A Slow Burning Fire
by J.F. Jenkins
Published by Astraea Press
www.astraeapress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.
A SLOW BURNING FIRE
Copyright © 2013 J.F. JENKINS
ISBN 978-1-62135-155-9
Cover Art Designed by Book Beautiful
For my Mom, for sharing her love of her home with me
and teaching me about love.
Chapter One
Arial Oakley gazed up into the dreamy, olive-green eyes of super Hollywood hunk, Bryce Valentine. Those eyes sparkled with a unique light as he gazed back into her bright baby blues. His strong arms were holding her shoulders tenderly, and his sandy blond hair was gelled playfully at the bangs, giving him a small touch of bad boy flair. The way he filled out the tight black T-shirt he wore was absolutely divine. He looked back at her with the softness of a man in love.
Unfortunately for her, it was all an act for the part he played. On their television show, Three Wishes, his character, the dark and troubled Kevin, thought she was the love of his life. Well, not her, but her character Veronica.
The drama of the show couldn't be any further from the truth. Not only was Bryce the nicest guy on the planet, but he was practically married to their co-star Katie Daniels. Hollywood's perfect couple — sort of. When it came to all of the glamorous red carpet events, the two were inseparable in an almost sickening kind of way. Behind the scenes, however, was another story. As far as Arial knew, everything was fine between them, but things were far from being perfect. The couple fought more openly on set, and Katie no longer gave him small bits of affection between set time. In fact, they hardly spent any time together outside of the scenes where they had to interact.
The tabloids loved to try and paint all kinds of crazy love triangles involving the cast of the show. In the end, it all amounted to a bunch of ungrounded rumors. Arial may have admired Bryce in secret for the past nine years, but it was clear he only had eyes for Katie, despite whatever bumps were in their relationship.
“I mean it this time, Veronica. I'm staying, forever,” he said. His face leaned in toward hers, and they shared a kiss. Arial caught the slight taste of his minty breath, and the smile she wore when she pulled away from him was genuine.
Once more her gaze met his. “You told me you didn't believe in happily ever after.”
“Someone changed my mind,” he said into her ear.
“And cut!” the director called out.
Bryce lingered against her for a moment, his nose in her hair. For those brief few seconds, she savored the feeling of his warm embrace around her. She didn't know the next time she would get the chance to be in it.
The director climbed off of his chair and joined them on the set floor. He shook each of their hands. “Thank you for the past nine years. It's been a pleasure to work with you. I wish you the best in all of your future endeavors.”
“Thank you,” Arial said softly, trying to fight the tears that were pooling in her eyes. She sucked in a deep breath. “I'm going to go back to my trailer and pack up the rest of my stuff. They still want us gone by the end of the day, right?”
Bryce let out a heavy sigh. “Security wants us off the lot in three hours. Come on, I'll walk you back.”
“Always the gentleman,” she teased. “Yes, you can escort me back to my trailer. But don't think this is going to be the last time you see me. You can't get away from me that easily. In fact, I think you're stuck with me for the rest of your life. I hope you don't mind.”
He always walked her back, insisting he had to make sure she stayed safe despite the plethora of security guards around the lot. She wouldn't trade those walks for the world, though. It saddened her to think this would be the last one.
Together, the two left the set and stepped out into the warm California sunshine. The weather was perfect, as usual. Only a few small tufts of clouds were in the otherwise blue sky. It was a little on the hot side, given that it was the middle of the afternoon. They'd started shooting their last handful of scenes for the show early in the morning. There were about five more left to do, but none of them involved her or Bryce.
“I wouldn't dream of having a life without you,” he said and gave her a half smile. How was it that he always knew the perfect thing to say even without a script? And that half-smile of his was just as sexy and swoon-worthy as the whole thing.
Arial rubbed his arm. “I'll get to see you at the wrap party tonight. You and Katie are coming, yeah? She mentioned possibly not being there, and my heart died a little inside. It won't be the same if you don't at least make an appearance.” She'd only been teasing him, but she noticed the muscles of his arm tense under her grip. While she would have loved to admire their developed form, she knew he wasn't doing it for a good reason. “What's wrong?”
His smile widened, but she could see that it was his more polished and fake version of the gesture. The smile he gave all of the paparazzi whenever they harassed him, or offered the teenage fans who got a little too frisky with their hands at meet and greets. Arial never wanted to be on the receiving end of that smile, and now she was.
“Katie broke up with me two weeks ago,” he said, so casually she had a hard time processing his words.
