Shortcake*

Chapter 14: Drive to the Airport

*Copyright: Stephanie Myrick, 2023. Posted to Wattpad ONLY*

Cleo called Nico early the next morning while waiting for Link to get ready to go to the airport. He had stayed with her until she was asleep and then gone to his room, something she couldn't decide if she was happy about. It felt good to get everything out in the open, tell him her whole story. Her heart had broken when he told her his, and she wanted him to know he wasn't the only one with a messed up past. When Nico didn't answer, she hung up and called Haven.

"Morning Cleo." Haven answered on the second ring, even though it was eight in the morning on a Saturday and she had been out late the night before. "Where did you go last night?"

"Back to my hotel room; I wasn't feeling very good." She explained tersely. "Why didn't you tell me the plans changed, and Link is coming to Ontario with me?" She wasn't sure how she felt about that either.

"I planned to, but honestly, I was hoping you'd have a few drinks in you before I did." Haven sighed. "Then you left, Link went with you, and I didn't get a chance. Is it really that big a deal? Will and Danielle's cabin is huge. You don't have to interact with him besides taking a few pictures every day."

"The point of the separation was to make it look like the relationship was slowly dying now that we weren't spending all that time together."

"Does it need to end?"

"What?" Cleo snapped. "Of course it does; it was a six-month agreement."

"Look, yeah, this is helping Link save his career, but it's helping you too. The fact that Cleo Knight has won Hollywood's most notorious womanizer's heart has really, really pushed you up in a great way. The fans love you two together. Link's fans, besides a few crazies who are convinced he's their soulmate or something, love that you swept in and saved him. Your fans love that you're so in love. And honestly, looking at some of the pictures of you two that have come out, I'm questioning how much of this is acting, mostly on his part, but a little on yours."

Cleo hesitated. "How long would it go on?"

"I don't want you to fake date him Cleo. I want you to try dating him. Not for your career or his, but because I think there's something more there besides an agreement."

"Haven..."

"Cleo, I was watching you guys last night. Kari is notorious for trying to get into an actor's pants. She tried with Link last night, and he reached for and clung to you like you were his lifeline. He didn't plan it or even think; he wanted her to know he was yours and off limits. When he saw you were upset, he started toward me and Annette, looked over his shoulder, saw you were gone and swore loudly before chasing you. I'm not saying anything has to happen; I'm saying give it a chance."

"I'm not making any promises." Cleo warned as a knock sounded on her door, and Link poked his head in.

"I'm not asking you to; I'm asking you to be a little open-minded."

"Fine. I'll be in touch." Cleo nodded as Link mouthed, "Ready?" and watched as he came in with a luggage trolley and began stacking her suitcases on it.

"Talk to you soon sweetie."

"Everything okay?" Link asked as he pushed the luggage rack down the hallway.

"Yeah, that was Haven. I wanted to know why I wasn't told you were coming to Ontario."

"What'd she say?" He hit the button for the elevator.

"She was going to tell me last night, but we left before she had a chance." They had stayed up a little bit discussing things and agreed the best thing they could do was just let things develop organically. Spend time getting to know one another, the actual one another and see what happened. "You didn't have to leave last night, you know."