Tiffany POVI run my hand through my hair. Why didn’t Trevor tell me he was talking to the director? I guess I get to put another person on the list of people who know about Trevor and me. The list seems to be growing rather quickly, which I don’t like. It isn’t much of a secret if everyone knows. Dread washes over me.If the executives know, will Trevor or I be banned from acting? Or maybe both of us. I’m finally getting jobs. I don’t want to go back to the time when I didn’t know if I would have enough money for my next meal or rent. It sucks. Even with steady work, I still stretch my money for as long as I can. Every time I get a little ahead, I swear my father can feel it and gets money from me.My gaze lifts from the ground to the front of the studio building. Will the director say something to me? Trevor told me several times this morning to not worry, but how can I not? We are over 70% done filming, and I don’t want anything to cause me or Trevor problems now. I
Trevor POVI step out of the studio to relax and clear my mind, but my mind instantly goes back to Tiffany’s cute, confused look a few days ago. Her dark eyebrows had knotted together while she had stared at the makeup artist. She had an innocent look, but I’m still debating whether she is truly innocent or just acting. I wouldn’t put it past her to be acting, though. Ever since the director found out about Tiffany and me, I’ve been paying closer attention to the staff and their actions. I’m finding out some interesting things. “TREVOR!!!”My blood instantly runs cold and my stomach sinks. No. I thought Jane is keeping her away from me and the set. I quickly look around the area, hoping Jane is somewhere, but to my horror, she isn’t anywhere to be found. No. I spin around on my heels and silently pray I can get back into the studio and somehow disappear before the crazy witch can catch me. “TREVOR!!”Shit! I don’t think of anything else and dart back inside the studio, bu
Tiffany POVIt has been hours since I happily watched the security guards drag Rhonda out of the building. Every time she would kick and scream, a little giggle would bubble around in me while the edge of my mouth would slide out into an evil smirk. She has got exactly what she deserves. I wish I could have been there at the main gate when they threw her out. That would have been the highlight of my week. But I can’t think about that right now. I need to get to Trevor. The director pushed all of Trevor’s shooting scenes back to tomorrow, but the director wouldn’t do it for mine. Every part of me had wanted to follow Trevor out of the building with Jane, but I couldn’t. Jane made sure he got home fine, but from his dazed look, he isn’t fine. The situation has taken a toll on him. I run as fast as I can down the hall to Trevor’s apartment. I pause only long enough for me to type in the code and for the door to unlock it. The image of Trevor’s lost look from earlier pops int
Trevor POVI lug the last suitcase into the extravagant apartment. Kyle walks past me, carrying another one of my bags. “You can stay here for as long as you want or need. This is one of my extra places when I’m working on this side of town, but right now, I prefer to go home to my main place.” A playful smirk dances across his face as a mischievous glint flickers in his eyes. I know exactly why he wants to go to his main house, and it has nothing to do with where he is working. The cute little kitten with a feisty personality is what draws him back there every day, kind of like me with Tiffany now. I let out a snort and shake my head while I drag my bag through the living room towards the spare room. “I’m not going to use the master bedroom. I know you said I can, but I won’t. This isn’t my place, so I’ll stay in the guess room.” He shrugs his shoulders and bounces behind me. “Okay. I just wanted to let you know you can use the entire apartment. Nothing is off limits fo
Trevor POVOn the other side of the studio, someone screams for someone. I jolt, and my heart races. My eyes dart back and forth, scanning the area and looking for any sign of the witch. Ever since the day I hid from Rhonda on the set, I’m jumpy and nervous. Any little noise has me almost jolting up and running for a hiding spot. What is happening to me? Tiffany has asked me several times if I’m alright, but I can’t bring myself to tell her I think I’m going crazy from all this nonsense. The evil witch has done more damage to my mental health than anything I’ve gone through before. I pat my chest, hoping my thundering heart will slow down before it jumps out of my chest. When will this end? Please tell me it will end soon. Tiffany steps up beside me. Concern flashes across her face, as she stares at me and asks, “Trevor, are you alright? You don’t look so good.”I take a shaky breath, which I try to hide from her. “Yeah. I’m fine.” The unevenness in my tone contradicts
Tiffany POVIt has been a couple of weeks, but Trevor is still jumpy. Jane and the director have done a good job of keeping unwanted visitors out of the studio and off the set. But it still hasn’t helped when people scream instructions or directions. I’ve lost count of the number of times Trevor has jolted and stiffened while his eyes dart back and forth looking for the one person who has caused this entire nightmare. I don’t even want to say her name anymore.The director calls out in a soft voice, “Trevor, it is time.”I glance beside me. A flicker of panic washes across his face before a calmness settles in. My heart aches. Why did the stupid witch have to cause him so many problems? I bite my lower lip, fighting back the urge to wrap my arm around him. Many times, recently, when I see fear in his eyes, I don’t care who is looking, and I comfort him, no matter what it takes. The director turns towards me. “Tiffany, you aren’t in this scene, but get ready. You will be in
Trevor POV I wipe my sweaty palms down my pant legs while my gaze stays locked across the coffee table on Dr. Heartland. He is older than I thought he would be. His salt and pepper hair and the wrinkles etched into his face give me confidence he might be able to help me without him saying a word. He pushes his glasses up and clears his throat. “Is it alright if I record our session? I like to go back to them later and review them again, looking for things I might have missed the first time around.” I lick my lips and nod, while I run my hands down the front of my pants again. “Yes. That is fine.” He starts the recorder and places it in the middle of the coffee table. “This is a confidential session with Trevor in his changing room at the studio where he is currently filming.” He looks at the tablet in his hand and then up at me before he asks, “Can you please tell me what situation has happened which has prompted you to seek my help?” This is it. I take a deep breath.