“What do you mean she broke up with you two weeks ago? Why didn't you say something about it sooner?” she asked, brow furrowed. When he only shrugged, she pressed deeper. “Don't tell me it's not a big deal, because it is. You've been together since we started producing this show. Weren't you the one who always told me you were each other's first loves? What happened?”
He stopped walking and stared at her, his gaze piercing. “People grow apart. I don't want to talk about it right now. That's why I didn't tell you. I wasn't ready to mention it, and I'm still not. There are only so many days left until it breaks to the public, and you know there's going to be a crazy media storm once it does. I need to be ready. We all will. The tabloids are brutal.”
Arial's frown deepened, her heart aching as she listened to him. Just like Bryce, trying to be strong when it's okay for him to fall apart, she thought. “If there's anything I can do, let me know. And please be sure to come to the party tonight. I think it would be good for you.”
“I'll think about it.” He paused to lick his lips. “She's not going because of some other work commitment. You know, that big movie she's filming in Hawaii soon. She had a flight to catch this morning, which is why all of her scenes got moved to earlier in the week.” Another pause. “I do want to go. So much of my life has been this show. It would be wrong not to.”
“Very wrong, so make sure you show up and we'll have an awesome time together. I promise.” She stopped walking when they arrived at her trailer.
Bryce did as well. He looked up at her door. “Thanks for letting me bring you back one last time. I'll see you later.”
Before she could reply, he continued down the back lot alley with his hands shoved inside his pockets. Arial's heart only broke more at the sight. She unlocked her trailer door and went inside. The emptiness of it unsettled her. Earlier in the week she'd made sure to move everything out except for the bare essentials. All of her homey touches were in a box, sitting on her apartment floor waiting to be put away.
There had been a number of on-screen kisses, of course. When it came to work, she'd kissed over half of young Hollywood's finest studs. But she was probably the only twenty-three-year-old virgin in the business. This was partly by choice, because she didn't want to give herself away to just anyone, and part pure bad luck. Deep down inside of her, Arial still dreamed of having a true white wedding. What could possibly be more romantic than having her first intimate moment be with the man she'd spend the rest of her life with?
Her thoughts drifted back to Bryce. She couldn't help but be worried. The way he looked when he walked away from her was not something she'd seen for a long time — like he was hopeless. As much as she wanted to tell him everything would be okay, she also knew him better than to utter the words. Nor could she tell him he'd find someone better… or how she actually felt for him.
She'd been in love with him as soon as she was old enough to understand what those feelings were like. She was sixteen years old when that happened. Two things had gotten in her way from saying anything. The first being their five-year age difference, and the second being Katie. Arial doubted he'd take a confession from her heart that dated back to her teenage years seriously, and even if he did, the love he had for his ex would always get in the way.
****
Bryce Valentine flipped his cell phone over in his hands repeatedly. He measured the pros and cons of calling Katie again. Not that he wanted to come across as desperate, but there was so much about the break-up he didn't understand. She'd thrown away nine years of life with him overnight.
“You know why,” she had said when he asked her why she was leaving him. But he didn't know, not completely.
Things had been stale for the past few years, comfortable. He'd always figured that had something to do with being together for so long. Once all of the mysteries of a person were discovered, what else was there to keep things spicy? Not that he'd necessarily minded. The two had found ways to keep things interesting enough in their relationship to the point where he could overlook his overall sense of lacking. It bothered him all the same that he trusted his other co-stars, most particularly Arial, more than he did his own girlfriend. Deep down in his heart, he felt like something was missing between him and Katie, but the stubborn side of him did not want to give up his first love.
Katie was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Before he'd become famous, girls did not notice him. He was the quiet theater geek in school. Friendly, but he kept to himself all the same. Katie was the opposite. She had spunk and passion, and when she wanted something, she went for it. And she had wanted him. Their relationship was like a powder keg lit with a fuse. It exploded instantly with the same chemistry and passion before fizzling out into the comfortable routine they'd been in for years. She'd even gone so far as to be surprised he wanted to be in a long-term committed relationship with her to begin with. He'd been so enamored with her when they first met, he couldn't imagine letting her go. Most Hollywood romances didn't last. Then again, he wasn't like most of the guys in the business. Screwing around wasn't something he fancied trying either. When he devoted himself to something, he gave it his all, and that's exactly what he had done in regard to her.
Hollywood could be fickle, but he'd been raised to have a good head on his shoulders. He also hadn't started acting until he was almost out of high school. For a while, he never thought he'd make it as an actor. Small parts here and there went into his savings before he hit it big. Three Wishes sent his career skyrocketing within a year. Being a young superstar made him perfect material for teen romance films. His chiseled abdomen didn't hurt either, of course. The movies were fun to make and he was easy to work with, which made casting directors want to seek him out all the more. Sprinkle in a few independent film projects, and he had a recipe for success, now that the show was over. Bryce was ready to show off the rest of his acting skills. What he wasn't ready for was doing it alone.
