Never Too Far Novel

Jessie’s throat began to feel dry as she continued to stare. She picked up the bottle of water beside her and took a few swigs. Julian went to his shooting spot and sat on a swivel-top stool that showed off his long legs in all their glory. He was holding a rose in his hand, taking a whiff of its scent. His brows were trimmed and almost pointed; his thin lips pursed; his eyes filled with longing. Jessie couldn’t help but be held captivated by the sight of him.

Right then, he switched his pose. He spotted her right away as he looked beyond the camera. The sight of her almost made him get out of character as a hint of a smile flashed across his eyes. The smile in his eyes filled her heart with sweetness, and she returned a brilliant smile of her own.

The shoot was over in a moment. All the crew members were cleaning things up for the next session. Ashley then came to Jessie. “Jessie, Young Master Julian requires you in the waiting room.”

After getting informed of that, she went over as per request. When she opened the door to the waiting room and entered, she noticed Julian was the only occupant inside. He was still wearing the clothes from earlier, and she couldn’t help but peer at him like he was some work of art.

“You’re so handsome,” she praised. In the past, she would feel blessed just from having a few glances at the shots of Julian. So, naturally, she was ecstatic now that she had the privilege to see him at work closely.

Julian cocked his eyebrow upon hearing that. “Do you like it?” He wished for her approval.

“Of course. In fact, I love it,” Jessie spoke with passion and enthusiasm.

He extended his hand. “Come here.”

She took a seat on the couch and caressed his clothes. Silky smooth, she remarked in her mind.

“You came here quite early. Did you come here for me?” He narrowed his eyes as he asked.

Her cheeks burned, but she confessed, “Yes, that’s right.” It’s my day off. I’d have slept in if it were not because I would like to see you.

A contented smile tugged on his lips. All of a sudden, he leaned into her, and she ended up lying on the couch in an attempt to keep some distance between them. He placed his hands on either side of her frame, pushing himself up. The silky shirt he wore slid down and revealed his sturdy, sexy abs.

Julian had never shown his abs to anyone, but now she could stare at them as much as she wanted. It would have been a dream come true if she could touch them, but…

The position we’re in is quite awkward. What is he trying to—

Jessie’s thought was cut short when he leaned down and kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes out of reflex. That forehead kiss was as far as he would go, or at least that was what he would do at first. However, now that she was playing along, he might as well take up on her offer. He moved down to the tip of her nose and gave it a peck. Then, he started moving downward again and pressed his lips against hers, sucking on it softly now and then.

Her mind went blank out of shock, but her heart pounded loud and fast out of embarrassment. Omigosh, we’re kissing in the waiting room while the crew members are all going around outside. This is going to be embarrassing if we get found. But… his kiss is just so gentle. She instinctively held his lower torso. Holy moly, his fans would kill me if they saw me hugging their idol.

After what had happened last time, Ashley was on her guard. A few crew members tried to go into the waiting room to unload some stuff, but she stopped them. “Sorry, but Young Master Julian is doing something important inside. He will not take kindly to any visitors,” she said. She had no idea what was happening inside, but her job was to keep her boss’ personal affairs away from the public’s prying eyes.

Eventually, Jessie found herself leaning on Julian’s chest, his hold on her tight. A moment later, the hug ended, but she could still feel the strong thump of his heartbeat smashing against her chest. Oh god, this is so embarrassing. She had never even held a boy’s hand before. This was her first relationship, yet her boyfriend was the man of many women’s dreams. Thus, she had yet to learn how to deal with this kind of stuff at times.

“I hope I didn’t scare you.” Julian looked at her, amused.

Jessie shook her head and met his gaze. “You didn’t. I like kissing you.”

His heart leaped with joy upon hearing that. He leaned down and pecked her lips. “So, do you now understand how I feel about you?”

Of course, she did. Still, she had a hard time believing in all of this as everything felt like a dream to her. “Do you like me?” That was her insecurity speaking.

