Page 83 of Cast to be Mine

“Girl, you do remember where we live, right? The industry you have been dying to get into? Shady is pretty much a requirement.”

I chewed my lip, debating whether to tell her the rest. This was Becky. My best friend. The person who’d held my hair back after I drank way too many tequila shots after bad auditions. If I couldn’t be honest with her, who could I be honest with?

“There’s something else,” I said quietly.

“Ooh, I knew it. Spill.”

“What’s actually happening is…” I took a deep breath. “I’m sleeping with Micah Blackwell.”

Dead silence on the other end.

“Becky? You still there?”

“I’m sorry, what? The director? Hot director Micah Blackwell? The one you were specifically told not to sleep with?”

“That’s the one.”

“Grace!”

“I know, I know.” I pressed my free hand over my eyes. “It just happened. And then it kept happening. And now…”

“Now what?”

“Now I really like him. Like really like him.”

Another pause. “Define ‘really like.’”

“I fall asleep thinking about him. I wake up thinking about him.” I laughed softly, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks. “Horny most of the time, if I’m being honest. I catch myself staring at him on set when I should be focused on literally anything else. Yesterday he was being overprotective during a stunt sequence and I got mad at him for it, but also…” I trailed off, trying to find the right words. “Part of me kind of liked it? The way he was looking out for me.”

“That’s sweet.”

“It was sweet. I felt safe. Like someone actually cared. Not about Grace Stone the actress, but about me.”

Becky let out a long, low whistle. “Giiiiirl, you’re in trouble.”

“I know.”

“Like, serious trouble. This isn’t just a hookup, is it?”

“No.” The admission felt heavy. “I don’t think it ever was.”

Becky sighed and I could practically hear her thinking. “Okay. I’m going to say something, and I need you to actually listen.”

I could always count on Becky to give it to me straight. She didn’t know how to hold back. That’s why she was such a good a personal trainer.

“I’m listening.”

“Be careful.” Her voice was serious now, the teasing gone. “Grace, you have fought so hard for a chance like this. Years of auditions and rejections. This movie is everything you’ve been working toward.”

“I know that.”

“Do you? Because it sounds like you’re getting swept up in something that could derail all of it. I’m not saying Micah isn’t great. He sounds great. But you need to make sure this distraction doesn’t ruin everything you’ve been building.”

And that’s exactly what I needed to hear, even if I hated it. I was too caught up in the sex and the feelings and couldn’t think straight.

“You’re right,” I said quietly. “This movie is my whole future. It’s the biggest opportunity anyone will ever give me. I can’t muck it up for a guy.”

“Even if he might be the perfect guy for you,” Becky added gently.