Tiffany POVAn uneasy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach as I pull up to the studio. We have only a few more weeks of filming and then the drama will be done. Trevor has been talking with Dr. Heartland several times each week these past couple of weeks, and his jumpiness has calmed down. But he still isn’t back to his normal self, which makes my heart ache. Will he ever be able to get back to his normal self? The security is tighter at the studio now, and at any locations we might go to. No matter the number of big, burly men standing guard, I can’t shake this feeling the witch hasn’t given up yet. I hope I’m wrong, but I think I’m starting to be just as paranoid as Trevor is.Jane pats my arm. “Tiffany, is there something on your mind? You seem to be lost in thought.”I shake my head. “Not really. I was wondering how long Trevor is going to have to talk with the doctor. He is getting better.”She nods. “Yes, he is, but he isn’t back to his old self. It might take
Trevor POVRing…ring…ring…Ugh. I should have turned my phone off, too. I glance over my shoulder at the annoying device on the nightstand, but my annoyance disappears when I spot Black Sheep flashing on the screen and realize I haven’t talked to my cousin or anyone except for Dr. Heartland since the mall event. Jane had sent a message last night saying my cousin had helped with the crazy stalker lady, but she didn’t provide any details. I don’t know if she thought we weren’t in the mood to hear it or we didn’t want to know. I didn’t push it, either. To be honest, I really don’t want to know, but I’m curious. And my curiosity wins.I roll across the bed to the nightstand and snatch my phone off it. “Hey, what’s up?” A hearty chuckle flows from the phone while I wipe the grogginess from my eyes. “You sound much better than I had expected. From what you and Tiffany had told me beforehand, I thought you would have sunken into yourself and wouldn’t have talked to me. Are you ge
Tiffany POVStanding almost frozen in the middle of the waiting room at Dr. Heartland’s office, I slide my trembling hand into my pocket, but I don’t want to pull my phone out. What am I going to do if I don’t want this phone call? Can I unsee who it is once I look? A sense of dread washes over me.My heart hammers against my chest as my phone stops ringing for only a few seconds before it resumes. “Tiffany? Is something wrong? You look pale.”I look towards the door, which leads back to the session rooms. Trevor is standing there with a concerned look, but if I look closely, I can still spot a trace of his scared expression from earlier. I open my mouth and go to say something, but nothing comes out. Ring…ring…ring…I flinch a little and rub my finger along the side of my phone, still in my pocket.Trevor catapults forward and engulfs me in his arms. “What happened? You were just going to the agency to get our car and then come here. Did something happen along the way to
Tiffany POVMy heart races, and my hands tremble as I zoom through the city streets. Like a professional race car driver, I zigzag back and forth and speed around traffic as if my life depends on it. The only thing I can think of right now is getting back to our apartment and being with Trevor. I need him as much as he needs me. He is the only thing that will calm me down right now. I glance in the rearview mirror and make sure no one is following me. If I wasn’t panicking, I would enjoy acting like a spy trying to escape from the bad guy. But there isn’t currently anything to enjoy. Sweat builds up on my palms while I tighten my grip around the steering wheel. I take a deep breath and check all the mirrors again to verify no one is following me. Just to be on the safe side, I go the long way back to the apartment. I breathe a sigh of relief when the luxury apartment building comes into view. Before I turn into the gated parking area, I check one last time to make sure no
Trevor POVMy body trembles as I look back over my shoulder at the mall behind us. The van heads off down the road and back to the agency, but I don’t want to be around anyone associated with them right now. The agency’s driver is as close to the company as I want to be right now. My voice cracks as I softly ask, “Can we go somewhere else? I don’t want to go back to the agency.” In a whisper, I add, “I hate them right now.”Tiffany wraps her slender arm around me and gently pats my shoulder. “Okay. If you don’t want to go there, we won’t. Would you prefer to be dropped off at Dr. Heartland’s office, and then I can pick you up from there after I get the car?”I turn back towards her. Her caring eyes put my frayed nerves at ease while her familiar floral perfume swirls around me. The doctor’s office isn’t quite the place I want to go to, but I can’t think of anywhere else right now. His office will be safe, too. Reluctantly, I nod. “Okay. You will come for me right away?”
