26. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Everything inside her body was ice cold.

Except for her heart.

Being back in Clint's home warmed her and healed her in ways she would probably never fully understand. The rest of her was in shock.

The betrayal, the fear, the guilt.

People died because of her. Because of Inez.

Maren Gagne still had to walk with a cane because of the car accident. And poor Carol and Phoebe ... That was not how Brooke wanted to get her roles. Never.

Inez was a broken soul and guilt ran rampant through Brooke that she didn't pick up on things sooner. Maybe she was a selfish person? So caught up in her own world, in her own business that she couldn't see that her assistant, her friend, was struggling.

Clint held her hand and squeezed, pulling her from her dark, spiraling thoughts.

"I love you," she whispered. "I love it here. I love this life, and I love Talia. I don't want my old life. I'll give up acting. I'll give it all up for you. For this." Fat blobs marred her vision until he was nothing but blurry handsomeness in front of her. But his touch reassured her. His touch grounded her.

"You don't have to give up anything."

"I will if it means I can stay. Please ... This is all I've ever wanted. Peace and family. Someone who loves me the way I love them."

She sniffed and swept her free hand beneath her eyes, clearing the tears enough that she could see his smile.

"I'm saying, I want you to stay, too, but I don't want you to give up something you love. If you want to keep acting, we can figure it out. We can have it all."

She bit her lip to keep herself from trembling. "But what if you get bored of me?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head, a deep frown turning down the corners of his lips. "Never. Never ever will I lose interest or get bored of you. I won't run or shut down. I will communicate my feelings, and I will never make you feel the way all those other fools did. You fascinate and inspire me, and I … I love you."

The tears came back, tumbling hard and fast down her cheeks. But this time, they were happy tears. Tears of relief and love. Tears of joy and peace. "I love you, too," she whispered, her voice raspy as she fought to get the words out of her tight throat.

"I was an idiot to let you leave here the first time. I'm not going to make that mistake again. You belong here. With us."

He pulled her into his arms, cradling her against his hard, warm chest. "We'll figure it out. We'll up security and make it work. But this is where you're meant to be."

"I don't want anybody else to get hurt," she blubbered.

"Me either. And we'll make sure of it. But if this is where you want to be, then this is where I want you. Nobody wants you to leave. You belong here."

"I don't want to leave. I love it here. I love you. I love Talia."

They held each other like that for a long time. Until her breathing settled and the tears dried up.

"I texted Rocco on the drive home. He's canceled his flight and is on his way back."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"We should probably have Grayson take a look at you," he murmured, sitting back and brushing her hair off her face.

She snickered. "I think you're in worse shape than me."

He shrugged. "Worth it."

She let out a long breath through thinly parted lips and a wayward shiver raced up her spine. "So, we're really going to do this?"

"If you're not ready to move in here, then we can find you alternative accommodation. But, nothing about how this came to be is conventional, so ... I say we just dive in head first."

She reached out and gently touched one of his shallower scratches. "Head first, huh?"

"Come on, Little Mermaid, it'll be a piece of cake. You don't even need to sell your voice for this prince." His grin stole the oxygen from her lungs and brought a smile to her face so big her cheeks hurt.

"I'd sell my soul for a piece of this life. For another day with you."

He cupped her cheek, his mouth hovering just over hers. "Good thing all I'm asking for is your heart."

"You've had it for ages. Just be gentle with it." Then she kissed him back and the world, finally, at long last, made sense. Peace enveloped her, and a sense of true belonging took hold.

This was where she was meant to be. This was where she belonged.

This was her happily ever after.

On the island.

With Talia.

With Clint.

With her new family.

One month later ...

"Well, that's the craziest story I've ever heard," replied the reporter, as Brooke sat in the weird egg-shaped chair at the contemporary-styled news studio.

Brooke shrugged and smiled. "I know. I still catch myself wondering if it was all a dream."

"Now, I hear that Inez had damning evidence against you. Whatever became of that?"

