At some point, I’ll need to return to reality, but not yet.
My eyes fight to stay open as soothing darkness beckons to me like a tempting lover. “I love you, Viv,” Reeve whispers, pressing a feather-soft kiss to my damaged cheek. “I know I’ve done a piss-poor job of showing you recently, but I’m going to do better. Almost losing you has put everything into perspective. I can’t lose you, Viv. I won’t. You’re the other half of my soul, and nothing matters more to me than you.”
I drift to sleep with his words lingering in my ears.
When I wake, it’s the middle of the night and Reeve is crouched over me, softly sweeping hair back off my face. “I’ve got to leave, baby,” he whispers. “But I meant everything I said. I know we need to talk too, and I promise we’ll do that when I come home for Christmas.” He leans in, kissing me tenderly. “Don’t give up on me yet. Let me make this right, and everything will go back to the way it was. I promise.”
I don’t see how things can go back to the way it was, but I’d like to think we can find a way to move forward and put the recent past behind us. “How?” I ask, needing to know how he intends to make this right.
“I’ve hired my own publicist, and I’m issuing a video statement later today. When I return to the set, I’m telling the studio I’m publicly ‘breaking up’ with Saffron.” He makes little air quotes with his fingers. “And I’m setting her straight too. I know she harbors ideas of us, but I’ll tell her again that it’ll never happen.”
“That will only make her more determined,” I mumble. Saffron is the type to thrive on the chase. I have no doubt, if she ever managed to win Reeve’s heart, she’d tire of him fast.
“It doesn’t matter. I love you. I know I’ve let her come between us, and it ends now.”
I want to believe him so badly, but the truth is, I’m struggling to accept his pretty words as gospel. I’ll need to see it to believe he is sincere this time.
23
“Hey, babe.” Audrey strolls into my bedroom the next evening, looking gorgeous in skinny jeans and an off-the-shoulder black-and-silver-striped sweater. Her gorgeous red hair is tied up in a ponytail, and a light camouflage of makeup covers her flawless skin.
“You are glowing. I take it the date went well?”
She beams. “It did. I really like Troy.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“That’s not why I came though.” She carefully crawls up beside me. “I wanted to check up on you, and you need to watch the video statement Reeve put out earlier.” She hands me her cell. “I think your boy has finally pulled his head out of his ass.”
Lowering the volume a little, I press play on the recording and settle back to watch it. Reeve is in his bedroom at home, so he clearly recorded this before he left for the airport earlier today.
“Hey, guys. I know you have all seen the reports of what happened to Vivien Mills, and I want to officially comment.” His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat, and he looks tired as he drags a hand through his hair. “Girls who profess to be fans of mine, of Saffron’s, and the Rydeville Elite series were responsible for the assault on Viv, and that’s not cool. Not cool at all.” Tears well in his eyes. “These girls scratched her face, pulled out clumps of her hair, and left her with broken bones, and that is not fucking acceptable.” His chest heaves as he pauses for a second. “Viv has done nothing to deserve the kind of hatred that has been leveled her way, and I should have spoken out sooner.”
He rubs a hand across his chest, staring at the camera with pain evident in his eyes. “Vivien Mills is the love of my life, and if you hurt her, you hurt me.” He slaps a hand over his chest. “So please stop. Stop with all the hatred. Leave my girl alone. And if you are one of the girls who attacked her, please come forward and turn yourselves in, because I promise you will be apprehended and brought to justice. Make it easier on yourselves and fess up now.”
His features soften as he blows a kiss to the screen. “That’s for you, babe. I love you, Viv. Feel better soon.”
The recording ends, and I silently hand the cell back to my friend.
“He’ll get in trouble for that,” she surmises, as we stare at the ceiling.
“He will. He’s broken the terms of his contract, but they won’t fire him. He’s the star. They’ll just hit him in the pocket.”
She stares at me curiously. “I thought you’d be happier about it. He has finally put those rumors about him and the bitch to rest.”
I turn my head to face her, ignoring the stabbing pain the motion induces. “I am happy he’s done that but…” I trail off, unable to articulate the turmoil waging a battle inside me.
She squeezes my hand. “You’re confused.”
I nod. “I am. I love Reeve. I really do, but I’m so sick of it all. I’m exhausted, and I’m in pain, and I’m struggling to feel anything…concrete. Maybe his statement will help, and the shit will die down, or maybe it will only enhance the interest in me.” I shrug. “The fact remains he will still have dealings with her until the last movie premieres, and I know she won’t go away easily. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to handle more of it, yet the thought of permanently ending things with Reeve makes me ill. I don’t want to lose him, but I’m not sure us being together is healthy for me either. I’m a mess, Rey.”
“I think anyone would be after everything you’ve endured. You don’t need to decide anything now, and maybe things will be clearer when you spend time with him at Christmas.”
“Maybe.” I exhale heavily, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me.
“How did it go with the police?”
“I made my statement, and a police artist drew a few sketches. I told them I believe they are all under eighteen, and once I thought about it, I realized they’re not from Cali either. They had accents I couldn’t place. Anyway, the police can’t issue the sketches because of their age, but they will put them into their system and see if anything comes up. Everything points to it being a setup, so I’m not holding out much hope they’ll find them.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean someone knew where I was. It wasn’t my usual yoga class, yet those girls were waiting for me. The police informed me someone hacked into the cameras outside the studio and across the street and wiped the footage from Saturday before they could access it.”
“Holy shit.” Audrey’s eyes pop wide.
“I told them I believed it was Bianca, Cassidy, or Saffron who orchestrated this either with or without the studio’s permission, and they looked at me like I was crazy. As if something like this is outside the realm of what Hollywood would do to ensure the success of a franchise.”
“Did you tell Reeve about your suspicions?” she asks, idly plucking at the comforter.
“No. I know he appears to have seen the light, but I’m not sure he’d buy into my theory, and things will already be difficult enough for him on set in light of his statement. Plus, if I’m correct, he’s going to feel huge guilt for not believing me. I didn’t want to put that on him until, or if, I get proof.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” Mom says, appearing in the room with a dinner tray. “Sorry, I wasn’t eavesdropping. Your door was open.” She sets the tray on my lap.
“It’s fine. I wasn’t saying anything you didn’t hear earlier.”
“Can I get you some dinner?” Mom asks Audrey, and she shakes her head.
“I ate in the cafeteria, so I’m good.” She tilts her head to the side, eyeballing Mom. “You think they’ve covered their tracks too well to be caught?”
Mom nods. “We’re not dealing with amateurs. Our best bet is finding those girls, but I’m guessing they have made them disappear and made it worth their while to keep quiet. We’ve hired a PI to try to locate them, and that’s our best chance at finding justice for Viv.”