AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His face relaxes a bit, but he doesn’t respond, his attention refocusing on the fire like he’s avoiding my eyes.
“She’s not going to choose me,” Forrest volunteers, finally speaking. “I’ve had that written into my contract.”
I’m surprised by this revelation, but I don’t ask why. I don’t care.
“I’m not talking about the outcome of the show,” I explain patiently. “I’m talking about what’s going on behind the scenes. We need to figure out what happens when we leave here. For good.”
Both of them fall very quiet, and I suddenly wonder if I’ve made a grave mistake bringing this up. Maybe I should just wait to let the cards land wherever they do.
Are they happy with the way things are, just spending time with Stella when we can? She can’t sustain any kind of meaningful relationship with any of us that way, and perhaps that’s what they had intended all along. That’s not what I want.
“So what? You think she should be with you?” Gabe grumbles.
I gawk at him. “What? No! Is that what you’re taking away from this?”
It’s his turn for confusion, and I can see that Forrest is equally perplexed. Neither of them understands what I’m trying to say. I inhale and try again; my lack of conversation skills clearly affects my ability to communicate in this situation. Where is my PR guy when I need him?
“We should keep this going when we’re done with this show,” I offer. “All of us, together.”
Gabriel shoots Forrest a quick glance as if gauging his reaction to my proposal, but the A-lister is already nodding his approval.
“I was going to suggest the same thing myself,” he says, easing my mind now that I’ve brought it into the open. “I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up.”
Our eyes are on Gabriel now, who chews on the corners of his lips, and I frown. Is he jealous? Worried about sharing Stella? It was Gabriel who suggested buying her the car, after all, and he certainly hadn’t been shy during our threesome.
“How do you think Stella is going to feel about this?” he asks, eliminating my doubts about his concerns.
“Let’s go ask her right now,” Forrest suggests, rising from his seat. “That’s the only way to really know.”
“She just went to bed,” I remind him quickly. “We can talk to her about this tomorrow.”
He sits again pensively.
“Honestly, I think it will take a load off her mind if she thinks we’re all in this together,” I continue. “Our on-screen rivalry is confusing to her. We have to show her that it’s just an act.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Forrest mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “I have never worked in conditions like this. Cameras are literally everywhere.”
“We’ve gotten this far,” I remind him. “And this is just that—a show. Once it’s done, we can do whatever we want.”
“Whatever Stella wants,” Gabriel corrects me.
“Whatever Stella wants,” I concede as the flames ignite in the firepit, and Gabriel takes his own chair.
We look to one another as if solidifying our agreement. On camera, we’re sworn enemies, but off, we’re Stella’s lovers.
Hopefully, we’ll manage to keep the two personas straight for the next two weeks.
CHAPTER 20
Gabe
Content with the sight before me, I fold my arms over my chest and stare around the ballroom. I hadn’t been overly happy about having to return to LA for this, but I had to admit that we’d done a great job putting this together considering our limited time frame.
The last of the décor hangs beautifully in place, the dinner tables set for the upcoming event as the waitstaff moves about still. Stella stands beside me, her head swiveling from one side to the other, lips pursed in concentration. Her hands sweep nervously over her blouse as she shoots me a sidelong look.
“What do you think?” she asks, and I catch the pitch of concern in her voice.
“I don’t mean to boast, but I think we did a great job,” I tell Stella, but when I glance at her, I don’t find her smiling. “Stella?”
