8 Million Hearts

They say it’s a bad idea to fall for your best friend. But since when do I say no to bad ideas? It’s not like I wanted to fall in love with Ben. But I didn’t really have a choice. Not only is he hot, he’s sweet, funny, and insanely talented. We’d both been struggling musicians for years, but even after Ben got signed by a major label, he still wanted to be friends with a nobody like me. Honestly, if he didn’t want me falling for him, he should have been less goddamn perfect. Well, except for the part where he’s straight. Did I forget to mention that?

Who auditions for an adult film without realizing it? Me, apparently...Another spoiled child-actor, all grown up and out of control. I wish I could tell you you’re wrong, but the truth is, I’m a little bit of a mess. Okay, so maybe I'm a giant mess...After a year of rehab and community service, all I want is to work again. So when my agent sends me a new script, maybe I don’t read the fine print as carefully as I should. Which is how I end up auditioning for an adult film...And I wouldn’t do this movie-except for one thing: Gray Evans.

It took seven years until I was sure I was over my high school boyfriend, Luke - and just one night to realize how wrong I was. Not even one night, really. It was honestly more like five minutes of conversation at our high school reunion that made it clear I'd never gotten over him in the first place. And if the conversation by itself wasn't enough, the fact that I invited him back to my hotel room, dragged him into bed, and then had a panic attack in the middle of the, uh, festivities took care of any lingering doubts. 

Hunter Westing is not who I’m supposed to end up with. The guy might look like a walking wet dream, but he’s got the intelligence of a doorknob and the emotional range of a toaster. Actually, that might be an insult to toasters - at least they’re not usually homophobic. If life were fair, I wouldn’t have to spend more than 20 minutes in Hunter’s company. 

I got a fake ID because I was bored, not because I planned on meeting anyone. But from the moment I saw Nick - all tall, dark, and librarian-y, with hardcover books falling out of his messenger bag and eyes that made me forget how to breathe - I knew I needed to know him better. So maybe I told a little white lie about my birthday. And maybe I went into the city again, and again, just so I could run into him. And maybe, on that last morning, I kissed him, because I knew it was goodbye. Except, turns out, it wasn’t.