Brooke smiled, reached for her water glass, and took a sip. "Yeah, she did. She pieced together conversations we'd had that she recorded without my knowledge. Then made up fake recordings of me asking her to take care of Maren, Carol and Phoebe. Which of course, I never did. I would never, ever want anybody to get hurt. Least of all for a ... for a role in a movie or a brand ambassador deal. But forensics proved it'd all been fabricated. That she spliced audio together. I was never charged."

"And the man who confessed to trying to kill you the first time?"

"We worked closely with local authorities to make sure any and all images of his daughter were scraped off the internet. And as it turns out, Inez created those using AI. His daughter never took nude photos of herself or sent them to anyone. He knows that I am at his disposal should he need anything. To be manipulated and extorted like that ... it makes me sick that Inez stooped so low. That she was so calculating."

"Yeah, it seems like she had this planned for a while?" the reporter replied, flipping her dark brown ponytail back over her shoulder. "And you had no idea?"

"I still feel really bad about that, but no. It's made me take a hard look at my life and make some serious changes. I don't live in California anymore, and I'm going to be very selective about what roles I take. Maybe one a year now. I'm focused on family. On community and on mental health, mine and others."

"Incredible." Her eyes widened and her filler-filled lips formed a big pouty O. "I'm dying to know what happened to the jewellery you had on the night you were pushed. Did you have to return it?"

Brooke chuckled. "I did. Yes, of course. Though, Francisco Kruz and I are good friends and he gifted me a bracelet after the incident."

"I'd love to see it sometime," the reporter crooned.

Brooke simply smiled and nodded.

"Now, I need to ask, what about your dad?"

Brooke narrowed her gaze at the reporter. The woman knew that Brooke's father was an off-limits topic, and yet she was asking it anyway because they were live. Then she smiled. "I sincerely hope my father is receiving the rehabilitation he needs. Next question."

The reporter only appeared flustered for a moment, then regained composure. "So you said you're not living in California anymore? Where are you living?"

Warmth filled Brooke's chest. "In paradise." She faced the camera. "However, I will ask the public to please respect my privacy and my family's privacy. Don't come seeking me out. Respect my choice to live away from the public eye. I will still make appearances and still do movies, but I want to keep my personal and professional lives separate. Keep my family out of the public eye."

"You keep mentioning family, does that mean ..."

Brooke bit her bottom lip and smiled. "The man who saved me has become more than just a white knight. I love him with all my heart. I love his daughter. I love his entire family. They are my family now, and I would lay down my life for any one of them."

The reporter smiled at her with overly plump lips. "Well, I have to say, this is some of the best news and the richest and most rewarding, happy ending I've probably ever heard." She faced the camera. "Brooke Barker, everyone. Back from the dead and—" she glanced at Brooke. "Happier than ever?"

Brooke beamed. "Happier than ever and finally at peace."

"And cut," said the director.

The reporter got up from her seat all smiles and approached Brooke. "Thank you so much, Brooke, that was amazing."

Brooke stood up, a big smile on her face as well. She accepted the reporter's hand. "My pleasure. Next time, though, when I say off-limits, I mean, off-limits. And I will embarrass you by calling you out. Got it?" She squeezed the woman's hand a little harder until her eyes went wide and she chuckled awkwardly.

"Uh ... yes, of course. Sorry."

Brooke's smile was closed-mouthed and forced. She released the woman, who then scurried off quickly.

Warm hands encircled her waist from behind and lips landed on her neck. "Can we get the fuck out of here already?"

Grinning for real this time, she spun around and looped her arms over Clint's shoulders. "You read my mind. I'm done with the city."

"Yeah? Where do you want to go?" His hands made their way to her hips.

"Oh, I dunno ... some island, maybe?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Where everybody knows everybody, the kids can roam like free-range chickens, there are beaches and a great restaurant. Maybe a sexy brewmaster who makes delicious beer? Do you know of any place like that?"

"Hmmm ..." He tapped his scruffy chin. "I might. But ... the brewmaster there is in a relationship, so ... you might be out of luck."

"I'll seduce him. No problem. He won't be able to resist my feminine charms."

His smile grew wily and roguish. "No, he really won't."

"Take me home, island boy."

His mouth found hers. "As you wish, my mermaid."