A man like Blake.
Because he’s changed, I see it in the way he looks at me, and I feel it with every heartbeat of this kiss. The charming boy who swept me off my feet without even realizing it has become a man: raw, and wounded; hopeful, and brave. The old Blake would never have come here again, risked rejection and hurt by exposing his bruised and yearning heart. The man kissing me now was willing to take that risk, no matter what.
He came back for me. He fought for me.
He’s mine.
I pull away, breathless and dizzy with the force of emotion.
“Please, Zoey,” he begs me, but I cut him off with a kiss.
“Yes,” I whisper. “I forgive you. I love you, Blake. I’m yours.”
I’ll never forget the look in his eyes as what I’m saying breaks through. Nobody’s ever looked at me with such reverence, and I know, nobody ever will.
“I love you,” he vows again, pulling me tightly against him. We stand there, I don’t know how long, just holding each other; feeling our hearts beat through our chests, so full of joy and love, I want to hold on to this moment forever.
Then I realize. “Your premiere!” I exclaim, pulling away. “You’ll be late!”
Blake pauses, looking nervous. “Will you come with me?” he asks. “I know it’s last-minute, but I really want you there with me.”
“Yes!” I laugh. “Of course I’ll come. But I can’t go like this!” I look down at my jeans and T-shirt.
“That’s OK.” Blake quickly pulls out his phone. “I’ll call my stylist. We can stop on the way, she’ll have something amazing, I’m sure.”
My head spins. I remember to grab my purse and keys before following him out, and down to the front of the building, where a limo is waiting. The door opens, and Tegan’s face peers out.
“Hurry up!” she yells. “God, anyone would think you were having a meaningful romantic reunion or something.”
I let out a shriek, and pile into the car, smothering her in a hug. “I missed you!”
“We missed you too.”
When I sit up, I see that the limo is packed: Alicia and Dex, Sophie and Austin, Ryland, and even Ash, all dressed up in suits and ties and glamorous cocktail dresses—and watching me and Blake with proud smiles.
“Oh God, don’t look at me like that!” I protest, already tearing up. Blake slips an arm around me, and the limo pulls away. “I can’t show up at this premiere looking all red-eyed and puffy!”
“You look beautiful.” Blake hugs me close.
“And you have to say that.”
He laughs. Tegan pulls out a bottle of champagne and passes the glasses around, “A toast!” she cries. “To my big brother, the movie star we all knew he could be.”
“To Blake,” we cheer.
“And Zoey,” he adds, gazing tenderly into my eyes. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
I kiss him as they whistle and hoot around us, and right here, in his arms, surrounded by everyone that I love, I know that I’ve found my forever.
I’m home.
Epilogue
The lights of the camera flashes are blinding. Everywhere, there’s a chorus of screams.
“Blake! Blake!”
“Over here!”
“Oh my God, oh my God!”
I falter, unsteady in my new heels on the red carpet, but Blake doesn’t miss a beat. He slides his arm around my waist, steering me slowly towards the theater.
“Look at them,” I marvel, finally adjusting to the din. Fans are lined up by the barricades, and everywhere, journalists are jostling to get a better view.
“I’d rather look at you,” Blake smiles down at me, and everything fades away. The noise, the lights, all the attention—none of it matters when he’s looking at me like that.
Blake leans closer to whisper in my ear. “Do you remember the day we met?”
I nod, holding on tightly to his hand. Tegan and his stylist dressed me up in this gorgeous purple silk dress, and styled my hair and makeup, but I still don’t trust myself not to fall on my face in front of all of Hollywood.
“I told you, the world is bigger than high school,” Blake whispers, his breath hot in my ear. “That you’d be great, one day. And here we are.” He gives me a secret smile, hidden from the world. Just for me.
“Here we are,” I echo, dazed. Everywhere around us is chaos, but with him, I’m in the eye of the hurricane, totally at peace.
“You made it,” he whispers, drawing my face closer.
I smile up at him, and hear the excited screams of the crowd.
“We made it,” I say, and kiss him as the crowd goes wild.
