“If it got out who I was, no one would believe the brother-sister story since we weren’t technically related. An underage runaway staying with three megastars was bad enough, but add in a suicide attempt and drugs? It would be a PR nightmare. I don’t know how they did it, but all three with their star power kept it quiet. It must have cost a fortune.”
She looks at me through wet lashes. “I told you it wasn’t a pretty story. But it does get better. I don’t know if it was almost dying or the therapy I got in the treatment center, but I turned my life around. Chase managed to arrange it so that I moved in with a nice family to finish high school, and I got accepted at the Art Institute, which is how I came to San Francisco. Unfortunately, I wasn’t any better at college than I was at high school, so I started my vintage business with Chase’s help.”
“I-I don’t even know what to say. I never could have imagined any of it.”
Daisy laughs. “No one could. Which is good. All this secrecy, it’s because Chase feels like he needs to protect me. He doesn’t want to risk me being in the tabloids or getting attacked on social media again. And he fears that if we get photographed together, the story of that summer might finally come out. I think he’s petrified that I’ll have another breakdown if that happens. I keep trying to tell him that I’m stronger now.” She grants me a wry smile. “So, you still want to be friends with this drama girl?”
“Daisy, you’re amazing. Whatever happened in the past has made you the incredible person you are. This just makes me prouder to call you my friend.”
“Right back at you,” Daisy says with a watery laugh. “Now, it’s your turn to explain what happened when you met Chase and why you didn’t tell me about it.”
I look away from her too-insightful gaze. “Nothing happened. He bought coffee. It wasn’t a big deal.”
She shoots me a skeptical look. “Olivia, I think there’s more that you aren’t telling me, but I won’t pry. At least not right now because I’m too damn tired. But here’s the thing about Chase. He may seem like he’s got it all together, and he does. He’s got money and success now. But in a lot of ways, he’s still that foster kid who’s afraid to trust. And his issues with fame make trusting even harder. After what happened with me, he’s so afraid of letting people in and hurting them, losing them, even if he won’t admit it. But he needs and deserves someone special in his life he can trust. More than he realizes.”
I nod, my mind full of thoughts about Chase. My idea of him recalibrating with everything Daisy has said. “Daisy, I think you’re imagining more between us than there is. I’ve only had a few brief conversations with him. Honestly, I’ll probably never see him again.”
Daisy smiles. “Hmmm. Well, I don’t think that’s precisely true.”
I tilt my head. “What do you mean?”
“Want to do me a favor?”
“It depends on the favor,” I say with a wry expression.
“Don’t worry. It’s one I think you’ll like.”
CHAPTER 13
Olivia
The next day, I stand at the door of Chase James’s hotel room, carrying a box that contains a gift for him from Daisy and a tin of home-baked cookies from me. I’ve been standing here for way too long, but I can’t quite force myself to knock.
Get it together, Olivia, I lecture myself.
I’m not some fan stalking the guy. I’m here on a Daisy-sent delivery mission. I’m doing my friend a favor.
Daisy asked me to deliver this gift to Chase because she had some sort of vintage-fashion emergency and had to leave town. She told me to apologize for her, and that she would be back in San Francisco in a few days and would call him then.
It occurs to me that she might be matchmaking, but that doesn’t make sense. I’m a San Francisco girl who works in a bookstore. He’s a Hollywood star. In what world could we ever make a good match? It’s all a little odd. Though, admittedly, so is Daisy.
Regardless, I don’t question the favor. I’m not stupid. Of course, I jumped at the chance.
I consider this my risk for the day.
Before I left on my little “movie star errand,” I baked him a batch of Nanna’s famous chocolate chip cookies. It’s the least I can do.
Yesterday afternoon, a crew came to my house, ready to install a fancy and way-too-complicated alarm system. I called Daisy and tried to tell her I didn’t need an alarm and couldn’t afford one even if I did, but she said Chase insisted on it.