the day, while I write and hang out with Daisy, and Emma when she’s on a break. But when he returns each night, whoever is around gets together to barbecue, have drinks, and hang out by the pool.

We even have a date night tonight. Not a real date, of course. He’s just helping me with my list and still refuses to let anyone else take me out because of “security risks.”

I’m not stupid; I don’t argue.

The more I get to know him, the deeper my crush gets. Since that first run, when we’re with the rest of the group, he’s often next to me. And maybe it’s my imagination, but even when we aren’t physically close together, our eyes meet from across the room. He touches me often, and with each brush of his shoulder or pass of his hand, I break out in full-body shivers, remembering that one night we had back in San Francisco. Oh, I remember that night to the point of obsession, to the point of forgetting everything else, especially the role of Cassidy Reynolds in his life.

But here she is, and I can’t ignore her presence any longer. I can’t be jealous—well, I am, but I shouldn’t be. And I can’t help wonder if Cassidy knows that Chase is taking me out tonight. Maybe they are only back to casually dating, or maybe they have an open relationship. I’ll never understand Hollywood. If Chase were mine, I’d never share.

An hour later, I’m done with my massage and having iced coffees at a poolside table with Daisy and Emma when Cassidy walks past again, returning from the path to Chase’s cottage.

“Hi!” Cassidy says with a friendly wave as she approaches us.

The worse part is she seems nice.

Emma looks up from her laptop.

“Hey, Cassidy! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Emma rises, and she and Cassidy do the LA air-kiss thing.

“Cassidy, this is Daisy and Olivia,” Emma introduces.

Daisy smiles. “Hi! I loved you in It Takes Two. That was such a great movie.”

“Thanks,” Cassidy says, a warm smile lighting up her beautiful face. Ugh. Why can’t she be awful?

“Chase has mentioned you both. It’s so nice to finally meet you,” the star says graciously, giving me a once-over.

He’s mentioned me to Cassidy? I wish I could ask more, but there’s no graceful way to insert that into the conversation.

Daisy and Cassidy exchange pleasantries while I paste a fake smile on my face and search for any flaws. But there aren’t any. I’m gutted. She’s nice, beautiful, and pretty much perfect for Chase.

“I wish I could stay longer, but I have a date I’m already late for,” Cassidy says, looking at her watch with a frown.

Date what? Maybe she just means an appointment.

“Ooh, anyone interesting?” Emma asks before Cassidy turns to leave.

Bless you, Emma, you nosy wench.

“It’s in the early days, and we’re keeping it private, but he shows some promise. I’ve decided I need to get back out there. It’s been too long.”

“But—I thought you were back with Chase,” I blurt out.

Cassidy tilts her head, frowning, her eyes speculative. “I’m not seeing Chase. At least, not for real, not for years. We still get photographed together and our publicists fan the flames, but that’s just PR. I thought that—” She stops herself.