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“Take the night off.”
“No, he’ll be furious,” Nova says, navigating us out of the airport.
“Or he won’t notice,” I say pointedly. “Nova, I’m so sorry. It’s been no better at home.”
“You think this is about Blake?”
“I know it is.”
“I’m worried about him,” she says, her eyes filling. “I think he’s gone off the grid.”
“Or it’s just good acting,” I try to remind her, more furious than I’ve ever been. Nova is Lucas’s most valuable asset.
“What should we do?”
I shrug and let out a heavy breath. “I guess we’ll know in a few weeks when filming wraps.”
“It’s never been this bad,” she says, shuddering.
“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what else to say.”
“It’s my job, I’m just at my wits’ end with him.” She glances over at me.
“Do you want to drop your stuff at the hotel? I got you a key card to his room.”
“No, let’s get to the set.”
“Okay,” she says, taking a few turns that lead us to a long stretch of road.
“I’ll be honest. I don’t know if I can keep working with him if this is going to be the new norm.” She sniffs, wiping a tear from her face. “He’s scaring the shit out of me.” I take in the fading El Paso skyline and turn to face her from my seat.
“Nova, you have to trust him. He would never hurt you.”
“I’m trying. I just don’t know if I can at this point,” she says, leaning up on her seat, searching the road to look for the turnoff. “I’m really creeped out.”
“If you want to look for something else, I’ll understand.”
“I’m under contract with him. I’ll finish it out. You said things are bad at home?”
“I don’t even know how to explain it.”
“Well, if it’s anything like it is here, I wouldn’t blame you if you kicked rocks for a while.”
“What does Wes say?”
“He’s being tolerant because he’s too happy with the results.”
“It’s that good?”
“So good, incredible,” she says honestly. “And, God, I wish it wasn’t. I don’t want to encourage this shit. This is not Lucas.”
“I know,” I say softly. “It’s Nikki.” We share a mutual look of disdain over the seat.
“You know what’s sad? I’ve seen this before, not to this extent, but similar and I’ve heard the stories too. It’s like once they decide to let it take over, there is no limit to what they will do. Whatever it takes to keep it authentic. But, never, would I ever have expected this from Lucas.”
“That’s the point.”
“Without totally throwing myself under the bus just in case I still have a job, I think the whole thing is ridiculous.”
