“O’Malley is certainly working us to death.” Jace said as he collapsed on the ground in the part of the woods we were shooting. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt and would rather avoid the sand totally, but was too exhausted to mind. I joined him on the floor, resting my head on his belly. Sophia, Bianca, Roberto and the others joined us on the floor or rested their backs against the trees.“How’s your play date with your brother going?” I asked Jace.I felt him shift under me. “Perfect. We are supposed to have one today actually.”“Is it cancelled?” A little part of me wanted to see Carter. Roberto saying he was flirting with me had forced the idea i to my head and it wouldn’t leave. Was I really so stuck up on Pierce that I couldn’t tell when a guy was openly flirting with me?“I’m trying to figure out how to cancel.”“You don’t want to join your family’s company.”“I’m just not ready for that part of my life yet. If only my parents would let me be for a while.” “I think we did go
“You’re here finally.” Pierce growled in the darkness. “I’m sorry, my session went on a bit longer today because Sarah came in late.” I explained breathlessly, feeling around the wall for the light switch. I knew better than to keep him waiting. “Leave it. Come to me,” he commanded. I did as I was told, dropping my duffel bag to the floor as I ambled towards him. “Clothes .” My pulse quickened in my veins and I tugged off my cardigan, my pants, bra… then I stopped. I could tell he was in a bad mood, one that didn’t have anything to do with me being late. I shivered lightly in anticipation and waited for him to close the space between us. When he stood, he pressed my semi naked body to his fully clothed one and released my hair from its ponytail prison. “How was your day,” I asked tentatively, as he ran his fingers on my hips, tracing an invisible line to my waist. “I’ll show you.” He said, and picked me like I weighed nothing. Naturally my legs wrapped around him as he
“Shit!” Hannah yelled and caught the bottle before it reached the ground. I could not force a word of thanks to her, or peel my eyes away from her phone. It wasn’t the caption that got to me. When you are famous, unwarranted rumors tend to spread, especially when you’re more secretive. I had seen posts shipping me and fellow cast members, him and other members of high society, a few deep founded allegations about our relationship…so the tagline was nothing new. It wasn’t the headline that had me moving in a mindless gait to an empty folding chair, it was the picture…pictures! I discovered in horror, as I scrolled down the article.It was her. Pierce’s first love was with him in every photo, a big smile on her face. She was back and in his arms. Pierce seemed to be supporting her weight with his body while she clung to him like every breath in her body was fueled by his presence.I didn't need the caption to tell it's her because she looked like me. Or I should say, I looked like
Laughter bubbled in my throat when her words registered in my head. “Hannah, what on earth would I need this for? Put it away before someone walks in and assumes the same thing.” I dropped the packet on the bench between us like it had burned my hand. “I’m not kidding Myra. I know you wish I am, but I’m not. You’ve been sick for nearly a month, you stopped eating mango flavored chips even though they’re your second favorite food in the whole world, and your body, it’s changing…” “Jesus Christ Hannah, slow down with the sex talk. I’m not pregnant, okay? I can’t be. We’ve used protection every time we had sex.” “Every time?” “Yes!” I yelled and moved further away from her. The last thing both of us wanted was a child. I had an experience being raised in a dysfunctional family, and I would not do that to a kid. Plus my career had just started, what part of my life would a kid fit in. Pierce…well Pierce was Pierce. A kid out of wedlock was not up on his bingo cards. We were caref
Every emotion that battled for the frontline a second ago all trickled into one. My heart thumped in my chest as I watched Pierce speak with the doctor while she played with the edge of his suit. I began to feel lightheaded and took a step backwards. The simple movement seemed to draw Pierce attention because he turned and looked straight at me. I searched his eyes for…guilt? Pleasure? Any emotion that would let me know where we stood. The woman turned to him, then me, and soon, she was tugging Pierce towards me. I stood frozen, like a deer in headlights as the pair approached me, the doctor, forgotten. This was a good thing. Pierce would introduce us and later in life, we could laugh about how much I was panicking now. As they stopped directly opposite me, I peeled my eyes from Pierce and smiled at her. The first thing I noticed was how similar we both looked. It wasn't like we looked like twins, but the similarity was obvious enough to make me uncomfortable.I knew from t
My fingers hovered over my screen after I typed his name out. Saying goodbye to Pierce was not an easy feat to accomplish, yet this was the only way to go.Or am I supposed to ask him for an explanation? Begging him to not leave me? Just to further humiliate myself?I couldn't fool myself anymore. I wished I could wave a hand and make everything right for the three of us. I placed my hand on my flat stomach and sighed. I hated myself for all the times I let myself dream of a perfect life with Pierce. The life we could have with the child I was carrying if only he gave us a chance. Maybe it was best if we didn’t end things. I could wait for him to show up, we would talk it out and come to an agreement. I could not erase Pierce from my life completely. Even if I tried, and with the baby, and my finances…why did things have to get so complicated? I had to be brave. If not for me, then for the child I carried. They deserved to have a life filled with love and staying with Pierce wou
