Page 86 of Dark Ugly Places

Emmy sighs, her expression apologetic. “It’s the truth, though, isn’t it?”

I stop to think for a moment. The truth is way more complicated than Emmy knows. But I need her for right now.

“When is my mom coming back, anyway?” Emmy asks, not looking up from her laptop. “I mean, it’s been weeks and weeks. Aren’t you tired of living her life?”

A little chuckle escapes me. “I’m tired of a lot of things, Emmy. But let’s get one thing straight. I’m not living your mother’s life. I’m living mine. Okay?”

Emmy smirks. “Whatever.”

“No, I mean it,” I grab her arm, my fingers digging into her skin. Her eyes grow alarmed. “This is my life.”

Emmy tugs her arm out of my grasp. “Fine. Geez. I was just stating the obvious. I mean, look around you. This is my mom’s apartment. And you’re in her clothes. That’s her car parked outside, and tonight, you’ll go to sleep in her bed. How is that your life, Martha?”

My throat tightens. The little bitch has a point. All of this—everything—belongs to Nicola. Only the Redferns are mine. I found them.

“You’re right,” I say at last.

Emmy’s eyebrow arches. “I am?”

“Yes. Nothing about this life is mine. I stepped in to help, that’s all. I can leave anytime.”

“Hold on a second.” Emmy puts her phone away. “You can’t just leave. I mean, I miss my mom and everything, but I thought you were going to help us.”

“And I have, haven’t I? Your mom has money coming in again, good money at that, and things are better than they were.”

She leans in close, her little eyes sparkling. “Yeah, but what about the accident? Someone has to be held accountable for what happened, right? I thought that’s what you were going to do. Don’t you need, like, evidence?”

“I have evidence.”

“So then, finish it! Get him arrested. What are you waiting for? Once you do that, everything can go back to how it was before!”

“It’s not that simple, Emmy.”

Emmy makes a face like none of this is impressive. “So, what are you going to do exactly?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

Emmy stares at me blankly. “What do you mean, you’re not sure? I thought you had a plan.”

I take a big bite of my pizza and roll it around between my teeth. “Things have become a little more complicated. Besides, this isn’t about her. Jason Redfern is the one I’m worried about.”

“Well, obviously. If she’s nuts, it’s because of him.”

My head snaps to her. “Why do you say that?”

She chews her fingernail. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? The guy has a major reputation for being a player.” She clicks away on her laptop and turns it to face me. A blaring red headline loops across the bottom of the screen:

CO-STAR ACCUSES JASON REDFERN OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

Emmy unmutes the livestream. Sure enough, it’s Jason making a statement outside a busy restaurant in Europe, lights flashing and paparazzi everywhere. I fumble for the volume on the keyboard and turn it up.

“She’s lying,” he says, a cocky smirk forming across his lips. “I’ve never had any inappropriate sexual conduct with co-stars and certainly not Lauren LaMonte. I’m a happily married man.”

An interviewer cuts in. “LaMonte says that you cornered her on multiple occasions, threatened her, and even sexually assaulted her during a private rehearsal. Is that true?”

“False.” Redfern crosses his arms. “LaMonte is a deeply unhappy person, from my experience, and prone to making up all kinds of fantasies. I did not have any inappropriate sexual conduct with her, and I certainly did not assault her.”

“Jason, you and Miss LaMonte were seen together numerous times in Los Angeles when you claimed you were still away filming—were you having an affair?”