Breaking Stars - J. Sterling Page 0,107

hurting for money if he left her on her own.

Our moving in together might have seemed crazy to some, too soon to others, but it felt right to us. It still does. We both knew that if he moved all the way out here and I forced him to rent his own place purely out of principle, it would be a complete waste. Rental property in Los Angeles was overpriced and ridiculously expensive. And that was something I didn’t feel right about doing—wasting his family’s money when it wasn’t necessary. Plus, waking up in his arms each morning was the highlight of my day.

I got accepted into UCLA and started attending classes in the fall. It was a difficult adjustment, way harder than I’d anticipated, and I’m not sure how long I’ll keep attending. The students in my classes did a lot of staring at first, but no one really talked to me, so I ended up feeling very out of place and alone. People talked about me, but never included me in the conversation. It was as if they were too afraid to approach me, but weren’t afraid to stare at me and make things awkward.

Tatum promised me that it would eventually die down, and he kept encouraging me to give them more time. I didn’t believe him, but he was right.

Despite what Jayson said, my career didn’t falter. I still did the occasional audition when the part was too good to pass up, not wanting to put my career completely on hold while I went to school. Plus, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss acting at all. I missed it more than I ever thought I would, so with Madison’s help, we attempted to find a balance until I figured it all out. So far, so good.

Hiring Madison has been the best career decision I’ve made so far. Working with her is like a dream come true. Having her and Walker as good friends has been an added bonus, and when we all get together with Quinn and Ryson, it’s always a loud and fun time.

It’s been exciting to make normal friends and talk about normal, everyday things with people. But Tatum was also right all those months ago—my life will never truly be normal. Despite that, this experience that I’ve fought so hard for has been thrilling. Even the homework doesn’t bother me, much to the chagrin of my new friends who constantly call me crazy.

Hell, maybe I was, and maybe I am. I don’t care, though; I like the new me. Being crazy has its perks.

Tatum

After my interview, it didn’t take long for the press to find out exactly where I’d been born and raised. They bombarded Hanford with camera crews and reporters, taking over my tiny town. Paige had freaked out, feeling responsible for ruining the place, but the truth was that she helped give it new life. My mom’s bed and breakfast was filled to capacity on most weekends now, thanks to the busloads of tourists that Paige’s visit had inspired. Everyone wanted to sleep where Paige Lockwood had slept. Even the swimming hole had become a tourist attraction for families and couples.

My dad’s garage did more business in the last six months then we’d done in the last six years. Whenever I started to feel guilty about not being there to run the place, my mom reminded me that they were doing just fine and that I wasn’t missed.

I knew she was lying about the last part because she’s been out here to visit me and Paige three times already since I moved. As much as I love living here with my girl, I love it even more when my mom comes to visit. She claims that once she retires, she’s moving here. Nothing would make me happier than having both my girls in one place.

Yeah, I know, I’m a total mama’s boy. I don’t even care.

I’ve been working with Walker Rhodes at his studio. I never intended to let Paige pull any strings for me, but when her agent, Madison, set up a dinner at their Malibu house to welcome me to town, well, Walker and I bonded instantly the same way that Ryson and I had.

Creative people tended to gravitate toward one another, I soon realized. After several beers, Walker convinced me to play a couple of songs I’d written about Paige for him. He got on the phone with someone the instant I finished, and when he hung up, he shook my hand.

“We have a deal,” he said with a smile.

“A deal?” I asked, not sure what the hell he was talking about.

“I want those songs. Both of them. I’ll buy them, but I want you to produce them with me. Come up with a few more to show me next time we get together. You’re really talented, man, and your sound is fresh. LA needs someone like you, but I want you first,” he said with a laugh.

“Are you shitting me right now?” I couldn’t believe that it was happening this easily and quickly. But then I remembered that nothing in my life had really come easily to me. I had sacrificed my own dreams for years. When you’re so used to failing, success feels foreign. I suppose when things are meant to be, they fall into place effortlessly. This was the best I’d felt about life and my future since high school. And high school felt like a thousand years ago.

“Dead serious,” Walker said. “I want the songs. You help me produce. You’ll get writing credit on the album, which means you’ll make money on each sale of the songs you write for me that we release. I’m so excited, man. I want to go in the studio now and record this, but Madison will kill me if we don’t get back out there.” He patted my shoulder.

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.” I didn’t know what else to say.

“I know you do. I like helping out good people, and Paige is good people. I can tell you are too. Welcome to LA, man.”

We walked out of his home studio and back to where our girls sat on the balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I’d only seen houses like this in the movies, and now I was having dinner in one.

How was this my life? I glanced down at my short-haired brunette beauty and smiled, wondering how on earth I had ever gotten so lucky, and promised myself that I’d never let her go, no matter what life threw at us. I would never walk away, push her aside, or leave her ever again. I planned on marrying that girl someday.

But probably not before Ryson and Quinn tied the knot.

Coming Soon

Coming next in The Celebrity Series: Losing Stars – Quinn and Ryson’s story.