Solemnly, he answered, “Yes.”

Jessie rested her head on his chest and stared at his collarbone before reaching over to touch it. Julian huffed, “Stop touching.”

“Hey, you just kissed me, so why can’t I touch you? That’s so unfair.” It’s only fair if I get to touch him since he kissed me just now.

He looked at her with resignation in his eyes. “That’s not what I meant. You can touch me, but I can’t go out looking like this, you know. You can’t expect me to stay in this room forever.”

O-Oh, that’s what he’s trying to say. She quickly got up. “I-I’ll go out, then. You do what you have to do.” She picked her bag up and combed her hair before exiting the room. She was so embarrassed that she couldn’t even look at Ashley, who stood right outside the waiting room.

Jessie made her way to the coffee shop on the third floor, but her face was still red. Gilmore Corporation had built the coffee shop specifically for its artists and employees. It was a high-end place. She waited for Julian in the coffee shop, and it was not until 11.00AM that he finally showed up. This time, he was in casual attire, yet he looked elegant nonetheless.

She couldn’t help but steal a glance at him before staring at the ground swiftly soon after.

“We’re having lunch together. Then, it’s free time. You can go wherever you want, and I’ll come with you.”

“Really? I can go anywhere I want?” she asked, the anticipation in her voice almost palpable.

“Yep.”

“Can I go to the amusement park, then?” She had never gone to an amusement park her whole life, not even once. Tickets were too expensive for her back then. Even though she had reunited with her family, she still hadn’t had the chance to go to an amusement park. Now that they had time, she wanted to see what that place was like. And with Julian by my side, this is going to be great.

“Sure, I’ll go.” He smiled.

They departed for the amusement park after having lunch. Ashley bought all the disguise items for them on their way: masks, sunglasses, and hats. Jessie went for a mask and a hat, while Julian only wore a pair of sunglasses. Apparently, he wasn’t worried about getting recognized.

Ashley pleaded, “Sir, your fans can recognize you from a mile away if you have no mask on. You should wear one for the sake of public safety.”

“I’m his fan, and I don’t even need to see his face to recognize him. His body shape’s enough,” Jessie remarked.

He smiled as he looked at her. “So, you’ve fallen for me even before we met, huh?”

“Yep. I saw you during my first year in the industry and have fallen for you since then.” She smiled smugly.

Julian straightened her hat and her mask. Then, he pushed her hair back.

Ashley watched on as the couple flirted with each other. Hey, do you mind? I’m still single, you know. Cut back on the show of affection, alright?

Even though it was on a weekday, the amusement park had quite a few visitors. Ashley entered with the couple, acting as their errand girl. Though, there was a perk: she could go on the rides as well. Julian and Jessie looked like a perfect couple together. Ashley bought Jessie a cute headband the moment they entered the amusement park.

Jessie took her hat off and wore the headband. It was indeed an adorable sight to behold. “I’ll snap a pic for you two.” Ashley held her phone up and trotted ahead.

Julian pulled Jessie into his embrace, and she leaned on his chest bashfully while making a peace sign.

It was a photo taken with a phone, but the couple was gorgeous enough to make the picture look like it was taken with a DSLR.

Jessie took Ashley along with her to take a ride on the carousel. Julian waited for them outside the ride, holding Jessie’s bag and her drink like any other boyfriend would. The only thing that set him apart from the other boyfriends was that he was a drop-dead handsome guy. As he waited for the ladies, he took it as his responsibility to take photos of his girlfriend. His phone was filled with pictures of her from all kinds of angles.

Right after Jessie got off the carousel, her attention was drawn by the screams coming from the other side. Oh, a roller coaster. She then pointed at it and said, “I want to ride that one.”

Ashley felt her legs buckle upon realizing which ride Jessie was referring to. “I can’t go with you on that one, Jessie.”

Jessie held Julian’s arm. “In that case, you come with me.”

Lovingly, he replied, “Sure.”