“Look this way Myra.” “Miss Myra can you smile this way!” “I love your dress, was it made by a popular designer?” “Please, one more photo Myra!” the photographers shouted as we walked the red carpet. Camera lights flashed repeatedly but I was used to it by now. My nerves were more active than usual that night. Seeing as it was my first outing after texting Pierce. I hated to admit it but not hearing from him was making me very nervous. Especially since there were rumors circulating that he would attend this event. My sister tugged at my arm and I looked beside me. “Is it always like this?” Lily asked, awe written on her face. I was glad I had decided to make her my plus one for the party that night. “Not always, but this is a double event. We’re celebrating the birthday of the CEO of the label and the success of our new TV series.” I explained to her, pushing thoughts of Pierce to the back of my mind. I did not want to be there, but Lily’s presence made me feel m better
“What on earth are you doing, Pierce?” I whispered as I tried to tug my arm from his tight grasp. I smiled at Lancaster’s wife who watched us curiously. Fear filled my body as he pulled me along with unwavering resolve, Ignoring Lancaster’s wife as she tried to exchange pleasantries. I did not want to be alone with him, I could not. What if he quizzes me about my hospital visit and I cave? What if he asks me to get rid of the baby? “Pierce stop.” I pleaded, full panic setting in. He was always keen on keeping our public appearance to near zero. Acting like this would certainly stoke the rumors and he would hate that, maybe hate me too. I was sure I heard a camera click as we walked past a table. Oh god. I turned back for a second to find my sister grinning mischievously at our retreating figures. Tami’s glaring face was the last thing I saw before we rounded a corner. The wide hallway was empty. “Pierce, please, you’re hurting my arm!” My voice betrayed my panic. I needed to reas
“O’Malley is certainly working us to death.” Jace said as he collapsed on the ground in the part of the woods we were shooting. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt and would rather avoid the sand totally, but was too exhausted to mind. I joined him on the floor, resting my head on his belly. Sophia, Bianca, Roberto and the others joined us on the floor or rested their backs against the trees.“How’s your play date with your brother going?” I asked Jace.I felt him shift under me. “Perfect. We are supposed to have one today actually.”“Is it cancelled?” A little part of me wanted to see Carter. Roberto saying he was flirting with me had forced the idea i to my head and it wouldn’t leave. Was I really so stuck up on Pierce that I couldn’t tell when a guy was openly flirting with me?“I’m trying to figure out how to cancel.”“You don’t want to join your family’s company.”“I’m just not ready for that part of my life yet. If only my parents would let me be for a while.” “I think we did go
I chewed on my lip and glanced back at the set. “I’ll have to decline. O’Malley’s is in the zone right now and could call me and Roberto anytime soon, I don’t wanna go AWOL on him.”Carter nodded sharply, his smile still bright and disarming. “Of course, I understand. Can’t steal the star of the show without warning. Maybe next time?”“For sure.” I smiled back. It felt good to smile.“See you around, Myra.” He gave a small salute in Roberto’s direction and walked away, my eyes still trainedbon his figure. I thought about how different he was from Pierce, with the charming easy smiles and calming demeanor. Carter still kept this boyish high school vibe, and he made it work.“Now that is how a rich man flirts.” Robert said. He had placed his hands behind his head and was smirking at me. The fabric of his shirt had gone up, exposing an inch of skin. I peeled my eyes away from there and focused on his words.“Flirting?”“Oh yeah.” I scoffed, “he wasn’t flirting with me, he’s just really
I stood at the hospital reception desk, my eyes fixed on the woman typing away on her computer. "Room or common room?" I asked, forcing my voice to be louder than it could go.She scrolled through the screen, her brow furrowed in concentration. "She's in her room today. She wanted to stay in bed."I nodded, settling back into the dull ache in my chest. I trudged up the stairs, and as I reached my mother's room, pushed open the door and stepped inside.It was dimly lit, I noticed a live plant in her room with wilting leaves. My mother sat in a chair, her legs swathed in a vibrant blanket with small flowery squares that I recognised as the project she had been working on. My lips tugged upwards briefly and my heart swelled. At least one of us was able to finish what we started.I swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. When I breathed out, it felt easier.“That looks gorgeous, mum.” I commented, and planted a kiss on the top of her hair. “You finally
