Chapter 37

Celeste had been pacing her apartment since early afternoon, checking and re-checking everything she’d set up. Fairy lights draped across the balcony cast a soft golden glow, blending with the candles she’d placed strategically around the room. A jazz playlist hummed low from her speakers, warm and sultry. On the stove, a simmering sauce filled the air with the rich scent of garlic and basil. The table was already set — polished glasses, a bottle of wine breathing, and plates she hadn’t pulled out since her last award dinner.

She smoothed her hands down her black dress pants, the silk blouse tucked in perfectly, and lifted her phone. With a deep breath, she called Rowan.

“Hey,” Rowan answered, her voice instantly softening Celeste’s edges.

“Come over tonight,” Celeste said, trying to sound casual even as her stomach flipped. “Dress up. I’ll handle the rest.”

There was a pause, then Rowan’s low laugh. “So it’s like that? Alright, I’ll be there.”

When the call ended, Celeste took one more lap around the apartment, adjusting the string of lights outside just so. She was lighting the last candle when a knock sounded at the door. Her brows furrowed — Rowan wasn’t due for another hour.

She opened it to find Lila standing there, holding a bag of takeout and staring past Celeste into the apartment. Lila’s eyes widened, her mouth falling open as she took in the candles, the table, the music, everything.

“Well, damn,” Lila said, stepping inside uninvited. “Are you about to propose to somebody, or…?”

Celeste groaned, rubbing her forehead. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Lila arched a brow, glancing at the perfectly set table. “Girl, it looks like you’re about to wine and dine someone you’re in love with.” She set her bag down and smirked. “Don’t tell me this is for Rowan.”

Celeste froze, caught. Lila’s smirk widened.

“Oh, it is. It so is.” She leaned on the counter, eyes glittering with mischief. “I can’t wait to see this play out.”

Celeste swirled the amber liquid in her glass before tossing it back, the warmth burning down her throat. She pressed the rim against her lips for a moment, letting the sharp taste anchor her as Lila leaned her hip against the counter, arms folded, watching.

“So,” Lila said, her voice even but edged with that protective tone Celeste knew all too well. “How do you actually feel about Rowan? No fluff, no movie-star answers. Just you.”

Celeste’s lips parted, but nothing came out at first. She let out a slow breath and finally admitted, “I feel… like me. When I’m with her, I don’t have to pretend. I don’t have to be Celeste, the star. I don’t have to put on this mask for the cameras or for the world. She sees me — and she still stays.”

Lila arched a brow. “That’s a strong feeling for someone you’ve barely known.”

“I know,” Celeste said quickly, almost too quickly. She set the shot glass down harder than she meant to. “And maybe it doesn’t make sense yet. But I don’t need months or years to recognize something real when it hits me. With her, it’s different.”

Lila tilted her head, studying her. “Different how? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like chemistry and timing. You two got caught up in the heat of things.”

Celeste gave a shaky laugh, running a hand through her hair. “That’s the thing — it wasn’t supposed to happen. Us sleeping together, it wasn’t the plan. But it did. And Lila—” she met her eyes, voice lowering, trembling with honesty, “—it was incredible. Not just the sex. The feeling. Like for the first time in so long, I wasn’t empty afterward. I wasn’t pretending. I was just… whole.”

Lila’s eyes softened, though her lips pressed into a line. “And you’re sure this isn’t just a high? A distraction? You’ve been burned before, Celeste. I’ve seen the fallout. You don’t bounce back easy.”

Celeste swallowed hard, her voice firming with every word. “This isn’t a high. I want her. I can’t get her out of my head. Every time I close my eyes, I see her face. Every time I breathe, I think of the way she looked at me like she wasn’t seeing the actress, the mask, the product — she was seeing me. And ever since she stayed the night, all I can think about is how much I wish she was here. With me.”

She gripped the counter, knuckles white. “I know you’re trying to protect me. And I love you for it. You’ve seen me broken, you’ve picked me up more times than I can count. But Lila—” she paused, her chest heaving, “—I want her. I want Rowan. I don’t care if it’s too soon. I don’t care if it’s messy. I can’t ignore this.”

Lila’s eyes flickered with emotion, torn between worry and support. Finally, she placed a hand on Celeste’s arm, steady, grounding. “Then you better be damn sure. Because once you let her in like that, once you give her this part of you… there’s no going back.”

Celeste blinked rapidly, her throat tight. She opened her mouth to answer — but Lila’s gaze shifted past her shoulder. It froze there, eyes widening slightly.

Confused, Celeste turned.

Rowan stood in the doorway. Her dress clung to her curves, the soft light catching the shine of her hair. But it was her expression that froze Celeste in place — wide-eyed, lips parted, emotions swirling too fast to name.

“How long…?” Celeste’s voice cracked as the realization hit.

Rowan stepped forward, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood. “Long enough.” Her voice was low, almost husky, but steady.

The air between them thickened, every candle flame flickering like it knew the weight of what had just been laid bare.

Celeste’s heart pounded in her chest. She had no mask left, no script to hide behind. Just the raw truth — and Rowan, standing there, having heard every word.

For a long, breathless moment, Rowan didn’t say anything. The only sounds were the faint hum of the refrigerator and the whisper of candle flames. Then, slowly, Rowan moved forward. Her heels clicked softly against the hardwood until she stood right in front of Celeste.

Without hesitation, she lifted her hand, fingers brushing along Celeste’s jaw as if testing to see if this was real. Her eyes searched Celeste’s — raw, unguarded — before she leaned in and pressed her lips softly against hers.

The kiss wasn’t heated like before. It was slow, almost reverent, full of everything that had been left unsaid until now. When she pulled back, her breath mingled with Celeste’s, her voice low, trembling but certain.

“Do you really feel that way?” Rowan asked, her eyes locked on hers.

Celeste swallowed hard, every nerve alight, and whispered, “Yes. I do.”

Rowan’s lips curved into the faintest smile, her thumb stroking along Celeste’s cheek. “Good,” she murmured, her voice steady now. “Because I want you too.”