Celia's career had been at its peak this past week, ever since she received her Oscar. As for me, being cast out by Ari had left me at my lowest. But when I really thought about it, what could have been worse if Celia wasn't beside me.
Harry sat across from Celia and me on the couch, a glass of booze in his hand. He took a slow sip, his hesitation obvious—as if he wasn't sure whether he should say what was on his mind. Then, finally— "Guess the guy found his new prey."
Celia let out a light chuckle beside me. "Good for them."
Ari looked at her, quite surprised. "Oh… of course. You already know."
"What is it?" I asked looking bewildered.
"Don's getting married—to that fox, Ruby. Not that it matters," Celia said casually, her fingers lacing with mine as she met my gaze.
I let out a quiet laugh, lifting my glass and taking a sip.
"Well, it doesn't matter as much as your career right now, Evelyn," Harry added, drinking again. "But Ruby approached me earlier. She wants you to attend their wedding."
"Great. Will both we there then." Celia said automatically right after Harry, her grip tightening around my hand as if she was reassuring me.
But even then, it didn't bother me as much as it should have. Hearing that he was getting married again—especially to Ruby—barely stirred anything in me. If anything, I felt relieved. Let her have the life I once had with Don, the hell I've gone through that marriage.
Days passed quickly. I was mostly stuck at home while Celia spent hers on set, shooting for her new movie. It was fast enough that were now already standing at the wedding venue.
Celia had been pulled away by one of the actresses and she had no choice but to go along with it—someone I didn't care enough to recognize.
Harry lightly held my arm. "I'll stay with you—"
I cut him off before he could finish. "Don't do that. I know how much you love expanding your connections."
He looked at me then, his expression softening along with his voice. "Then I'll be back before you know it, Evelyn."
The wedding was nearly over. Some guests waved their goodbyes and congratulations, while others lingered—talking, eating, and drinking. Then right when I'm minding my own business, I saw Ruby approaching, her long wedding gown trailing behind. She stopped right in front of me, a grin already playing on her lips.
"I see you were late."
"Sorry about that," I replied evenly. "I just couldn't be happier for you, Ruby." The sarcasm was there—subtle, controlled. Enough to sting, not enough to make a scene.
"Thank you, Evelyn," she said, unfazed. "It was a long road, but here I am… marrying the most famous and richest man in Hollywood."
"You are," I said. "I hope it lasts forever." A forever of suffering being married with Don Adler, I finished silently in my mind.
Before Ruby could respond, Celia appeared at my side, offering her congratulations and wishing her a happy marriage. Her voice was warm, polished—perfect.
I couldn't quite tell if she meant a word of it.
And, somehow, I found that amusing.
Later, Celia and I sat in the backseat of Harry's tinted black car, only waiting for him to return.
"How was it?" I asked.
"Boring," she replied immediately—and we both laughed.
"No, seriously," she added, shaking her head. "I couldn't care less. But I couldn't get away from them either, which made it worse."
"It's fine. You're here now, anyway." I leaned slightly closer to her. "Though Harry is taking his time. That's another problem."
We laughed again, our bodies close, the quiet of the car wrapping around us like something private and familiar.
A few minutes later, the car door finally opened, and Harry slipped inside. "Did you talk with the asshole?" The first thing that came into his mouth as soon as he gets inside the car.
"No. Why would I?"
"Exactly." he shot back without missing a beat.
The engine hummed to life, breaking the silence of the night as Harry pulled the car onto the road. My head on Celia's shoulder as I start speaking, "Harry, I spoke to someone at the wedding… a man named Max Girard, I think." I paused, trying to recall. "He's French. He mentioned he's filming a movie—and somewhere in that conversation, he offered me a role. If I'm willing to test for a part." I lifted my gaze, meeting Harry's eyes through the rearview mirror. "What do you think?" The question hung there, even though we all knew the decision was mine to make.
Not long after that ride, I found myself in France.
I kept myself busy with anything that could dull the ache Celia had left behind when I came here. The days felt longer without her—emptier in ways I tried not to dwell on.
Girard said my part would only take two weeks.
So I held on to that—every single day of it. For my career, and for the promise of seeing her again.
And without even surprising myself, the movie 'Boute-en-Train' became a success.
It turned into the summer's breakout film, selling out theaters all across Europe before making its way into the United States.
It was a success—just as I had hoped.
And now, after everything I had done to find my way back into this industry, I was back in Celia's arms again.
I poured wine into a glass on the kitchen counter, the soft clink of the bottle filling the quiet space. In my peripheral vision, Celia leaned back against the refrigerator, watching me.
"It was worth it, after all," she said.
I couldn't quite read her expression.
I poured another glass.
"I missed you so much, Evelyn," she began. "I miss—"
But I didn't let her finish.
Setting the bottle down, I stepped toward her without hesitation. I stopped just in front of her, my voice low, intimate.
"And do you think it was easy for me?" I met her eyes—those blue eyes already glistening, tears threatening to fall at any second. And so without wasting any seconds, I pulled her body closer to mine and gave her a hug that carried all my longing. "I missed you more.." I whispered, my hand moving to the back of her head, fingers threading gently through her hair as I held her close. "more than you can imagine, Celia."
And then she broke.
She was sobbing in my arms, while I held her tighter—everything I had been holding back finally spilling into that embrace.
We finished a bottle of wine before heading to bed, lying together after missing each other for so long.
"Has anyone caught your attention while I was away?" I asked softly, a hint of teasing in my voice.
"Oh, come on now… you really think I'd be like that?"
"Of course not," I chuckled lightly, pulling her closer against me. "I was just kidding."
She let out a small breath, shaking her head slightly.
"It's always you, Evelyn. Whether I'm working or not, you never left my mind—not even once." Her eyes began to water again. "Now you know how hard it was for me, waiting for you while you were in another country filming, huh?"
She gave a soft, broken little laugh as a tear slipped down her cheek.
I pulled back slightly and cupped her face in both hands.
"Okay now… hold those tears, Celia. We won okay, we won.. I'm back now—my career is saved, and we're together again." My voice dropped into something softer, more worried. "Now stop crying, Celia… please."
She smiled at me through her tears, then leaned in and kissed me.
It was our first kiss after so long apart, and it almost made me tear up too.
When she finally pulled away, happiness crept into her expression.
"Tomorrow we'll go on dates. Lots of dates, Evelyn." She grinned, her eyes still swollen from crying.
"Yes, we are." I gently traced her face with my fingers and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Good night, Celia."
"Good night…" she murmured sleepily, still in my arms.
If being apart is the price of being with you forever, I'd gladly do it over and over again. A little suffering now for a far greater tomorrow—one that belongs to both of us. Is more than worth every risk, every distance, every moment of waiting — Celia.