AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hop out of the car before anyone else and scamper onto the porch, texting Chris as I move.
Me:Hey. I’m probably going to be fired soon. How’s Mom doing?
Forrest strides out of the house, apparently catching a glimpse of the director through the window upon arrival.
“What’s going on?” he demands.
I offer him a weak smile, eying my phone as I wait for my best friend to respond. A moment later, Gabe exits, too, but Chris still hasn’t gotten back to me.
“We need to have a house meeting,” Jessie demands, ushering everyone inside.
I hesitate, but Bennet pulls me along gently.
“It’s going to be fine,” he promises me as Gabe flanks me on the other side.
“What the hell is going on?” Gabe wants to know.
“We snuck off and got caught,” I admit, pursing my lips.
To my astonishment, Gabe winks, bobbing his head in approval. “Now you’re learning.”
“It’s not funny. They’re going to fire me,” I try to whisper, but my anxiety is in full force, and my words come out quivering.
Oh, God. I’m going to have a panic attack!
I try to remember my breathing, my phone spinning in my hands as I look at the men, and I suddenly realize I’m behind a wall. Gabe and Bennet have formed a shield in front of me as Forrest stands beside me, appearing confused.
“Nah, they won’t,” Gabe reassures me. “They’ve already started doing promos for all of us. You know what a pain in the ass it would be to restart all that? Not to mention the amount of money they’ve already put into production. You’re not going anywhere.”
I glance at Bennet, who shrugs. “He seems to know what he’s talking about.”
Forrest is the first to sit in the living room, his forearms resting on his knees as the director paces around.
“When the producers get wind of this, they’re going to want you gone,” Roy spits out.
“Okay,” Gabe speaks for me. “You should probably pack up, Stella. No sense in going through all that stress if they’re just going to fire you.”
I gawk at him, but he grins wickedly, waving a hand dismissively when Roy looks away.
“I…” I falter.
“Go on. Pack your shit,” Gabe continues.
“Can someone please tell me what the hell happened?” Forrest demands.
“Let’s just recap some ground rules, okay?” Jessie intercedes. “Roy, I’m going to need you to sit down, and let me handle this.”
Roy sputters incoherently, but he doesn’t interrupt when Jessie continues.
“Firstly, Stella, Bennet, you know you broke your contract tonight, just like you and Gabe did on your challenge adventure. Right?”
“I…” I trail off again.
“Don’t say anything,” Forrest growls at me, suddenly taking charge. He fixes his attention on Jessie. “Reality TV is to entertainment what divorce is to law. Those contracts can be chewed up and spit out by any decent entertainment lawyer.”
Jessie smirks at his analogy. “No one is suing anyone—yet. But come on, guys. This isn’t new information. You all knew what you were signing on for when you agreed to do the show. Why do you keep running off?”
Her wise eyes bore into mine with this question, and I look away immediately. I can feel Gabe and Bennet both staring at me.