I’d prefer we not talk at all, but refusing him could cause unnecessary drama.I led the way to the changing closet and shut the door, then moved to a wardrobe to keep the distance between us wide.“It’s good to see that you're back at work. Hopefully O’Malley hasn’t been working you too hard, what with the wound-““What do you want, Pierce.” I didn’t want to have conversations that sounded normal. I could not trust myself not to be pulled to him again. “Just wanted to check if you’re alright.” He removed his bandaged right hand from his pocket and scratched the back of his ear. “I know Sarah wouldn’t be dumb enough to find you again, but I couldn’t stop worrying.” I looked away from him, refusing to fall for his false display of emotion. Pierce always knew just what to say to keep me hooked while we were together. I wasn’t going back to that Myra. “I uhhh…. I also wanted to tell you that your dad is back in the penitentiary. He got into a bar fight with some old buddies of his. And
I dodged just in time, avoiding her knife as it slashed across my hoodie. Suddenly, the memory of the press assailant clicked into place - Sarah was the woman with the knife who tried to stab me. I didn't have time to process the thought, though, as her blade sliced through the air again. Everytime she missed, she let out a frustrated scream. I threw my bag in her face, and lunged, tackling her to the ground. We wrestled, my hands desperately trying to pry the knife from her grasp, and then her knee slipped between us and struck me with a sharp blow to the stomach.Wincing, I let go of her cluthef my stomach. That gave Sarah all the opening she needed. With a swift motion, she rolled on top of me, pinning my hands under her knees, her eyes gleaming with a sinister light.“You should’ve taken the deal.” She laughed, and drove the blade down towards me.Just as it reached my face, a hand came into view and the knife sank into it, stopping mere inches from my face. My rescuer growled in
After finding Ruth’s body in her apartment, I stayed indoors for the rest of the week, just waiting; waiting to get my baby’s urn, waiting for O’Malley to call me in.Sometimes I would seem perfectly fine. I would be making coffee one minute and the next second I’m shoving the coffee machine off the table.That was something I had to repair now before I left the motel. I just had so much anger in me and sometimes it would boil over. Ruth was not supposed to be dead. She was not supposed to be liquified, in her bedroom, with a suicide note beside her.The note had been an apology. And not just to me. It said that even while she worked under a hospital, she had this weird need to poison mothers. She had said that she was twenty three when doctors told her that she could not have a child of her own, and she held that grudge, taking children from what she termed ‘undeserving mothers’.My Yvette was just one more kid in a line of deaths. It made me furious . But why would she kill herself
I kept on walking, missing the rest of their conversation. My sole focus at that point was getting Ruth. “Jace, could you call the cops.” I threw over my shoulder.He said nothing but from the corner of my eye I saw him pull out his phone. We climbed into the car again and I typed in Ruth’s address into the gps. Pierce was in his car by the time Jace rolled out of the compound. I vibrated in my seat, as the seconds ticked by, checking the gps to make sure we were still going the right way. Once again, I opened the door and got out as soon as Jace slowed in front of the apartment building, taking steady steps towards the entrance. Two teenages lounged close to the door smoking, and looked at our little party inquisitively as I passed them. I hurried up the stairs ignoring the burn in my legs. Finally, I reached the top floor and stopped at Ruth’s door. “This is it.” I told Jace and tried the lock. It didn’t budge. “She can’t be gone.” I tried the door again. “Fuck!” I cursed and s
“Open the fucking door!” I yelled and pounded on the door again while Jace watched. “Hey! Myra?” I heard Pierce’s voice and turned to look at him. My eyes raked over him with hate.He was barefoot and in a simple pair of jeans and t-shirt. “Where is she?” I yelled “where are you hiding her!”“Who? Ruth? She left a day after the baby…she’s not here. What-““Left to where? Oh, I see. Her job is done, so she can just waltz out of here? How much did you pay her, Pierce?” I yelled, “How much did you pay her to slowly kill my baby. What price did you put on the death of our child?”His hands moved to grab my shoulders but I shoved him away. He took a step back but it had nothing to do with my strength. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”“Just stop it. Stop the fucking act! I can't take it anymore!” Angie hurried to us, clearly drawn by my yelling, and stopped close to Jace. “Myra,” she said softly and started walking towards me.“Stay away from me!” I screamed, and she stop
I rolled my eyes at her. “Not my fault. She started it.” She started it from the moment she tried to drown me on set. “Can’t say I blame you. The nerve of her trying to rub it in. So cruel.” “I still think it was a foolish reaction.” Lily added. “And Pray tell how it is?” She looked between the three of us like she didn’t realize she had said it outloud, then she shrugged. “I donno, maybe don’t annoy the crazy psycho who has been trying to kill you for so long.” “Okayyy,” Hannah butted in and grabbed my hand. “Let’s get some food into our systems and not talk about this anymore. But while I ate, I kept glancing at Lily. My phone rang and answered. “Hello?” I said, still sounding irritated. “Miss Myra thompson?” A woman asked. “Yes, this is her.” I heard some noise in the background and then Liwayway’s voice. “Myra.” She said and I sat up. Hannah and Lily looked at my change in posture and stopped the conversation. “Hey Liway. What’s wrong? Are the test results back?