Riley"Okay, people! Let's run it one more time and then we're going to head back to the studio to meet up with Frank and Ethan." Daniel Barnes clapped his hands together and nodded toward the make-shift stage. "Marco and Vanessa. You're up first. Riley, be ready to enter into the scene at the right time, kiddo.""Yes, Sir." I nodded at the extra director for Eon. He and Frank rarely helped on the same movie, but we were a little behind schedule and Daniel owed Frank a favor or two.Deza stood off to my right, her arms wrapped around her tightly. I couldn't talk to her. She'd lied to me. Made me believe that there was nothing between her and Ethan, but now their secret was out.She gave me a weak smile, but I turned and walked toward the stage instead of acknowledging her at all. She had every chance in the book to explain herself. To tell me that it was a hoax, a mistake, hell... a something. Anything but what it looked like.I watched the scene before me unfold and waited patiently
Riley"Then build your muscle." He released me and took my face into his hands. "Resist him and do what I've taught you to do.""And what about you? Do you want me to resist you too? Were you bullshitting me the other day back at the studio?" The path my questioning was leading us down was dangerous. I respected Clay. I was in awe of him. I was in love with Ethan. In complete lust with him.I hated myself for all of it. It was all a mistake."Yes. Resist me too, Riley. You have to." He leaned down and kissed me as someone cleared their throat in the background.I jerked out of his hold and turned to find Deza standing a few feet from me. "I'm headed back to the studio if you need a ride.""She doesn't," Clayton answered for me. "She's riding with me."Deza nodded once and turned, walking back down the hall. I wasn't sure if I wanted to stop her. With the charade she and Ethan had been playing since day one, nothing really mattered anymore anyways."I love him. Not you." I glanced back
EthanThe question on her face left me sick. If Riley didn't believe in me... who would? I was as good as ruined if the woman I loved was willing to walk away from me."All right guys. Let's get busy. We're going to walk through the rain scene. Everything is set up outside. You two pull this off and we're done for the day." Frank walked up to us and patted both of us on the back. "I know we're all going through a lot of shit. No need to overdo anything up here right now.""Sounds good. Can we have just another minute? I need to-" I started, but Riley cut me off."Great. Let's get to it." She pulled back and walked toward the set, leaving me standing there to look like an idiot in front of Frank. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last.I walked out toward the trailers, not particularly liking the way Clayton watched my woman. She might be pissed at me over the Deza stuff, but it would get cleared up. There was no room for him to move in. I wanted to make sure he knew that
Ethan"Ethan! Damn, man. Just do the improv and let’s get rolling. It's a short skit to open you guys up emotionally. Come on already.""Fine," I barked and turned back to her. "I don't know what's going on right now, but I don't like it."She nodded and moved toward me, her expression shifting from something close to fear to the most loving look she'd given me to date. It had the power to melt me."I don't want you to go." Tears filled her pretty blue eyes.I reached out and touched the side of her face, forcing myself into character as bile rose up my chest. Something was ending between us. I couldn't let it happen. I'd rather die than miss out on whatever we could have together. For the first time in my life... I wanted love. Her love."Baby. I'm just going on a quick trip up north." I smiled and leaned down, kissing her cheek and brushing her tear away with my lips. "Don't be sad. I'll be back in a couple of days.""Will you?" She pulled back a little."You know I will, Eliza." I
EthanThe moment was surreal.Clayton and Frank standing at the edge of a small make-shift stage, Deza a few feet back, her eyes wide and tears running down her face. It was a moment I could never forget for the rest of my life.Riley's short strawberry blonde hair was matted to her beautiful face, and her lips were so red. Blood red. Sights and sounds echoed in my skull as my heart raced, my balance getting a little off as I felt so damn dizzy all of a sudden.She needed to know that I loved her, but what if I were being set up? Clayton played some part in all that was happening, but what part? Was she his puppet?No. Her eyes told me the truth. Somewhere along the way, she'd fallen in love with me, and not a fan-girl love. Real love. Deep, abiding love that could work to heal my wounds and save me from the destructive path I wanted to race down.I needed something to numb the pain of being alone. Anything. I blinked a few times, coming back into the scene as she lifted her chin and
EthanI glanced around the empty living room at my place, hating everything I'd picked out to decorate the white walls with. Memories blasted through me. So many good times with me and Deza cutting up and acting stupid. She'd saved me from myself and had been a mother, a sister, a best friend through everything I'd been through.Why was I pushing her away now?It wasn't like she'd staged the fucking kiss in front of Darren. She was hurting that day too and wanted to shove it in his big ugly face that she wasn't alone. She had me.The hot ball of regret sitting at the back of my throat stung, and caused tears to well up in my eyes again. I hadn't cried off camera more than three times in my life, and I sure as fuck wasn't about to do it then.A knock on the front door pulled me from my thoughts. I reached out and ran my hand over the back of my couch as I contemplated what to do. If it were Riley, I'd throw her over my shoulder and haul her off to the bedroom like a caveman, suffocatin
RileyThe look on Ethan's face haunted me as I drove home. Had I played into some sick game that Clayton was playing with the handsome playboy?No. I knew what I was doing, and it seemed that Ethan did too. I needed him to tell me that he loved me, and he stumbled over it three different times before finally blurting it out in a last-ditch effort to appease me.I knew what real love looked like. A sick smile lifted my lips. I'd seen it in the movies.Tears burned my gaze as I reached up and ran my fingers down my sticky wet hair. Too much hair spray, which I hated anyway. Why had I let them doll me up?Right. Because I belonged to them. They could do whatever they wanted to with me thanks to me signing on the dotted line, and all for what?Fame? Adoring fans that really didn't know anything about me?Ethan's attention?No. None of those things seemed to matter as I pulled into the apartment complex that Charlotte and I were renting. Jace's truck was parked in a visitor spot, and I tho
Riley"Hush." He sat down on the toilet, his eyes filled with loving kindness. "I came by to apologize. You're my best friend, and I'm really good with that title. I don't need anything else from you. Honestly." He shrugged. "I think watching you fall in love with someone else just fucked me up a little. I don't want to lose you."You might not have to after today. "I appreciate that." I pressed my head to the chilly tile wall behind me and kept the curtain in place to hide my nakedness. "I would never want to hurt you. You know that, right?""Of course I do." He glanced down at his hands as he fidgeted. "What happened today?" The hardness in his voice caused me to worry for a second. I didn't want to spill my guts and have him turn into a monster, going after Ethan and beating him to a pulp on my behalf. It was very much a Jace Dillon move."I don't know." I let out a sardonic laugh. "I saw a video of Ethan kissing his agent, our agent, and it fucked me up.""On a set or like really