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Annoyed as fuck, I put my arms around her in the barest imitation of a hug before dropping them again. She wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed, giggling loudly in the performance of her life. I rolled my eyes before she pulled back, that beauty queen upbringing of hers still showing in the cornea-blinding Crest smile of hers. Dear fuck. She was such an over-actress. It was hard not to cringe. I worked with actual professionals every day.
She leaned in towards me, undoing her hair and shaking it out like she was in a shampoo commercial. I was sure that somehow, somewhere, there was a camera on us catching the moment. Which she was counting on, no doubt, since we were on an open rooftop.
Still grinning and talking through her teeth like she was a ventriloquist, she asked, “So where’s Leander? Was that story about one of you breaking your leg even tr—”
But then she stopped, and I saw her working out the math in her head. “Holy shit, that’s why you’re here instead of him!”
I breathed out and tried to keep hold of my temper. So far, we’d managed to keep this secret in spite of everything—but that was only because the circle who knew it was extremely small and extremely well-paid: the two movie producers, our agent, Leander’s doctor, the hospital administrator, plus obviously, Milo and Hope.
In Hollywood, information was everything. And Lena knowing this... fuck. It wasn’t great.
“So what do you want, Lena?” I preferred to spend as little time in her presence as possible.
“Is Leander okay?” she demanded, for once not speaking through her teeth and looking genuinely concerned.
I breathed out again. I guessed beneath all those dragon scales there had to have been a beating heart at some point.
“Yeah, he’s okay,” I said quieter. “He did break his leg and it was bad. He’s out of commission for another few months.”
She blinked rapidly, obviously taking it in. Then she stopped and tilted her head at me incredulously. “And they thought you could do the job in his place?” Then she started laughing. Her high-pitched, cultivated laugh.
Yep, there it was. Lena would always be Lena.
“Okay, time to go,” I said, putting my arm to the small of her back so it looked like I was being friendly as I urged her forwards, making it clear it was time to leave.
“Wait, wait, wait,” she said rapidly as she turned and grabbed onto my arm, nails digging into my skin. “You need me even more now. I can help sell this. I’m serious. Janus,” she said louder than before, eyes hard.
I stopped in place, breathing out and not bothering to hide my frustration. “What the fuck, Helena?”
“I hate that name,” she spat. “It’s Lena.”
“Fine,” I smiled hard. “Lena. What the fuck? Just let him go already. He doesn’t want you.”
“Says you.”
“Says him. Jesus. Don’t be this person. Pining after someone you never even had in the first place.”
“How do you know what we had?” she hissed.
“Because I wasn’t born fucking yesterday,” I scoffed.
Her cheeks went red with fury. “So it’s true? You only like to fuck women together? How else would you even know who your brother fucks?”
I laughed and leaned in. “All you’re admitting is that you never fucked him. And all I’m saying is that I know my brother has better taste.”
Her hand whipped out and smacked me across the face. And then she froze, as if just realizing what she’d done.
“Kiss me,” she whispered desperately, obviously panicking as she realized all the eyes on us.
I grimaced. “Fuck no.”
“Kiss me or I tell them all you’re Janus.”
“What’s your fucking damage?” I backed away. “How do you think you come back from that? I’m sorry that no one’s ever told you no before and your career isn’t what you want at the moment. But it’s time to let”—I held my hands up— “It” —I bowed and finished, looking up at her—“Go.”
Around me, people started clapping and whooping as Lena backed up in humiliation. Several cameras were clearly up and filming us.
“He’s not who you think he is!” Lena screamed, pointing at me.
At which point, I said loudly, “Security! This woman should never have been allowed on lot. I specifically did not put her on my approved list of visitors.”
Lena screamed in indignation.
I leaned in. “If you don’t want to be arrested for assault, which I’m pretty sure was caught on multiple cameras, I’d stop now.”
Lena pointed a furious finger in my face and I winced back as if I was ducking from another blow. The growing crowd on the rooftop reacted around me: Ooh!
Lena looked around her, as if her public relations brain had just flicked back on, and I’d swear the fires of hell lit behind her eyes as she glared me down. Finger still pointed in my face, her hand trembled. “This isn’t over,” she whispered.
