Page 54 of False Promises

He lifted one dark eyebrow.

“Fine. I kinda liked her expression when she saw I wasn’t bullshitting her about being your girlfriend. She thinks she’s entitled to everything. Well, she isn’t. Hope she got the memo.”

“Next time, don’t use me. Tell me the truth. I’ll always have your back.” He forked a small quinoa ball into his mouth.

I nodded before attacking my own lunch.

“She’s really being mean?” he asked after we were done with our food.

“Yeah. To everyone. Even the director can’t stand her.”

He nodded but added nothing else.

* * *

That night, we went grocery shopping after Carter picked me up. He filled the cart to the brim as I sipped on a mango and kale smoothie I got at the studio before I left.

“Don’t you have people to run errands for you?” I asked when we stopped in the organic product aisle. “Like grocery shopping and dry cleaning and all the boring stuff nobody wants to do, which feels like a waste of precious time.”

Beside me, Carter shook his head. “Why pay people to do what I can do? Sure, sometimes, my schedule gets hectic and I’m barely home and June orders food for me. But usually, I like to do the normal boring shit like everyone else. I’m not special, Savannah. I’m just a guy singing on a stage for a living. I didn’t find a cure for cancer or save the world. Never will I let myself feel like I’m worth more than any other person I work or cross paths with in a day. If a single mom of three can find time to do her laundry or go to the supermarket, then I don’t see why I can’t.”

“Because you have the means. What else?”

Carter stared at me, confusion painting his face.

“Money doesn’t define me or my core values. I refuse to let it change me. I made a promise back when I was eighteen that success would never impact my ego. This is me proving the worth of my words.”

I trashed my empty cup after Carter paid, and we left the grocery store. “Well, when I become rich and famous, no way will I run my own errands.”

Carter kissed my temple before lifting the bags in his arms. “Well, as long as we’re together, I’m happy to do everyday tasks.”

“We’ll revisit it another day,” I said. “I haven’t said my last word about it.”

Carter snickered. “I’ll make sure you stay grounded. When I started in the business, I had people watching out for me. Having my back. I’ll always have yours.”

He winked, and after stocking the groceries in the trunk, he kissed my knuckles before we hauled ourselves into his SUV and headed home.

Home.

I liked the sound of it.

15

CARTER

Flipping the slices of potatoes and tofu bacon in a pan, dressed in nothing but a dark pair of sweatpants, I hummed the song playing on the sound system. Life was good. And I felt content.

Busy pouring two glasses of orange juice and adding the finishing touches to breakfast, I noticed Savannah standing in the doorway only when I rolled the second breakfast burrito and dished it up on a porcelain plate.

“It smells delicious,” she said, walking up to me. Barefaced, her hair tied at the top of her head, wearing a large T-shirt reaching up to mid-thigh, she wrapped her arms around my middle from behind and planted a kiss between my shoulder blades.

“Hey you.” I spun between her arms and kissed her lips. “Sleep well?”

“Like a baby.” She scrunched up her face. “Huh, babies cry. No idea why they call it that. Anyway, I’m rested. The long hours at the studio last week had drained all my energy levels.”

Grabbing a glass of juice from the counter behind me, I handed it to her before sipping on mine.

“Wanna spend the day at the beach?” I asked.