Moonlight Kiss

Addison’s engagement ring and sighed, she felt a jolt of alarm.

“Garret . . .” Addison leaned forward and continued softly so other diners wouldn’t hear. “Did you ask me to marry you because you wanted to do this show?”

“Of course not!” Garret sputtered hotly, but when he glanced down and started toying with the straw poking out of his drink, Addison wondered if she had guessed correctly.

“Really? Because that’s what this feels like.” Addison looked at him expectantly and waited for the profession of love that never came. Her heart sank. “Oh boy.” Addison closed her eyes and inhaled a sharp breath. She was torn between feeling sorry for him and tossing ice water in his handsome face. She glanced at her water glass and her fingers twitched. “Wow . . . I was right, wasn’t I? You might as well come clean.”

“No, baby, you’ve got it all wrong,” Garret insisted in that soulful, charming voice that had sucked her in from the first time they met. He followed it up with a wounded look.

Addison stared across the table at him. She searched his face and looked into his blue eyes, wanting so badly to believe him. But the lack of love she saw in his expression convinced her. Her heart sank. “No, I think I’ve got it totally right.”

Addison tossed her napkin on the table and then stood up.

“Where are you going?” Garret’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe how fast this was going south, and he actually followed her through the restaurant and out the door. Addison was so glad that she had driven to meet him for lunch, and hurried toward the parking lot while frantically fishing her keys out of her purse.

“Addison!”

She kept on walking until she spotted her red Mustang convertible. The muscle car made her feel just a little bit badass, and she picked up her pace.

“Wait . . . please.” Garret’s gentle pleading tone caused a little spark of hope to blossom in her chest. Maybe he’d tell her that the show meant nothing and that she meant everything. That this was an insane idea and that he’d squash it.

Holding her breath, she slowly turned to face him.

“Would you at least sleep on it? We can revisit this tomorrow, after you’ve had the chance to think it over.”

Addison let out the held breath and her shoulders slumped. “There’s nothing to think about. I won’t do it, Garret. I’m sorry, but it’s just not in me to make a fool of myself in front of a big audience.”

“Who cares? We’d laugh all the way to the bank.”

“There’s not enough money in the world.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Well, then, I guess we’re through,” Garret announced as if this was his ace in the hole, which would surely win her over.

It didn’t.

“If this show means more to you than me, then I guess so,” she conceded, giving him one last chance to turn this thing around, but only got a stubborn lift of his chin.

“I guess you just answered my question.” With shaking fingers Addison tugged the engagement ring off. Oh, how she wished she were a bit tougher, like her mother, because she was having trouble holding her emotions in check. “Then here.” Sunlight glinted off of the diamond solitaire when she thrust it toward him.

Garret swallowed hard and his eyes widened, as if he couldn’t believe that he’d called her bluff and it blew up in his face. He glanced at the ring and then back at her. “Addison, let’s talk about this. We can’t call off the wedding! Everything has been ordered. Invitations sent out.” He looked at her in a bit of a panic. “We . . . we had that couples shower. What the hell will people think?”

“That’s a really poor reason for getting married. You have to care.” She tried to sound angry, but her voice shook.

“I . . . I care!” His raised voice negated the sentiment.

“Do you love me?” Addison asked quietly.

“Of course I do!” Garret protested loudly but the word love never touched his lips.

“Then say it . . . and not in your offhand, cutesy way like you always do, but like you mean it. Like I mean the world to you like I thought I did.” She patted her chest. “Like I’m more important to you than some silly show.”

“If you loved me, you’d do the show,” Garret tossed back at her.

Addison looked at him and had a sudden moment of clarity. “You have a point.”

“See . . .” Garret said, but his sudden smile faltered when she remained silent. “Wait. What are you saying? That . . . that you don’t love me?”

Addison gave him a sad shake of her head. “You’re right, Garret. If I loved you the way I should, I might consider doing this with you. On the other hand, if you loved me the way you should, you would never ask me to do something I would hate doing. It’s pretty simple. We’re not meant for each other after all.”

“No, wait, Addison. Seriously. I’ve handled this all wrong!” Garret shoved his fingers through his no longer carefully styled hair once more. He’d be appalled if he knew it was standing on end. But she finally saw real sorrow in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I was being an ass because I wasn’t getting my way.”

“Yeah, you were.” Addison nodded her agreement. “And you’re not usually like that. Or maybe I haven’t seen it because I always agree with whatever you want to do. But, Garret, this just shows that we want way different things out of life.” She reached out and put a hand on his forearm. “We had such fun together. You made me laugh and enjoy so many things I would never have tried.” She smiled softly . . . sadly.

“We can still do that,” Garret said in a pleading tone. “You know, just with cameras,” he added with a little wince.

Addison looked down at her ruby red toenails peeking through the top of her black sandals. She swallowed hard and then looked back at Garret. “Be honest. Did you ask me to marry you just to be in the reality show?”

“No.” Garret reached out and ran a fingertip down her cheek. “I loved being with you, making you laugh, smile. You made me feel good about myself even when I didn’t always deserve it.” He shrugged and Addison saw raw emotion cloud his eyes.

“We’re both breathing down the neck of our thirties, Garret. Maybe it’s time to grow up.”

“Eh . . . growing up is overrated,” he answered with another cocky shrug. But Addison wasn’t really fooled. “Just look at my dad, still rockin’ long hair and leather. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and all that crap.” His nonchalant tone didn’t match the rather haunted look in his eyes. “My mother called it something . . .”

“The Peter Pan syndrome?”

“Yeah . . . that.”

Addison hitched her purse strap higher on her shoulder. “You know, Garret, maybe your father wishes he’d been around more when you were growing up. Maybe he’d still be married to your mom. Being a rock star might not be all that it’s cracked up to be either.”

“Yeah, right. Said no one ever.” Garret chuckled but it sounded a bit forced. “Trust me, my dad loves his life,” he added with a touch of bitterness. But then he sighed. “Damn. So, you’re really breaking up with me? Calling the wedding off? For real?”

“For real.”

He remained silent for a moment. “So, what do you want out of life?” Garret finally asked in a rare serious moment. And she had to wonder if he was asking himself the same question.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Addison sighed. “Undying, everlasting, all-consuming, crazy love. Is that asking too much?” Her small laugh ended with a slight hitch.

“Does that really exist?”

“I’m not sure.” She toyed with the heart charm on her key chain. “But I want to find out. Don’t you?”

Garret shrugged but for once seemed at a loss for words. Addison supposed that he was as stunned as she was at the sudden, very sad turn of events.

“Good-bye, Garret.” But when she turned to open her car door he put a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey . . .”

Addison turned around.

“I’m going to really miss you. This is my loss. You deserve better,” he said, and Addison could tell that he