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Before I can reply, Bianca thunders into the trailer, stopping short at the threshold. Her gaze flicks between me and Harper as she takes in our disheveled state. Her eyes narrow in on Harper’s hand on my arm, and she frowns with menace.
Harper’s hand quickly drops to her side.
“I said no one was to interrupt us,” I snap. Again, the urge to protect Harper flaring to the surface. Whether from dogs or judgment from others, it’s like a built-in mechanism I can’t control.
Bianca’s eyes grow wide at my tone. “You’ve been in here for a long time. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
“We’ll be out in a minute.” I soften my tone. It won’t do me any good if I keep pissing off my assistant.
She nods. “I’ll let the crew know you’re on your way.” With one last, scathing glance over her shoulder at Harper, she leaves the trailer.
“She hates me,” Harper sighs.
“Don’t take it too personally, she doesn’t like anyone.” I gesture toward the door. “We better go.”
Harper places her hand on my arm again. “Please, can we talk? I need to tell you something. Especially now after what we’ve done.”
“You think because we had sex I want to talk? There’s nothing to talk about. You played me—”
“No.” Tears fill her eyes as she shakes her head.
The sight of her tears is twisting in my gut, but I have to ignore them. “You left me to marry another man, for what? Money? Your parents had money. I had money. Or was it for his social status? You wanted to be a trophy wife? I never thought you were like that. I guess I didn’t really know you at all, did I?”
“It wasn’t like that. If you’d listen…” She clutches my arm, but I shake her hand off.
“I have no reason to listen to you. You made your choice, live with it.” Fuck, I feel like the biggest asshole for speaking to her this way after having sex with her. I know it’s to cover the God damn pain slicing through my heart.
I can’t bear to speak or look at her a moment longer. I’m ashamed of what I’ve done. So, I race from the trailer, leaving Harper behind.
In the distance, dogs are yapping. To no one in particular, I yell, “Get those fucking dogs off set. Now!”
Chapter Sixteen
HARPER
Trudginghomefromalong and mentally draining day, I arrive at the apartment at the same time as Alyssa with her dance bag slung over her shoulder. She looks as dejected as I feel.
I unlock the door, and we head inside. “You look like you’ve had a great day too,” Alyssa says with sarcasm. I must look worse than I thought. “Wanna debrief over wine and pizza?”
The offer sounds good, but I haven’t been paid yet, and I’m running out of money.
Like Alyssa could read my mind, she says, “My treat. My tips were great last night.”
When Alyssa isn’t auditioning or taking dance and singing classes, she dances at a strip club called The Temple. She makes decent money and could afford some place better to live. Apparently, she believes living like a poor, down-on-her-luck dancer waiting for her dream role gives her more depth and life experience.
She dumps her bag on the floor, drops with exhaustion on the sofa, and kicks her feet up onto the coffee table. Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she asks, “Pepperoni good for you?”
“Yes. Thank you. Next time it’s my treat.”
“No problem. Pizza is on its way.” She tosses her phone on the sofa. “God, I’m hungry. I should really eat a salad. The pizza is going to go straight to my ass. Just another reason to be rejected at another audition.”
I take a seat next to Alyssa. “I gather the audition didn’t go well today.”
Alyssa blows out a long breath. Her head falls back on the sofa. “I’m ready to give up. I don’t know what they are after. I can dance. I can sing. I take acting classes. What more do they want? I have no clue.”
Although I’ve never seen Alyssa dance in the flesh, she’s shown me videos of her performing. The elegance and style in her movements took my breath away. She also sings like an angel. Talent pours from her. “Don’t give up. You’re going to make it. They don’t know what they’re missing out on.”
Alyssa smiles. “Thanks. I’ll give it another year. If nothing happens…” She shrugs. “…I’ll reassess. Anyway, tell me why your day looks as shitty as mine.”
