Page 52 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

“I know it was only a month,” Carly said. “But we had so much time together. Quality time. Getting to know you time. You would love him too. He’s so funny. And you know what he’d do?”

Jill glanced over. “What?”

Carly’s heart turned into a pool of warmth, the memory almost dousing the sting. “Out of nowhere, he’d look at me and tell me I was beautiful. We’d play this game to like, discover everything there was to know about each other. He was spoiled rotten as a kid. Had a house with basketball court, a mini theater with the reclining chairs and all, and um…” she paused to give into a laugh. “He was terrified of puppets as a child.”

A smile spread across her sister’s face. “It sounds like you guys have something special.”

Carly considered that as she took another sip of coffee. Birds chirped as they dashed from one tree to another. They darted to the neighbor’s rosebush next, each feathered friend brown against the blue sky.

“Do you think you’re making a mistake? By shutting your phone off so he can’t even call?”

There it was. The question she’d been waiting for Jill to ask. “It’s possible,” Carly said. “But he’s going to Maui for a month. And not just on vacation. He’ll be starring in some blockbuster, and every woman out there will be chasing after him. What makes me think I could keep his attention with all of that going on?”

“That’s a valid concern,” Jill said. “But you’ll never know if it would have worked if you push him away now. Without even giving him a chance to explain things.”

Carly bit at her lip, trying to come up with something to say and failing.

“Will you please just consider one thing for me? I’ll…do my best to leave you alone after,” Jill promised.

“What is it?”

Her sister set the mug down and turned in the chair to face her.Great.This was serious. “You said whatyouwanted to say to Gage in a text, right?”

Carly gave her a solid nod. “Right.”

“And then you shut your phone off and refused to let him respond.”

This nod was a bit hesitant, but Carly managed it all the same.

“I want you to justconsider…” Jill let the word resonate before repeating it. “Consider thatyoumight be the reason this is coming to an end. It’s possible that Gage isn’t anything like Jimmy, but your fear of that could make it look that way. Whyelse wouldn’t you give him a chance to talk things out, unless you were afraid?”

Irritation became a brew of its own in her gut, the steam of it causing Carly to shoot to her feet and huff out a breath. “Afraid ofwhat?”

Jill shrugged. “That’s what you have to ask yourself. What comes next if everything goes perfect, Carly?”

What was she talking about? “I have no idea.”

Jill challenged her with a lifted brow. “Really? None? Let me give you a clue. You might have heard this sung a few times by the kids in your class. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes…”

Baby in the baby carriage.There was the chest pain again. Carly scowled at Jill. “I can’t believe you’re even suggesting that.”

Jill stood up and leveled a look at her. “What am I suggesting?”

“I don’t even know,” Carly snapped.

“I think you do.”

Fear—the cruel emotion—circled her like a swarm of hornets, stingers sharp and ready.

“I think you might be afraid of gettinganythingyou want because you’re worried it’ll get taken away.”

Hearing the words aloud caused an eruption within her, as if Hawaii’s famous volcano had taken up residence in her chest.

“I’m…” She shook her head, unable to speak so much as another word, and bolted toward the patio door.

“You didn’t even let him explain, Carly,” Jill said.

Carly paused before pulling the door open. The glass surface reflected Jill, the yard, the birds, and the abandon coffee mugs too. She left it all behind and rushed inside.