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“Great,” his voice dripped with sarcasm. “What’s your point?”
“I just want you to understand why I dig deep. It’s not for the sake of a sensationalist story. I do it to get the best story.” I paused for a moment. Did I even believe my own words? That may have been true in the past, but this promotion competition was definitely testing the limits of my ethics. I leaned forward. “I want to help people. I want to show your fans the real you. That includes all the scabs and the pain along with the good. People can relate to that, Ghost.”
He scoffed at my reasoning, his voice biting and derisive. “So, I’m supposed to believe your motives are pure?”
I pursed my lips, trying to explain myself. “My first love has always been investigative journalism, but that’s gone now, so I try to bring a little piece of that to entertainment journalism. Researching is in my blood and I always want to write the best story, no matter the subject. I’m sorry I pushed it too far.”
He disregarded my apology and latched on to the piece of my past that I’d inadvertently revealed. “What do you mean that’s gone now? What happened to it?”
I sighed, realizing that I owed him the truth. “Before I became an entertainment journalist, I was an investigative reporter,” I began, swallowing hard. “I dug up dirt on powerful people, exposed their lies and corruption. But one day, I went after the wrong politician. He destroyed my career — I was fired, blacklisted, and even received death threats.”
Ghost’s gaze darkened. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but I knew I had to finish the story.
“Everything I’d worked for was gone. I thought it was over, but I clawed my way back into a different field of journalism. That’s why I’m here with you now.” I paused, searching his face for any sign of understanding.
He lifted his chin in defiance, his eyes never leaving mine as he slowly scrubbed the denim fabric of his jeans with the palms of his hands as if trying to wipe away an unpleasant memory. “Is your sad story supposed to make it all better? That dragging my stepbrother’s suicide into the public entertainment story is somehow okay?”
“Look, digging into your past is part of my job,” I admitted, my voice wavering. “But I let my ambition get the better of me and went too far. And I’m so, so sorry for hurting you.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and pain. Finally, he sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “You shouldn’t have done it, Remi. You crossed a line. I thought you were a friend.”
“I know,” I whispered, my heart aching with regret. “But I can’t change what’s already happened. All I can do now is try to make it right.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his stormy eyes searching for any hint of deception or malice.
“Make it right?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “How are you going to do that?”
I reached out to place my hand on his arm. “We start by being honest with each other,” I replied. “Talk to me. I understand how hurt you are. Don’t shut me out.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” he spit out bitterly, wrapping himself in despair. “You can’t possibly understand.”
“Ghost, please—“ I tried one last time, reaching out for him, but he recoiled from my touch as if it burned him.
He closed his eyes, shutting me out completely. “I thought you were different. Just leave me alone,” he whispered, the words barely audible above the sound of my aching heart.
As I left the bus, feeling more defeated than ever before, I couldn’t shake the image of Ghost huddled in on himself, drowning in pain and despair.
Chapter 12
Greyson
The Hollywood elite swirled around me like champagne bubbles in a crystal flute. The producer’s mansion shimmered with the glint of chandeliers and the dazzle of designer gowns. Laughter and clinking glasses filled the air as guests mingled, exchanging pleasantries and business cards.
“Greyson, darling! So good to see you,” a voice trilled as yet another actress draped herself on my arm. It had been hours since I arrived, and I couldn’t get a minute’s peace. My cheeks ached from forcing smiles, and my mind longed for an escape from the insipid conversations.
“Hello, Alexis,” I replied, trying to mask my boredom. She was a well-known actress from a daytime soap, her perfectly coiffed hair and sparkling eyes betraying none of the desperation that clung to her like perfume.
“Isn’t this party just fabulous?” she purred, sidling closer. Her fingers grazed my arm, sending an unwelcome shiver down my spine. “It’s been too long since we last caught up, Greyson. You know, I’ve always thought there was something ... electric between us.”
I struggled to keep my face neutral, my thoughts drifting to Remi. Breaking up with her had been a stupid idea. It wasn’t Alexis’s fault, but her advances only reminded me of what I’d lost. I wanted nothing more than to contact Remi, to see how she was doing, but pride held me back.
“Electric, huh?” I quipped, raising an eyebrow. “Must be all that hairspray.”
Her laughter tinkled, like breaking glass. As she leaned in even closer, I spotted Jonas Steel, my ex-lover, across the room. Our eyes met for a brief moment before he looked away, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable.
“Greyson, are you listening?” Alexis asked, her voice rising with annoyance. I realized I hadn’t heard a word she’d said.
“Sorry, Alexis,” I said, extricating myself from her grip. “I just remembered that I have an urgent call to make.”
