As if he hadn’t just had his hand on my elbow. As if he hadn’t come across the room to get me. As if we haven’t just walked over to this table and sat down together. As if it hasn’t been ten years since I walked out of his rental house in Laurel Canyon, blinking in the sunlight, the ground beneath me somehow farther away than it had been the day before.

If I’m not careful, I’ll crack. I’ll smile at him. I’ll melt.

It will be as if I’ve learned nothing.

Instead, I lean into my anger.

“Mr. Parker,” I say.

He frowns.

“That bad, huh?” he asks.

I take out my phone. Set it to record.

“Shall we begin?”

THE RUMOR MILL

GABCINDA CONFIRMED…AND WED

JUST DAYS AFTER A Broad Sheets profile championed the newest Bond, Gabe Parker surprised fans by leaving set to marry co-star Jacinda Lockwood in Las Vegas. The now viral article refuted any involvement between the two, but it’s clear that reporter Chani Horowitz didn’t get the whole story.

The marriage was confirmed by both Parker’s and Lockwood’s management, who then released a statement saying “Gabe and Jacinda’s relationship—and their marriage—will remain private, but they appreciate the outpouring of love and support from their fans.”

It’s quite a reversal from their recent claims that they were just friends.

As for Lockwood, she’s gained herself a reputation for being a heartbreaker and home-wrecker, having been linked to Parker’s former co-star Oliver Matthias and more than one married director. She’s continued to deny all rumors, even after she was named in a particularly scandalous divorce settlement.

“I was just as surprised as everyone else,” Horowitz said when reached for comment. “I wish them nothing but the best.”

Chapter 9

Chapter
9

GABE GESTURES FOR ME TO order first.

They still have that same sour beer, which I get with my burger.

“Wait,” I tell the waitress, after Gabe asks for a burger and water. “No beer.”

His sobriety is one of the things we’re supposed to talk about today. One of the things he’s been very transparent in discussing.

“It’s okay,” Gabe says.

The waitress—not Madison, but a bracingly young brunette—pauses, pen poised above the order pad.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“I’m flattered you still like that one,” he says.

I’d forgotten how damn charming he is.

“Okay,” I say. “Keep the beer.”

I can already tell I’m going to need it.

The waitress nods, and if she’s impressed by Gabe’s celebrity, she doesn’t show it. She leaves and I check the recording app.

“Shall we begin?” I ask again.

“If you’d like,” Gabe says.

“That’s why I’m here,” I say.

He gives me a long searching look.

“All right,” he says when he’s done.