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Her eyes close, and she breathes in deeply. “He really is the worst.” She lifts my hand to her mouth and kisses the palm before placing it over her heart. “I’m sorry, Pax.”
I shrug. “It’s fine. It all worked out for the best anyway. Had I stayed, I might never have risen to the heights I have. I moved to New York and built my business as a full creative talent agency. I don’t just rep actors. I rep actors, influencers, models, writers.”
Her face falls, and I imagine it’s because I was forced to move a world away from Hollywood because of her father—a strike against us.
“I moved to New York to get away from my father, too.” She tries to make a joke about it, but her voice gives her away. She’s heartbroken. A moment of silence follows, and then she looks at me and smiles while she nods as if she is finally seeing something she never saw before. “That’s why this is so important to you. You packaged it.”
“I did,” I say, nodding.
“We’ll make sure it gets done—together.”
Silence surrounds us, but it’s welcome. And as I feel the beat of her heart, my own breathing calms, and soon, we both fall asleep.
I dream of walking around New York City, hand in hand with Mallory.
A dream that’s nearly impossible.
41
Mallory
@Stargossip: What do you get when the lead actor and leading lady have no chem?
Give up . . . Twisted Lily. Rumor has it Teagan couldn’t fake it if her life or, in this case, her livelihood depended on it.
@TeaganLover123: It’s not her fault. Brad is Old AF.
@Bradforlife: She’s inexperienced and will never be the actor Brad is.
@TeaganLover123: @Bradforlife Okay, boomer.
@Deathtothesystem: This whole movie is problematic.
@SnarkMaven: @Deathtothesystem You okay? Who hurt you? Your fifty cats?
I feel like I’m on fire, but instead of flames, the sun has burned me to a crisp. Every movement is agony, and my shoulders are screaming in protest as they move up and down.
The salty sea breeze does carry some relief to my inflamed skin, but it’s only temporary.
My skin feels like a knife is piercing it.
When we arrive at the movie set, I find Teagan filming her scene on the beach. She’s completely engrossed in her work, lost in her own world.
She looks so young and innocent at the moment, but it works. She’s truly incredible when given a chance.
With the right guidance, she’ll be a star, and this movie will be her stepping stone.
I sit in the shade of a large palm tree and watch from a distance.
Watching Teagan act out her scene is strangely mesmerizing, playing off Brad with so much confidence.
Brad does a great job of pushing Teagan’s buttons just enough for her to unleash some powerful emotions.
Watching them interact is special; each movement is perfectly placed and calculated.
It’s funny because only a few weeks ago, I never would have thought they could do this. Maybe Stefan’s team-building exercises paid off after all.
Teagan knows precisely how to drive her point home, and after a few takes, the director finally calls it, and everyone walks away to take a break. Some head toward craft services, while others plop under the shade of a nearby tree, glancing through their phones.
I should get up. Maybe grab something to eat. I stay put because my skin is too angry with me for the sudden movement, reminding me of my sunburn yet again.
When I wince, Teagan stops walking and turns around, heading back in my direction.
“You good over there?” she asks as she moves closer.
I force a smile. I’m the opposite of good. Every inch of my body hurts, screaming at me for being so stupid that I forgot to put on sunblock, screaming at me even more that I was dumb enough to fall asleep on a boat, in broad daylight, naked in the middle of the ocean, but I digress.
“All good here.” But despite my words, I wince.
Teagan raises a brow. “Where were you this morning?”
I shuffle from my right foot to my left. “In my hut, why?” I try to keep my voice level as I lie. My hut isn’t where I slept last night, but I can’t tell her that.
“Well, I went to ask you a question . . .”
I shrug. “Umm, I must have been in the shower.”
She narrows her eyes, watching me for a minute, then her gaze darts off to where Paxton stands only a few feet away.
“It’s funny. He’s all tan, and you’re all burnt.”
Shaking my head, I play dumb. Playing ignorant is the only option unless I want to tell her the truth, which I don’t. “Not following.”
“Just noting you both got a lot of sun yesterday.”
“Oh, yeah, I just laid out for a bit. But obviously, I didn’t bring enough sunscreen.”
She looks at Paxton again, and her brow furrows. “Alone?”