She thought she could stomach the roller coaster, but she soon realized how wrong she was. She came off the ride looking pallid as a ghost. She held onto Julian like a koala hugging a eucalyptus tree. I shouldn’t have done that.

“So, still wanna go for another round?” He grinned.

Jessie waved her hands violently. “No, no thanks.” They went for other rides after that, and delight returned to her in no time. She also loved that romantic emotions were stirring fast between her and Julian during this trip.

Ashley parted ways with them halfway through, leaving the couple on their own.

Jessie jostled through the crowd, holding onto Julian’s hand. She was as happy as a lark, and the euphoria she felt infected him. As they moved through the crowd, his eyes only fixed on her and no one else.

When she found out there would be a fireworks show and a mini concert later in the night, she couldn’t wait for noontime to pass. We can do more stuff at night, and there’ll be less risk of having our identities found out.

was getting drowsy for a moment, and she leaned on Julian’s chest and napped for

take long for her to recharge, and soon enough, she was ready to get

a good spot right before it started. Jessie leaned in Julian’s embrace as she watched the fireworks go off in the night sky. Whenever she shuddered from the sound of explosions, Julian would cover her ears. Any woman would feel moved that the man they liked cared so much for them, including her. After the fireworks, they came back out to rendezvous with Ashley. Then, they headed

they sent Jessie back to her home, Julian was rather reluctant to bid her goodbye. That trip to the amusement park had drawn them closer to each other, after

from a meeting with her friend. Louie went to work this morning, so I hope he’s probably not at my home now. However, her hope was dashed. She came home to a dimly lit living room, and the said man was sitting on the

her. Then, he took her bag and said, “Well, I find most places boring. Your home is the only exception. So, do pardon me for the

house I got from the company,

you tired? Up for dinner? I can treat you

anyway. Wait a minute. She turned her head sharply to look at the man. “Don’t tell me you haven’t had

I thought you’d come back home early, but as you can see,

supper, you know. I’m not your mom. You don’t have to wait for me

my assistant gave me this morning. After a moment of contemplation, Eva asked, “What would you

anything.” Louie smiled as he answered. He would love to say he wanted her, but he figured she might get mad and kick him out

opened up her fridge. Let’s see. We have some veggies here. It’s a bit late, so I’m not going to make anything impressive. I guess I’ll just make some poached eggs for him. After making up her mind about what she was going to

he could hear the sounds of cooking coming out of the kitchen, and a smile tugged his lips. I’ve been dreaming of this. A gentle wife

some flavor to it. With how famous she was getting, eating out was no longer an option for her. Most of the time, she would cook for herself; thanks to that, she was now a half-decent cook. Thus, Louie couldn’t help but drool slightly at the tantalizing smell

back out and served the food on the table. He shut his laptop off and approached the table. “Smells good,” he remarked as he took a whiff. “Care to

on a diet.” She shook her

his forehead. I hold you every day, and I can tell you’re not out of shape at

said. “And you should go home

real as he didn’t sense any bite in her tone. I should finish

poached eggs and did the

in her pajamas, uncorking a bottle of wine. Louie came in with a glass in his hand to join her. She stared into the

few moments. He had wanted to hide it from her, but she still found out about

did you know about

as she continued, “I know this is hard for you, so I reckon we should break up. It is the best solution.” This is for the best.

“Breaking up won’t solve anything. I won’t

pull her hand back, but he refused to

really going to

That was the one question she had never spent time

matter the price.” He looked at

you’ll have to pay a heavy price

announcement that you’ll be my wife,” he promised. She looked at him, tears of happiness welling in her

glass away before he picked her up in

…

slow as of late, and their profits had been declining,

ten times what the Constantines’ business was worth. Stardom used to be a

he sat on the couch. She took

to do whatever you can. They

a broad-minded woman. She didn’t

talk to them tomorrow.” She wasn’t planning on talking to Louie. Instead, she wanted to see Eva, for she

up the next morning, Louie was already gone, but there was a slip of paper with a message written on it lying before her bed. The message read, ‘Don’t forget

noticed a set of breakfast was already placed on the table. All her life, she was used to living by herself, but now that she had someone taking care of her, it surprisingly

picked it up. “Who’s

Duncan, I would like to talk to you,”