THE END
Because he’s changed, I see it in the way he looks at me, and I feel it with every heartbeat of this kiss. The charming boy who swept me off my feet without even realizing it has become a man: raw, and wounded; hopeful, and brave. The old Blake would never have come here again, risked rejection and hurt by exposing his bruised and yearning heart. The man kissing me now was willing to take that risk, no matter what.
He came back for me. He fought for me.
He’s mine.
I pull away, breathless and dizzy with the force of emotion.
“Please, Zoey,” he begs me, but I cut him off with a kiss.
“Yes,” I whisper. “I forgive you. I love you, Blake. I’m yours.”
I’ll never forget the look in his eyes as what I’m saying breaks through. Nobody’s ever looked at me with such reverence, and I know, nobody ever will.
“I love you,” he vows again, pulling me tightly against him. We stand there, I don’t know how long, just holding each other; feeling our hearts beat through our chests, so full of joy and love, I want to hold on to this moment forever.
Then I realize. “Your premiere!” I exclaim, pulling away. “You’ll be late!”
Blake pauses, looking nervous. “Will you come with me?” he asks. “I know it’s last-minute, but I really want you there with me.”
“Yes!” I laugh. “Of course I’ll come. But I can’t go like this!” I look down at my jeans and T-shirt.
“That’s OK.” Blake quickly pulls out his phone. “I’ll call my stylist. We can stop on the way, she’ll have something amazing, I’m sure.”
My head spins. I remember to grab my purse and keys before following him out, and down to the front of the building, where a limo is waiting. The door opens, and Tegan’s face peers out.
“Hurry up!” she yells. “God, anyone would think you were having a meaningful romantic reunion or something.”
I let out a shriek, and pile into the car, smothering her in a hug. “I missed you!”
“We missed you too.”
When I sit up, I see that the limo is packed: Alicia and Dex, Sophie and Austin, Ryland, and even Ash, all dressed up in suits and ties and glamorous cocktail dresses—and watching me and Blake with proud smiles.
“Oh God, don’t look at me like that!” I protest, already tearing up. Blake slips an arm around me, and the limo pulls away. “I can’t show up at this premiere looking all red-eyed and puffy!”
“You look beautiful.” Blake hugs me close.
“And you have to say that.”
He laughs. Tegan pulls out a bottle of champagne and passes the glasses around, “A toast!” she cries. “To my big brother, the movie star we all knew he could be.”
“To Blake,” we cheer.
“And Zoey,” he adds, gazing tenderly into my eyes. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
I kiss him as they whistle and hoot around us, and right here, in his arms, surrounded by everyone that I love, I know that I’ve found my forever.
I’m home.
Epilogue
The lights of the camera flashes are blinding. Everywhere, there’s a chorus of screams.
“Blake! Blake!”
“Over here!”
“Oh my God, oh my God!”
I falter, unsteady in my new heels on the red carpet, but Blake doesn’t miss a beat. He slides his arm around my waist, steering me slowly towards the theater.
“Look at them,” I marvel, finally adjusting to the din. Fans are lined up by the barricades, and everywhere, journalists are jostling to get a better view.
“I’d rather look at you,” Blake smiles down at me, and everything fades away. The noise, the lights, all the attention—none of it matters when he’s looking at me like that.
Blake leans closer to whisper in my ear. “Do you remember the day we met?”
I nod, holding on tightly to his hand. Tegan and his stylist dressed me up in this gorgeous purple silk dress, and styled my hair and makeup, but I still don’t trust myself not to fall on my face in front of all of Hollywood.
“I told you, the world is bigger than high school,” Blake whispers, his breath hot in my ear. “That you’d be great, one day. And here we are.” He gives me a secret smile, hidden from the world. Just for me.
“Here we are,” I echo, dazed. Everywhere around us is chaos, but with him, I’m in the eye of the hurricane, totally at peace.
“You made it,” he whispers, drawing my face closer.
I smile up at him, and hear the excited screams of the crowd.
“We made it,” I say, and kiss him as the crowd goes wild.
THE END
