Once she was completely packed again, she checked her inbox, just to confirm.
Ron’s email had arrived five minutes before.
I should have known you weren’t capable of doing such a simple job, he’d written.You’re fired, and we’re not fucking paying for your hotel room or the guesthouse anymore. Good riddance.
She could check out over the phone, so she did. Then she caught a cab to the airport and took the first flight back to L.A. A seat in coach, of course. She couldn’t afford more, and it was where she belonged.
By the time the small jet took flight, she’d texted Alex one last time—On the plane; I’m so sorry—and turned off her cell, because he needed to concentrate on salvaging his career, not on her, and his increasingly agitated messageshurt.
The bruises forming on her thighs, pressed into her flesh by the armrests, hurt less. Which was saying something.
She’d almost forgotten how it felt to squeeze into a space too cramped to contain her comfortably. She’d almost forgotten the specific pain of attempting to make herself as small as possible, contorting her arms and legs in a way that hurt her joints and made relaxation impossible. She’d almost forgotten the reality of her life.
In the end, despite all her attempts to be small, despite the discomfort of those attempts, she’d still have bruises. Pain following pain. It was unavoidable. Inevitable.
She’d accepted that for herself long ago.
But Alex hadn’t been willing to accept it for her.
He’d witnessed her pain, and destroyed himself to avenge it.
For that reason, and for that reason alone, she wished to God she’d never met him.
Gods of the GatesCast Chat: Friday Night
Ian:I want Alex kicked off this cast chat
Ian:I fucking told you, and so did Bruno Keene: cast poison
Ian:Our future careers may depend on the success of Gates, and he just shit all over it because he thinks he’s too good for us, the ungrateful motherfucker
Carah:Oh, give me a fucking break, Ian
Carah:We all know everything Alex said (and wrote) is true
Carah:And yes, maybe making all those things public knowledge wasn’t the smartest decision he’s ever made, but I’ve never seen him THAT angry without damn good reason
Asha:I’ve worked closely with him for years now, and yes, this
Asha:And I’ve never seen even the slightest hint that he thinks he’s too good for us
Mackenzie:Whiskers is very upset and worried about what may happen to Alex
Marcus:I can’t share any specifics, but I can definitely tell you he had just cause to be very, very angry at Ron in particular
Carah:I knew it
Carah:We all knew it, except fucking Ian
Maria:As far as our careers depending on the success of Gates: our show has been a blockbuster for years now, and if you haven’t already capitalized on its popularity to help your career, that’s on you, Ian, not Alex
Peter:The final season of the show can’t make or break our careers, and Alex never said one word about our acting
Peter:Just about the scripts and Ron and R.J. as showrunners, and like Carah said: fair enough
Carah:FYI, everyone: I just put out an official statement saying that Alex is not only a good friend, but also a valued, talented colleague who has always behaved with impeccable professionalism on set, and I hope to act alongside him in many future projects
Carah:I didn’t even use profanity, because I too am a goddamn PROFESSIONAL