Rhonda POV Trevor’s deep voice seeps into the changing room and ignites the butterflies in my stomach. “Don’t worry. I’m coming.” I bite my lower lip. It is time. I’ll finally have him all to myself. Looking around the small room, I make sure everything is set. Wine. Check. Comfortable chairs. Check. My fun bag. Check. My body nearly vibrates with excitement. I quickly grab my purse and take out the last item. A little white pill. I drop it into the wineglass and stare at the stream of bubbles. Will one pill be enough? My smile fades, and I quickly put another pill in the glass. That should be enough. He won’t be able to last long after he drinks it. I need to have him drink it right away. Then I can sit back and wait until the drug kicks in. Nothing is going to stop me from having what is mine. Heavy footsteps outside draw near and get louder. I silently pray this will work, and I’ll get what I desperately want. The footsteps stop in front of the door
Trevor POVMy stomach churns as I stare out the van window. The buildings buzz by in a blur, while the cars on either side of us stay right beside us. The noise from the busy world outside doesn’t register with me and sounds only like a slight buzz in the back of my head.All my thoughts are still stuck on the event and what will happen now. I don’t want to see the crazy witch ever again. There is no way I could be in the same room as her. A cold shiver runs down my back as I remember her wild look in her eyes. This morning, I had tried to tell Jane I can’t do this, but she keeps saying she has had it all work out and it will be fine. My foot bounces as a thin layer of sweat coats my palms and my body. No matter what I do, I feel like I’m dangling from a high bridge by a rope and, any minute, someone will come along and cut it. It isn’t a question of if they will do it, but when. Why won’t anyone listen to me? Tiffany cups my hand and intertwines our fingers. “Honey
Tiffany POVWith a wide grin, I scan the living room. The private hut looks more like a luxurious penthouse instead of some bungalow at a resort.I’m so glad we listened to Kyle and got away for a night. He had promised he could get us the one unit farthest away from the others, which would give us more privacy. I tighten my grip on my bag and spin around. “This is amazing! I want to come back again some other time when we can spend more time here.”A hearty chuckle fills the room. Trevor walks in behind me and chimes, “We haven’t been here long enough to know whether we will like it or not. But I must admit it looks amazing so far. I’ll put it on the list of potential places where we can go on vacation together in the future. We probably won’t have enough time this time to see much of it, though. We need to leave tomorrow.”I sigh and pout. “I wish we had more time. You deserve it.”He deserves so much more than a night away, but I’ll take whatever we can get. With a slig
Trevor POVRing…ring…ring…Tiffany’s sweet voice asks, “Do you want me to get it for you? Or do you want me to let go of you so you can get it?”The warmth inside her embrace is the best medicine for my frazzled nerves, but I can’t make her stay with me all the time. A soft chuckle rumbles around in her chest while I tighten my arms around her. She pats my back. “I’ll grab it. Hold on.”Together, we lean towards the end table next to the couch. As soon as she picks up the phone and looks at it, her eyebrows furrow. “Your phone says black sheep. Who is black sheep?”I take a deep breath. I need to take this call. It is the one I’ve been waiting for. He had called me back several days ago, but something came up as soon as we started to talk, and he had to go. So, I never got to ask him any questions about Tiffany’s father. I turn around but stay within my girlfriend’s comforting arms and take my phone. “Hey, cous. We finally get to talk, or do you have to rush off again?”
Tiffany’s Father POV“Did you think you could hide from us? You still haven’t paid us, and you know we don’t like people running from their debts.” Spit flies into my face as I look up at the thug. His face contorts as rage burns bright in his eyes. Three more thugs stand behind him a short distance in the warehouse waiting to take their turn at me. The stench of smoke and alcohol fills my nose as the thug leans in closer and growls, “But running makes it fun.” A spark shimmers in his eyes, while a cold shiver runs down my back. I frantically shake my head. “I wasn’t running. I was trying to find my daughter. She will pay my debts. She always does.” His eyes narrow and the muscle along his jaw twitches. “The same daughter who you said had valuable things in her apartment to apply against the debt?”I frantically nod again. “Yes. You can take it all and apply it against my outstanding balance. I’m sure there is enough to cut my balance in half. She has a good-paying jo