I almost turn around to ask if I can take a shower at his place. But that’s not fair. I moved out to put some distance between us. Because it’s harder to resist his questions and promises when I can feel his presence seeping through the thin wall between us at night.
Better to not look back. Because if I turn around, I might not be able to walk away.
Chapter 23
Aura
SomehowIendupjammed in the backseat of Hayden’s car between Savannah and Delaney. In spite of my best efforts, Seth got shotgun. So it’s all the Sterling kids in this car. I’m playing the youngest sibling, the only adoptee in the fictional family.
“Who else is excited to be working with Lynn Westwood?” Savannah asks.
“I’m spinning out. What if she doesn’t like me? I’ll die,” Delaney says dramatically.
Seth twists around in his seat. “She’ll adore you. Everyone does.”
“You two worked together onFirehavenright?” I ask. “Anyone else worked together before?”
“Other than my brief appearance on the creek with you, nope,” Hayden says, slowing down to finally make the turn into the restaurant’s driveway. For the last tenminutes of the drive, I was sure we were utterly lost, GPS or not. The Riverbend Café is in the middle of nowhere.
Savannah squeals. “This place is so cute.”
It really is as Quint advertised. A converted old barn painted in a vibrant red that screams “tourist trap.” But he said the food was good, and judging by his cooking, he knows what he’s talking about in that department.
Savannah links her arm with mine as we’re getting out of the car, leaning into me. Not being overly touchy-feely, but also not wanting to tell my new costar to get off me, I just let my arm hang and hope she gets the hint.
“It would have been nice if Lynn and Diane had come with us, but on the other hand, it’ll be good for all us kids to get to know one another,” she says. “You and I are going to be besties,” I’ve decided. Delaney too, but we flew in together so we’ve already had some time to get to know one another better.”
Why is it that the cast extrovert always makes an effort to befriend me? I guess the keep your distance vibes aren’t strong enough to deter them. It’s that politeness that’s been drilled into me since birth.
We have to wait ten minutes before they can get us settled into a large booth in the back corner. I wasn’t expecting it to be this busy on a weekday, but it seems to work to our advantage. Everyone is too absorbed talking and laughing amongst themselves to notice the celebrities who casually walked into their place.
Our server’s mouth pops open when she looks up from her notepad, and a wad of pink bubblegum falls out. “I’mso sorry,” she says, bending down to scoop up it up with a napkin. “I’ll wash my hands, don’t worry.”
She looks at each of us in turn. Maybe she thinks she’s hallucinating.
“Whoever you think we are, you’re probably right,” Hayden says with a wink. “But if you wouldn’t mind keeping it to yourself until we’re gone, we’d really appreciate it.”
“Of course. Of course.” She turns to me, and I internally cringe at the gleam in her eyes. “But can I say,Paisley Creekis my favorite show. I’m rewatching season three right now. You know that moment when you finally kiss Jay? Oh my god. I totally swooned.”
I smile and nod politely, hiding the pain that always comes up when I think of those moments with Brad’s character. Except it’s not as sharp this time. All the hurt and betrayal is starting to fade. I guess it helps that I’m finally working again. When I really think about it, I think that’s the part that hurt the most. Not the cheating or the lost love, but the way he used his father’s influence to prevent me from getting a job. Looking back on it, I’m not sure it ever was really love. The way it crumbled to dust so quickly kind of makes me think it was never real to begin with.
“Now, what can I get you all to drink?” The question is directed at everyone, but her eyes remain fixed on me the entire time and she doesn’t make any notes. At this rate, we’re all going to end up with the wrong drinks.
“Cute. You’ve got a superfan, Aurelia,” Delaney says after the server walks away.
“Good to know there’s one left.”
“What are you talking about? There are still legions of fans out there,” Savannah says. “That show is iconic.”
It was iconic, but they didn’t see the hate mail, the death threats, the disgusting comments on my social media posts. The nervous edge that always sits under my skin starts to spread, numbing my fingers first, and my breath gets shallow. Oh no. I can’t lose it here and now. I glance around the busy restaurant, trying to find something, anything, to focus on before the panic swallows me up. I startle when someone places a hand on mine, and when I look up, Savannah’s bright blue eyes are staring back at me in concern.
“Hey, you okay?”
I give a hurried nod, focusing on her eyes. There’s a darker blue rim around the pupils, long, thick lashes, a line of black eyeliner winging up to make them resemble a cat’s. She gives my hand a gentle squeeze, and it’s enough. The focus, the touch, it pulls me back into myself as I draw deeper breaths, filling my lungs.
“I’m okay. Sorry.”
She frowns. “You don’t need to be sorry for anything, Aurelia. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together over the next few months. We’re your family now. You don’t have to hide or worry. We got your back, right?”
