Page 24 of Cinematic Destinies (Red Carpet Romance #3)

T he next morning, Georgia awoke with puffy eyes and a lump in her chest. She dragged herself to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and changed into workout clothes, convinced that a good run would clear her mind and shift her mood.

After walking to the canyons near her temporary home, she did some stretches and started running.

Her mind flooded with memories of Roo—and the many hikes they had taken together—and she began to imagine him running by her side, wearing the goofy hat she could picture so well although she had never seen it.

“Snap out of it,” she muttered, pounding the ground, trying to outpace the images reeling in her mind.

She returned to her apartment dripping with sweat, guzzled some water, and showered.

Freshly dressed in yoga pants and a T-shirt, she looked around, unsure of what to do with herself.

Noticing her unmade bed, she decided it would feel too lonely by herself.

She curled up on the couch and turned on the television.

As she flipped through stations, she noticed a Monty Python movie and burst into tears.

The waterfall rushed from her eyes as her body heaved and she grabbed her chest, unable to lessen the pain.

“I miss him so much,” she sputtered through her sobs. “So much.”

Georgia spent the next week running in the mornings, ordering takeout, watching television, sobbing her eyes out, and sleeping on the couch.

Her depression only worsened. When she wasn’t thinking about Roo, Michael’s words started playing on a loop in her mind, “Ella dumped Finn,” followed by Jean’s words, “Your father threw a wrench into her life’s philosophy.

” Even though she knew it must be true, she couldn’t get her head around it.

Feeling heartbroken and alone, she decided to go see her mother.

ELLA WAS IN THE YARD PICKING BLUEBERRIES when Georgia appeared out of nowhere, tapping her shoulder. “Mom.”

“Oh, goodness. You startled me,” she gasped. She caught her breath and looked at Georgia with concern. “What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I got back to LA a few days ago. Sorry, I should have called, but . . .”

“Nonsense,” Ella said, sounding relieved. She put the bowl of berries down and hugged her daughter. “You’re always welcome. What a nice surprise. Tell me, how was the film shoot? Did you get on well with Jean?”

“Yeah. I can see why you’re such good friends. He’s amazing. Irreverent and so artistic. It’s kind of sad that was his last film.”

“Hmm. Indeed,” Ella muttered.

“Is Dad here?” Georgia asked.

“He has a voiceover job. He won’t be back for a few hours.” She looked at her daughter, took her hand, and said, “Sweetheart, if something’s wrong and you need him, I’ll call the studio. I’m sure he’ll come right home.”

“No, honestly, I’m okay. Actually, I came to see you. I was hoping we could hang out. Talk.”

Ella smiled. “Let’s take those into the kitchen,” she said, gesturing at the bowl of blueberries, “and I can make us some tea.”

Georgia nodded and grabbed the bowl.

When they got to the kitchen, Ella turned on the tea kettle. “You can just leave those on the counter. Probably the last batch of the season. We were lucky this year to still get berries in September. Those beautiful bushes have always been generous. I’m going to make a tart for your father.”

Georgia plopped onto a barstool and asked, “Why do you love those blueberry bushes so much?”

“You know that your dad had them planted as a gift for our tenth anniversary.”

“Yeah, but it’s such a weird gift. Like, he’s a big movie star. He couldn’t afford jewelry?”

Ella laughed. “I suppose it may seem strange if you don’t know the story. Our dear friend Albie, the actor who . . .”

“Who costarred with Dad in Celebration . The one Albert is named after.”

“Yes,” Ella replied. The tea kettle whistled, and she stopped to fill their cups.

“Go on,” Georgia encouraged.

“Albie was a special man. Your father and I were very fond of him. He was a crusty old bird in some ways, but he was also such a dear soul. He was a romantic who believed in love above all else. Lived by that belief. Taught us to do the same. When we were all in Sweden and they were filming Celebration , and I was freeloading off Jean for the summer, we celebrated what turned out to be Albie’s last birthday.

We didn’t know about his cancer recurrence at the time, but later he confided in me. ”

Georgia looked at her mother intensely, hanging on every word.

“Anyway, that night Albie told us the story of how he met his wife Margaret, the love of his life. It was at a party in London. A blue-blooded, upper-crust soiree, which was definitely not Albie’s scene.

