Page 45 of False Promises

I blew out a long breath, locking my uneasiness away. “Sure. Call me when you’re done. I love it when you wish me good night before I get to bed.”

Carter’s smile could be heard in his voice. “I will. Talk later.”

* * *

The next Saturday morning, I woke up in rumpled clothes, dried mascara streaks down my cheeks, my hair in a messy nest at the top of my head, and my eyes swollen and red. Yeah, I just passed a mirror and scared my own self.

The doorbell rang, and I buzzed my guest in. When Carter knocked on the door, I yanked it open before jumping into his arms without a word. The flood started over, blurring my vision.

“Hey, what happened?” He hugged me against his muscular chest, his strong arms feeling like a shield around my body. “Shhh. I’m here. What’s going on?”

I hiccupped, unable to form coherent sentences. “I-they… We didn’t… He said that I was…not working—” Another hiccup.

Carter led me inside, dropped his bag on the floor, and kicked the door shut before framing my face and pulling away from me to study my features. “Talk to me. In English, this time. I heard nothing you just said.”

I took a deep inhale. “I didn’t get the part. They said they chose another option and let me go. Next week is my last on the set. I-I really thought I would get it. My agent said it was a done deal.”

“Do you know why they changed their minds?”

I shrugged. Then nibbled at the side of my thumbnail. It was a bad idea. I would ruin my manicure. “Maybe… It’s just a supposition, but the director invited me to his trailer on Thursday. And it looked suspicious. And creepy as fuck. I pretended I had somewhere else to be. He said, ‘You know how Hollywood works, Savannah, right? For your own sake, I hope you’re not making a huge mistake.’ Then he left and went to get Lydia. Lydia is an extra. And she was happy to follow him. Do you think…do you think I ruined my own career?”

Carter blinked, a red flush creeping over his face. His whole demeanor steeled, and he took a step back. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

I shook my head, using a tissue to dab under my eyes. “Why?”

He blinked again. “This is harassment, Savannah. The guy is a sick psycho. Imagine what he would have asked of you if you had gone with him. Who knows how it would have turned out? Fuck. You don’t need that motherfucker around you. He’s a creep. Can you imagine how many women may have fallen for his pretenses over the years?” He pulled me against him and kissed the crown of my head. “Want me to pay him a visit? Or ask Taylor to show up on his doorstep?”

I shook my head. “No. News travels fast in Hollywood. The last thing I need is to make a bad name for myself so soon. Let it go. In a week, it would be history. No need to panic. He won’t be the first man to proposition me. I better get used to it.”

“Still, it should never happen. I’m so glad you refused to go with him. You’re better off without that job. I would go crazy if you were still on that set for more than a week.”

“But—I need the job. And the money. My savings won’t last me long if I’m jobless. I have two ad campaigns to shoot by the end of the month, but other than that, there’s nothing coming up until Wesley decides whether he’s giving me that role or not. I don’t wanna end up waiting tables for a living. I have bigger ambitions than that. I’m worth much more than a low-wage job for the rest of my life.”

“You’ll find something else. Something fitting. You yourself said you were a better actress than playing a brainless high school girl.” Carter stepped back to glue his eyes to mine. Assertive and unflinching. “Don’t worry about the money, okay? We’ll find a way to make it work.”

I nodded. “Thanks. I’m so glad you’re here. It makes everything better.”

“It’s Saturday morning, and it’s a sunny day. Let’s go to the beach. I have a surprise for you later. We’ll get dressed up and hit the town. What do you say?”

With a shake of my head, I refused. “I look a mess. No way am I going out like this. What if someone recognized me? I would die if they got a shot of me in this state.”

“Sunglasses and a hat. Nobody will bother you. I swear. And Ed, he’s my bodyguard when Taylor is unavailable, will shadow us. Nothing to worry about. Do you trust me?”

I nodded again.

“Then let’s get ready. First, shower time to clean the mess on your face, then we’ll grab breakfast on our way to Laguna Beach. It’s a longer drive, but I heard it’s worth the detour.”

I huffed and finally agreed. “Let’s do this.” My happiness returned. “Wait until you see that bikini I got. I bought it thinking of you. I bet you’ll have a hard time resisting me when you see me wearing it.”

Carter leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “Can’t wait.”

Before I could move too far, he peeled my wrinkled clothes off me and did the same with his.

I cocked one brow. “Wanna play with me while we get ready?”

That smirk. “What do you have in mind?”

“Lots of things.” I knitted our fingers together.