Star Struck by Paige Halpert Page A

in excitement, and looked as though she was about to burst with laughter.
    “What’s so funny?” I asked.
    “Oh,” she said coyly. “Nothing. Well, something. You’ll see.”
    When we got to her car, she popped open the trunk and I threw my bags in. I was feeling so tired, and I was very ready to go home and rest. Alicia walked around to the passenger side and held open the back door. She looked at me expectantly, but didn’t say a word.
    “What?” I asked.
    “Get in.”
    “The back?”
    “Yes. Just do it. You’ll be happier back there.”
    I shrugged my shoulders and gave Alicia a quizzical look. She insisted, so I got in the back seat. What was waiting for me back there made me grin ear to ear, and I almost felt like a fool. But I didn’t care how I looked, because the elation in my soul tossed away any other feelings I could possibly have held. Sitting there beside me with the same goofy grin I had, was Gavin.
    I threw myself into his open arms, and grasped on to him as tightly as I could. My emotion was leaking out of my eyes and leaving a small wet spot on his shirt.
    “Gavin, I’m…” I started to say, but he pressed his lips firmly against mine before I could get another word in. As our lips pushed together, I didn’t even notice that Alicia had gotten in the driver’s seat and we were already heading down the road. His hands held mine, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. Elation had swept over my entire body just in being back in his presence.
    When we arrived at my apartment building, Alicia said goodbye and Gavin carried by bags up the stairs as she drove away. It was a little strange being here with him, since we had always been at his place, but it also felt really great to be home. Sleeping in my own bed would be wonderful.
    We got inside and took my bags to the bedroom. I started to unpack and Gavin sat on the bed watching me. The silence felt relaxed, and yet there was an uncomfortable heaviness that I knew we needed to get out of the way.
    “Gavin,” I said, breaking the stillness in the room. “I’m so sorry I haven’t called or anything the last few weeks. I was an idiot.”
    “I’m sorry, too,” he said. “I just said the things my manager wanted me to say without thinking about how it would make you feel. I sort of just got into it, like I was supposed to be this single character and that guy just took over. Not a day has passed since doing that interview that I haven’t regretted it.”
    I sat next to him and wrapped my arms around him, kissing him lovingly. The feeling of being home stretched way beyond my physical location. Three weeks away, without saying one word to Gavin, had seemed perpetually unending.
    “So what do we do now?” I asked.
    “We’ve got three days until the premiere,” he said. “I say we just stay here together and enjoy the calm before the storm.”
    “I mean about us. How long do we have to hide this?”
    Gavin let out a sigh and slumped down on the bed.
    “My manager says until after Bittersweet Memories is out of theaters, but then the other day he mentioned waiting until after the DVD release. It seems like he wants this to be a secret forever.”
    I cuddled up next to Gavin and he put his arm around me, pulling me close.
    “As long as I get to be with you,” I said. “Then I don’t care who does or does not know about us. I love you.”
    Gavin kissed my forehead tenderly and squeezed me a little tighter. I hadn’t really considered how much stress this whole situation must be putting on him, and I felt so guilty for adding to it with my childish silent treatment. The weeks without him almost felt completely wasted, and I wished with all my being that I could take back what I had done. The thought of it made my eyes water, and tears found their way down my face.
    “What’s wrong?” Gavin asked.
    “It’s just… I was such a fool for not telling you where I was going. For not asking you to come with me, for not even calling