Margaret ended up there by chance, with no idea what kind of party it was, so she showed up in a casual dress with a homemade blueberry pie.

Albie was hit by lightning the moment he laid eyes on her.

Eventually, he saw her at the dessert table and sidled over to her.

He took a piece of the pie she’d made and they started talking.

He fell hopelessly in love with her on the spot.

Ever since your dad and I heard the story, blueberries make us think of love.

Grand, epic love.” She crinkled her nose and shook her head.

“I know it’s silly, but they’ve become special to us.

Our wedding cake was layered with blueberry preserves, to honor Albie who had already passed.

Since then, for special occasions we’ve always found a way to have blueberries.

And it’s why your father gave me those bushes for our tenth anniversary, and why they’re so special to me.

” Ella took a sip of her tea, a soft smile in her eyes.

Georgia looked down.

“What is it? Is something wrong?” Ella asked.

Georgia raised her gaze and asked, “Why didn’t you ever tell us that you and Dad broke up?’

Ella furrowed her brow.

“Jean said that when filming wrapped on Celebration , you split up. He said you left Dad.”

Ella sighed. “Yes, that’s true.”

“I don’t understand. We all thought you fell in love on the set of the film and then Dad proposed to you at the premiere in Cannes.”

“That’s all true, but it’s not the whole story.

” Ella stopped to take a breath. “Your father and I fell madly in love that summer. Neither of us had expected it, nor had we ever experienced anything like it before. At the time I was living in a little flat in Paris, but really, I had spent years roaming from one place to the next, no roots, no responsibilities. Your dad was in LA, living in this very house.” She smiled and continued, “He wanted to get married. He asked me to move here so we could be together. He even offered to live in Paris or anywhere else I wanted. Anything so we could be together. But I was absolutely terrified of the way I felt for him. Love was new to me. I didn’t know how to trust it.

To trust it wouldn’t abandon me or turn me into someone I didn’t recognize. ”

“So, what happened?”

“I made the biggest mistake of my life. I told your father to go back home and get on with his life. He begged me, but . . .”

Georgia reached out and put her hand over Ella’s.

“The moment he walked out the door of that inn was the most gut-wrenching of my life. I melted into a puddle of tears. I had broken my own heart, and his. But I didn’t understand why I had done that, and I didn’t have a clue how to fix it.”

“What did you do?”

“I flew back to my place in Paris. Wept like a baby. I visited your grandmother in Spain. Cried on her shoulder. I got a therapist and did work on myself.” She stopped to giggle. “I even got a kitten, so I could see if I was capable of taking care of someone else.”

“Our cat growing up?” Georgia asked.

Ella nodded.

“That’s why she was named Sweden. You named her after the place where you and Dad fell in love. As a reminder.”

“Yes.”

“When did you and Dad . . .”

“We didn’t see each other again until the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

We were standing on the center of the carpet, hardly able to exhale, and I told him everything that was in my heart.

Begged for his forgiveness and for another chance.

That’s when he got down on one knee and proposed with a ring he’d bought after we left each other in Sweden.

It turns out he had enough faith for the both of us. ”

Georgia’s eyes became misty. “People always said he proposed at the premiere because you met when he was making the film. That you both wanted the whole world to know.”

Ella smiled. “We know what people think. The truth was, it was our first chance to get engaged and we just couldn’t wait. We didn’t even notice anyone else was there. Our eyes only saw each other.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell us?”

“I’ve always been embarrassed. It was such a stupid mistake. And your father is a gentleman. Besides, we never saw any need. We committed ourselves fully to each other that day and never looked back.”

Georgia sniffled.

“What is it, sweet girl? You can tell me,” Ella said.

Georgia exploded in tears. “I fell in love, Mom. This summer. I’ve never felt anything like it in my life.

Didn’t even know it was possible to feel so much for someone.

Without him it’s like my insides have been torn out.

It hurts so much. He’s the greatest guy in the world and I screwed it up. Got scared and fucked it all up.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Ella said, throwing her arms around her. She rubbed Georgia’s hair and said, “It will be okay. You can try to make it right.”

Georgia pulled back and wiped her face. “I don’t know if I can.

If he’ll give me another chance. I don’t even know if that’s what I want.

Maybe I don’t believe in all of that. The thought of someone tying me down and trying to change me.

Maybe it was just a love affair and I need to let it go. To really be free.”