Lucy. Eva then replied, “Sorry, I don’t

I’ll be waiting for you in the coffee shop right outside

with Lucy. Eva saw her in the coffee shop and figured she must have dressed herself up for the occasion. Lucy was quite a beauty, but not as beautiful as Eva. Everyone knew Eva as the most beautiful

hidden deep in her eyes. “Miss Duncan, I heard you’re living with Louie. Do you wish to marry him?” She

nodded.

Our marriage arrangement is bound by law. You’re the homewrecker in our relationship. Should your fans know you seduced

look on Eva’s face changed slightly. “Mind your tongue. You two haven’t

soon, though. What will

to say?” Fury was starting

telling you to

can do that?” Eva narrowed her eyes. Lucy had been bossy from the moment they met. Eva

has to sacrifice just to date you? Twenty percent of his company’s shares. That’s astronomical. Unless he marries me, my family reserves the right to claim our shares in

Silence took Eva.

you will turn into resentment. Men like Louie love nothing more than their work,” Lucy sneered. “He doesn’t love you

had that talk

Louie.” Lucy took a step back and pleaded, “Please. I

said icily, “But he doesn’t

face fell. “What did you say?

fall for anyone else. Not ever,” Eva answered calmly.

you be sure he doesn’t like

me to return his feelings since then. I’m not trying to brag, but he really loves me.” Eva was trying to dissuade Lucy

not when the alternative was… this woman. If Louie would hold on, then so

any other woman said that, but not Eva. Lucy knew whatever she said was the truth, after all. “Eva, beauty fades with age. He won’t stay in love with you

“But at least he still likes me now. Anyway, I’ll be taking my leave now. I’m

bet he won’t stay in love with you if you lose

had been lifted off her shoulders. She wanted to call Louie to tell him she would accept

room, his assistant happily reported, “President Gilmore, I heard Eva

he whisked

call went through

“You’re here?”

“Yes.”

“Come to my office.”

termination. So, I’m not going up

her. At the same time, Eva was in the legal department, talking to the manager. The manager was in a dilemma. He

pure white dress, and her eyes were filled with determination. The intensity of

can do about this. I can’t do anything without

You’re printing the contract, then I’ll sign the papers,” Eva

about to send someone to print the contract, but then he saw his boss at the office’s doorstep. His eyes shone with hope as he stood up. “President Gilmore, you’ve come just

a sigh. He came

off immediately. Louie turned his attention to Eva. One look into her eyes, and he knew she wouldn’t stand down. He took a seat and faced her. “If you stay, you can have whatever you want,” he

Eva blinked. “Anything? Really?”

anything. Other than contract

me your shares,” she

for a moment. “You want to manage

no?” She cocked

that’s what you want,” he replied.

would like to ask you a question. If you were to give me your shares, does that mean the Constantines can’t have it

his lips. “Oh, so you’re worried about me, is that

“How?”

of land, but they don’t have enough connections to get it. However, I do. I’ll talk to them. They’ll have two choices; either they get the plot of land, or they get my shares. The latter of which can’t be liquefied.

spinning around her. Even though she had seen many handsome actors in her career, they never made

He got up and extended his

been a rumor spreading around the company. It was about her

didn’t like coming to his office. One of the reasons was that she wanted to stay away from him. The other reason was that he was still her boss, and

her his cup. “Here, use my

a sudden, Louie hugged her from behind, and it made her stiffen up a little. I still can’t get used to this

he whispered

for a moment

of relief. Finally! She’s finally let go of the past, and we

…

didn’t disturb the couple, though they still posted the pictures online. Eventually, those