Too overcome to speak, Jada leaned forward and kissed him. She hoped it said everything she was feeling because she couldn’t do a better job than he just had. When they pulled away, Tristan went on with absolute certainty.
“Let’s do this for real. No more games or fake dates. No more pretending. Only us.”
“I like the sound of that,” Jada said, finding her voice. He pulled her close and she rested her head against his shoulder. As the Ferris wheel continued to spin, they looked out at the enchanting landscape. With the city twinkling far below them, Jada relished the comforting promise of new beginnings.
Several Months Later
Here we go again, Jada thought to herself as she stared Tristan down. They’d been through this same scenario over and over, but their latest explosive argument might finally put an end to everything.
“I’m tired of your constant screwups. I’d be better off without you,” Jada snapped.
“If that’s how you feel, then maybe we should go our separate ways.” Tristan’s retort stung, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t seen it coming. She buried the pain, looking back at him unflinchingly.
“Maybe we should,” she replied.
“Andcut! Excellent job, you guys,” Donnie, the director ofLove and War, said to them. “I think we’ve got it.”
At his approval, everyone hurried to prepare for the next shot. Shooting on location for such a big film had been a change for Jada. Filming the massive action flick, they’d traveled from the English countryside to their current locale in the lively Venice streets. Not to mention the plethora of fake explosions and shootouts they’d left in their wake. The intense schedule and travel were bearable, though, with Tristan at her side. She gave a relieved sigh, happy that the current scene was over. Tristan kissed her on the forehead.
“You did great. I loved the hatred in your eyes, baby,” he teased her, leading her to stick her tongue out at him.
Watching them in amusement, Donnie shook his head and laughed. “Yes. The crackling tension yet obvious longing. You two are the perfect couple,” he said.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Jada said to him, but she secretly traded an intuitive look with Tristan. He returned it, winking at her in understanding.
They’d both given up on the idea of being the perfect couple a long time ago. Jada had her flaws, and Tristan sure as hell had some too. But he was hers. She was his. For the next ten or twenty years, for forever, Jada planned to keep it that way.
