“Hey, finished creeping around the museum?” he asked, waving goodbye to the older man he was with.

“’Creeping’ is a harsh word, don’t you think?” she asked.

He shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. “I call them as I see them. So you are an actress?”

“How did you find out?”

He most likely already knew, like I fucking said. Come on, Amelia.

“Because three people came in after you left and asked how I knew Amelia London?” he replied.

“You aren’t going to stop this?” I asked. Oliver smirked.

“As long as he’s not you, I’m fine,” Oliver replied.

Fine. Whatever.

“I was just about to get dinner—”

Walking down the stairs I stopped right before them, “Amelia, we’re going out to eat.”

“Here to steal her away again?”

“Let’s go.” I ignored him.

“I’m fine, Noah, thanks. We haven’t eaten a meal together in years. I’m not sure why we should start now,” Amelia said.

Clenching my jaw, my gaze shifted to him. “Sorry, we have an early call time in the morning. She’ll take a rain check.”

“Is that so?”

“No. I mean yes. But it’s not a big deal. I’m used to it,” Amelia explained.

“Really? Because you looked like hell when you crawled out of my bed this morning,” I said, pulling out my phone as Austin texted me not once, not twice, but several times to figure what the hell I was doing. It was a good question.

“It’s not—” Amelia began.

“No need to explain. When your guard dog isn’t around, call me. I’d love to talk some more with you,” the man said, handing Amelia his card and waving before marching up the stairs. It was only when he was gone did she smack my arm as hard as she could.

“What is wrong with you? You can sleep with all the women you want, but I try and talk to one guy and you become a douchebag?”

“Oh…you wanted to sleep with him?” I cringed. “I thought you wanted to become one of his nude models.”

“Why? Because it’s so impossible for anyone else to want me, too?”

“Sorry. Next time I’ll butt out of it,” I said lifting my hands in mock defense.

“Ugh. You’re such a son of a bitch!” She was so angry that she looked like she wanted to hit me again, but instead she stomped over to Oliver, who was waiting next to her car.

When Austin stepped up next to me, I could feel the lecture coming.

“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t say word.”

Amelia

Closing the doors behind me, I tiptoed toward the balcony since Ollie was asleep on my couch. I took the card out of my back pocket, trying to decide whether or not to call him.

Léo Lémieux.

After a quick search on Google, I was exposed to all of his…art.

Screw it, I thought, dialing.

“Bonjour, qui est-ce?” he answered.

“Hi, it’s Amelia from the art museum.” Great. Just beautiful. That’s the best I could up with.

“Amelia from the art museum? Hmmm, I apologize. That’s not ringing any bells.”

“Not funny,” I said, even though I was smiling.

“Oh, Amelia London. Sorry, you would not believe how many Amelias I randomly meet in art museums.”

“Are you an artist or an aspiring comedian?” I asked.

“What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.”

“Is it too late to take you up on your dinner invite?”

He paused before speaking again. “What about the man with the scowl permanently glued on his face? There’s no point if he’s just going to pop up and steal you away again, is there?”

“The only way anyone can steal me is if they own me first. He’s just … an old friend.”

“Okay. Do you know where the Le Vieux Château Laurier is?”

No, I did not, but I wouldn’t mind if he said it one more—a few more—times. His voice in my ear was sexy.

“Amelia?”

“Yeah, I got it. What time?”

“It’s eight now, so how about we meet there in an hour?” he asked.

“Perfect. See you then. Au revoir.” That was about all the French I knew.

“Not ‘au revoir’ but ‘à bientôt’…see you soon,” he replied, hanging up.

I swear everything sounds better in French.

Chapter Six

Amelia

Ollie was sprawled on the couch, papers all around him. He was beyond exhausted, which only worked to my advantage as I got ready. I did my best to shower, brush my hair, and do my own makeup within forty-five minutes. Luckily the restaurant he chose wasn’t too far from my hotel. At first, I reached for a pair of black heels, but remembering his comment earlier, I took the flats instead. Picking up my purse, I snuck out the door. I’m twenty-five. I shouldn’t have needed to sneak anywhere, but I didn’t want to fight with Ollie about this tonight. No matter what, I was going to do what I wanted to do.

Thank god, I thought when I shut the door.

“You look nice,” said a voice behind me.

“Jesus Christ!” Startled, I jumped, spinning around to find Austin, dressed in—but of course—a suit and tie. I don’t think I’d ever seen the man relax.

“Going somewhere?” he asked.

“Yes. But that’s none of your business.”

“It wouldn’t be to see a Canadian artist, would it?”

“Again, none of your business. Good night, Austin,” I repeated, reaching for my phone as I headed down the hall.

“You didn’t even see him,” Austin said.

“What?”

“Every night, Noah sits on the balcony and smokes. Of course, you’d never know that because you don’t come out. Or at least you didn’t until tonight, when you were you so taken with your phone call that you didn’t check,” he said when he caught up to me at the elevators.

“So what? I should feel bad? Noah and I aren’t anything but co-stars. He’s made that perfectly clear, so why would I even bother checking—”

“Because he checks for you,” he interrupted me, as though the words coming out of my mouth didn’t even matter. “He checks for you every time he goes out there. If your curtains even move, his whole body language changes. And now to stop himself from chasing after you, he’s in the bathroom popping pills.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you want to know!” he snapped. “You want to know why you and he don’t work. You want to be in there, but because you can’t, you’re going elsewhere. You both were children who were forced to become adults, and now you’re adults who are acting like children. Him self-destructing, you utterly confused because you don’t want to love him, so you try and love someone else. I’ve seen this movie before. We’ve. All. Seen. This. Movie. Before. So spare me, Amelia, and ask yourself where you really want to be right now. Pick a place. Don’t look back. Stay there.”

As if he timed it, the elevators door opened, and he stepped inside, exhaling deeply.

“I’m too old to be dealing with this shit,” he mumbled as the door shut, leaving me completely alone in the middle of the hall.

I had to pick a place. Noah’s room, or a restaurant with Léo.

I didn’t know Leo enough to choose! But wasn’t that the point? I knew Noah, or at least I knew enough about him to know that I shouldn’t hesitate at the chance to try something new. Anything was better than being heartbroken once again by Noah Sloan, right?

“I’m here,” Léo texted me.

I stared at for what felt like forever before texting back, “À bientôt.”

Noah

“Fuck,” I sneered. My hands were shaking so damn much I couldn’t open the pill bottle. “Austin!”

No answer.

“Austin…I need…” The lid snapped opened, and the pills flew everywhere but the one place they needed to go.

Of all the times Austin had to disappear, it had to be now.

Sliding to the tile floor, I clenched the bottle in my hands as they trembled, tucking my legs to my chest.

Breathe.