What does Katie mean by “You know why”? he wondered. Was it because they had gone stale? Or was there someone else? The past few years she had gotten increasingly flirtatious with some of her co-stars. He'd brushed it off. Katie had always been a bit more outgoing than he was. Friendly, yes, but he never felt comfortable flirting with a stranger. Then again, he also respected Katie, as well as his relationship with her.
The past few months, however, he'd noticed her being extra close with the male lead from her latest movie project. Constant whispers and giggles happened whenever he visited the set, and they texted each other — a lot. He'd never done that with another girl besides her, not even Arial.
Bryce sighed when he thought about her. Arial was an amazing young woman who deserved nothing but the best. He'd been truly blessed when she had come into his life. Her proportioned curves would make any man crazy. Not only was she gorgeous, but her beauty went further than skin deep. Never before had he met someone so free spirited, down to earth, and loyal. If anyone was going to come between him and Katie, Arial would have been it. The thing he loved most about Arial, though, was that she didn't ever try to do something so catty and treacherous. While his other female co-stars tried to flirt with him mercilessly, she treated him like person instead of a piece of meat. In a lot of ways, that made him even more attracted to her than he probably should have been. When someone treated him well, it didn't go unnoticed.
“Maybe now we could try to be something,” he wondered aloud, then shook his head. “She's not interested in me like that. I'd be able to tell.”
And he'd just ended a relationship. Rebounding would be a bad idea. He wanted to be different and not like all the other Hollywood starlets who bounced from relationship to relationship, claiming to be in love multiple times in a week with a new partner. Still, there was something about Arial that lingered at the back of his mind. She was his best friend in the entire world. He could tell her anything, and she'd already helped him through so much. Plus she was funny and had an adventurous streak to her. Arial didn't worry too much about embracing her dorky side, so there was always something interesting for them to do together. Most importantly, she didn't get worked up over the small things. They just clicked.
Once more he shook his head, trying to get his mind to focus on what needed to be done. There were still things he had to pack inside his trailer. Actually, a lot of things. He knew he should have started on it earlier than the last day, but they were all mementos of his past with Katie. Not normally one to dwell, he hadn't the heart to put them away just yet. While he didn't necessarily feel heartbroken over the loss, he also couldn't let go of the past.
But he had to bite the bullet. Crossing the trailer, he went back to his couch and picked up a picture of him with his now ex-girlfriend. Instead of tossing it into a box or a garbage can, he gazed down at it and couldn't help but notice how hollow both of their expressions were. In fact, it was in all of the pictures they shared together. When had he become so lifeless?
A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. He hurried across the trailer and answered it, seeing Arial standing at the doorstep holding a box. A small smile played on his lips as he opened the
door. He was happy to see she'd changed out of her costume and into something more natural. While she rocked the risqué clothing her character was known for, he much preferred her in her natural element. Simple jeans and a long, navy blue button-down that actually covered her skin. The only thing remaining of Veronica was her hair, still pulled back into a bun.
“What a pleasant surprise, and what can I help you with?” he asked.
Arial adjusted the box so she was now holding it on one of her curvy hips and moved closer to him. “I didn't feel right leaving you that way. In pain and so sad. This is our last day of working together. We might not see much of each other anymore. I needed proper closure, a real goodbye. And I needed to walk through that gate, knowing you were going to be okay.”
He chuckled. “You're… something. Thank you for stopping by. Come in and stay awhile. You can help me pack since I procrastinated.”
“I knew I should have tried to meet up with you later instead.” She scrunched up her nose but winked at him, sure signs she was only teasing. He stepped away from the door frame so she could walk inside.
****
Arial took a good look around before putting her box on the floor and giving him a hug, pulling him tight against her body. That was what she had really been wanting to do ever since he'd walked away. Hold him, comfort him, and find a way to ease the pain he must have been feeling. His arms wrapped around her, and she snuggled her face against the strong muscles of his chest. She couldn't help but notice how fast his heart was beating, almost in sync with her own. What could it possibly mean? she wondered.
She knew better than to linger, however. There was no way he could know how she felt, not yet. It was too soon to say anything and insensitive to his feelings. So she pulled away but held his hands in her own. “There, now I feel better.”
“Me, too,” he said. Bryce held her hands for a moment before letting go, and she was saddened when he stepped away to go to the back of the trailer.
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