Breaking Stars - J. Sterling Page 0,23

and I liked looking at her. Irritated, I switched off the computer without another glance and stormed out of the office, locking it all up behind me as I left. My stomach growled, and I prayed I hadn’t missed supper completely. I hopped into my truck and headed toward home.

Where Paige was.

Paige.

Damn it, I needed to stop thinking about her, stop thinking about anything that had to do with her. She’d be gone soon, and the last thing I needed was to get all caught up in someone who had no intention of staying, much less a freaking actress from California.

Reaching Out

Paige

After dinner, Tatum’s mom insisted on cleaning up, explaining that was how a bed and breakfast worked. She wouldn’t let me help with anything. Tatum had shown up during the middle of our meal, his mood even worse than before, if that was possible. His mom offered to fix him a plate, but he rudely waved her off without even a glance in our direction and did it himself.

When he took the seat farthest away from me at the table, I suddenly wondered where his dad was and why they didn’t come in from the shop together. When I asked, the table grew silent except for the clang of Mrs. Montgomery’s fork as she dropped it onto her plate. Tatum’s jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists, and I wondered what I’d said wrong.

As Tatum’s face paled, his mom reached for her dropped fork. “Tatum’s daddy died a few years back.”

Drawing deep on my acting skills to hide my shock, I offered a meek apology. Tatum jumped up and stormed away from the table, then dropped his dishes into the sink with a crash before he rushed outside. The screen door slammed behind him, and the sound of his boots stomping back and forth as he paced across the wood-planked front porch drifted through the open windows.

“I’m so sorry,” I offered again.

Mrs. Montgomery leaned forward and whispered, “Not you, it’s him, remember?”

I squeezed my eyes shut, not truly believing her words. “Do you think I should try to talk to him?”

“It’s worth a shot,” she said, giving me a sad smile.

I rose from the table slowly, unsure of how to handle this situation or him. The screen door squeaked as I pushed through it. When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed his silhouette as he sat on a porch step, his head in his hands.

“Tatum,” I said softly, trying not to scare him off.

“Go away.”

His sharp tone and rejection cut straight through me. I lowered my head and reached back for the door. Before stepping inside, I turned in his direction and said, “I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am. I didn’t know. It must be really hard, and I bet you miss him a lot.”

Without waiting for a response, I headed back inside and down the hall toward my room. Regret filled me as I realized that no matter what I did, it seemed like I couldn’t do right by Tatum. An internal battled waged in my head about whether it was all my fault. I wanted to yell at myself and determine why I cared so much, but I knew the answer. Simply put, I was that kind of person. I cared about others, no matter who they were or where they came from. I didn’t find joy in causing others pain, and my curiosity had hurt Tatum.

After getting ready for bed and changing into my pajamas, I plopped onto the top of the bed and let my mind drift for a while. Realizing that I didn’t have to wake up early the next morning and drive, I almost felt panicked. I couldn’t remember the last time I had no plans or obligations.

I fought the urge to call Quinn or my mom, not really understanding why I was fighting it to begin with. Maybe I should send them a quick e-mail?

“Mrs. Montgomery?” I opened my bedroom door and yelled toward the kitchen.

“Call me Emily, Paige. Really.”

“I can’t do it,” I yelled again and she laughed.

“Yes?”

“Do you have a computer I can borrow? I’d like to send my mom and best friend an e-mail letting them know I’m okay.” I suddenly wished I’d brought my own laptop, but not being able to get online whenever I wanted was a blessing. Having no readily available Internet access meant that I didn’t have to avoid looking at all the gossip sites and reading about