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“I don’t know! You’ve turned mine into a steaming pile of shit for the better part of a year. After all the crap you’ve pulled… I don’t want to think you did, but how can I know for sure? Do you know how awful it feels to doubt your judgment of the person you’re sleeping with?”
“Yeah, at the moment I’ve got a pretty good idea. Jesus, Frankie.”
“You haven’t given me a whole lot of truth to trust.”
“Frankie, you want the truth? I went to LA to help my show-sister Brittani film a reunion and to support her addiction recovery. I reconnected with the family I thought I had lost forever. And it felt nice, but not quite right. Do you know why?"
Frankie crossed her arms across her chest and jutted her chin out, silent.
"Because you weren't there to share it with me. Because I wasn't here with you when you were hurting."
His words pierced right to her heart. Damn him for making her want to believe. She clutched her arms tighter.
"Do you know why I didn't come back on Sunday?"
She shook her head and focused on the embers at her feet instead of the ones burning in his eyes.
"Because I was pulling Lila Finch out of brunch to beg her for an extension on the show and to remove the penalty."
"It's a real shame you played that card. The barn burned to the ground. Even I can't tweak a budget that's already been spent. Your show is over."
"First of all it's our show, and second, it's not over until it's over."
"Jake, give it up."
"No, I won't. And I won't let you either.”
“Look around you, Jake!” She was shouting now, and the other guys from her crew had stopped to shamelessly eavesdrop. “How can I work on a retirement vineyard when there are people left homeless?”
“Because you have a contract to finish it? Because you’ll be jeopardizing your reputation, as well as Sofia’s, Adrian’s, and Enzo’s.” He ticked their names off on his fingers. “You’ll scuttle Million-Dollar Starter Home’s third season. You won’t work in Hollywood again.”
“Praise the Lord. Where do I sign?”
Her mouth was running, but she didn’t truly mean it. She hadn’t thought through how this would affect her family and the other show. They were counting on things working out. She was going to have to finish, dammit, but it left a sour taste in her mouth. She would resent every minute.
“Don’t do this. Don’t throw away everything we’ve been working for. How can you turn your back on all of this? On us?"
“Whatus? How can there be an us when you lied from the start? You don’t deserve my time and energy. These people do! Do you think it matters if viewers like to watch me race to tear down a wall or do pull-ups from the rafters? No. What matters is getting Sylvia and her son back in a home.”
The tears she so often concealed were flowing down her cheeks.Fuck it. Let them flow.She was done holding back.
“You want to make your mark on the world, Jake? You want people to think you’re more than a pretty face? Why don’t you try making something that matters? I'll finish out the contract. Just stay out of my way. Starting now, Jake. I’ve got real work to do.”
"I'll give you your space, Frankie. But I'm going to show you that I care about you more than I do about this show. You won't listen, but maybe when you see it you'll believe me. This isn't the end. This is just the beginning."
She turned her back on him and walked into the smoking wreckage, where Jake, in his Italian leather shoes, couldn’t follow.
CHAPTER31
Swish.Swish. Swish.
The repetitive motion was soothing. With each swish of the broom, more of the dirt was pushed away. More of the devastation righted. More of her frustration burned off.
It had been one week since the fire. The county had stepped in for recovery efforts and the trailer park build would be tied up in more red tape than she’d ever encountered. But it would just be another opportunity to learn.
In the meantime, she could tend to her own. Turning her attention back to the event space, Frankie cleared the rubble, salvaging what she could. She’d hauled barrow after barrow of charred wood to the dumpsters while the crew had kept working on the house. Finally, she was down to the concrete foundation slab.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
