“Why don’t we all sleep on it?” I offer.
“Okay,” she says, then she looks at her watch. “At least it’s late. Maybe the paparazzi won’t be outside. Things have been crazy since that article suggested I’m pregnant. Everyone wants some exclusive photo of my alleged baby bump. I’ve had to suck in my stomach all day. It’s exhausting.”
“So are you going to announce it soon?” I ask her.
“No, I’m not. Besides, it’s not the first time that I’ve been pregnant,” she makes quotes in the air, with Knox’s love child.”
“That would piss me off if I were Aiden,” Dallas says.
“It does, but I want him out of that kind of spotlight as much as possible. And if he ever said something they would twist it anyway. The tabloids want me and Knox together, because we sell magazines.”
She meets up with her security detail, and we all leave the restaurant together.
The amount of paparazzi and flashes of cameras catches me off guard.
“Keatyn, Keatyn! Is it true? Are you pregnant?” they shout.
She walks directly over to one of the reporters and gives him a dazzling smile, causing the cameras to click away.
“Give me a break, Jared,” she says. “How many times has it been announced that I’m pregnant?”
Jared scrunches up his face.
“Exactly,” she says.
“We were told you were having a meeting with First Door Films. Rumor has it that they want to acquire Captive.”
“We can’t comment on that,” she says appropriately.
The reporter rolls his eyes but keeps trying. “I heard the Trinity filming is wrapping up this week. What’s next for you?”
“I’m taking a three-week vacation then I’ll be joining Knox and the crew in London to do the location shoots.”
“Is this really the last Trinity movie?”
“That’s the plan.”
He squints at her. “But it sounds like you’re leaving the door open.”
“Knox and I will always leave the door open for the right script.”
“And do you have a script in mind?”
“Not for Trinity,” she says, walking away toward her waiting car.
“Wait, what are you saying?” he yells, following her.
She turns around before getting into the car. “I’m saying I’m pretty positive this won’t be my last movie with Knox, but it is the last Trinity movie.”
“Oh my stars! Did you sign on to do another project together? Why haven’t we heard about this?”
“Because nothing can be announced at the moment,” she teases, then pulls me into the car even though I wasn’t planning on riding with her.
Once we’re safely in the car, I ask her, “How do you do that? You and Knox can both twist whatever they say and turn it around on them.”
“I know what they want to hear,” she shrugs.
“What do they want to hear?”
“Big news, Riley. But I don’t want to talk about that. You and I need to discuss giving up the Captive name. I thought I could do it, but I can’t. They want our assets, not the name. That was obvious based on what they upped the offer to.”
“Is that the reason you practically kidnapped me just now?”
“Yes, Riley, it is. Could you really just let the name Brooklyn chose go to someone who doesn’t care about it?”
“We have the Brooklyn Wright Marine Biology Memorial Fund. We sponsor up-and-coming surfers on the pro tour in his honor. It’s not like we’re just going to forget about him.”
“Riley, I left the majority of what really happened to Brooklyn out of the movie. You know that. He went through a lot because of me.”
“No, he went through a lot because of Vincent. It’s not your fault that Vincent tortured him to find out where you were.”
“I know it’s not, but even after Vincent beat him…even after he was threatened with a loaded gun to his head. And even after Vincent broke two of his fingers, he never told. The name of our company is the only thing—besides my surfboard, my tattoo, and a book of poetry—that I have left of him.”
I give her a hug. “And maybe it’s time that you got over the guilt and let it go. Maybe giving up the name will be freeing for you. It’s a constant reminder of that pain. That can’t be healthy, now that I think about it. Think about all the good things you can do with this money. Not to mention setting up your children and your children’s children for life.”
She sighs. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Aiden said the same thing, but . . .”
“I will think about it tonight. I promise,” I say reassuringly.
“Thanks, Riley,” she says, kissing my cheek and telling me goodnight as the driver pulls up to my building.
I stop before going in, sit on a mahogany bench out front, and call Ariela. I don’t want to talk to her in front of Shelby.
Asher Vineyards — Sonoma County
ARIELA
I smile as one of the photos I took during homecoming of Riley’s handsome face pops up on the screen of my phone, indicating a call from him.