Relatively Famous (Famous Series)

by Heather Leigh

  My head snaps up as if she threw a glass of water in my face. “You were coming to New York next week?”

  “Yes, I still am. I wanted to see your beautiful work at the Warren. It was going to be a surprise.” That explains her sneaky attitude on the phone the other night. “But I’m going back for another reason Sydney.”

  She takes a deep breath and I get the feeling that my mom, Evangeline Allen, a woman who accepted an Oscar on television, broadcast to tens of millions of people, is nervous to tell me something. “You’re old enough to deal with this now. I’ve decided to go back, Sydney. I’m meeting with the head of Black Spark Studios about my return to acting. He sent me a script and I love it. It was written specifically for me. It’s perfect, I can’t pass it up.”

  I’m gripping the cushion of the outdoor sofa so hard that my knuckles are turning white. “You’re going to start acting again,” I say flatly. “But, if you go back, then …” I can’t say it, I just can’t.

  “Then they’ll be looking for you.”

  Well, Mom had no problem saying it.

  Chapter 30

  I spend five days in Belize with my mom, sleeping, crying and generally feeling miserable for myself. My mood isn’t improved by Mom breezing around the house with a perma-grin on her face. She would try to give me the neutral Evangeline Allen mask whenever I was around, but it’s obvious that she’s excited to be acting again. And I can’t blame her. She gave that all up for me and deserves to be doing what she loves.

  That’s another thing hanging over my head. The revelation that my parents planned my escape from California and the lifestyle we were living solely to protect me. My mother and father gave up a lot to keep me safe. It was with the best intentions and done out of love for me, but now I’m so used to hiding that I don’t know if I can just change. It’s who I am, who I’ve been forced to become.

  On my third day of moping around, barely eating a thing since the queasiness is still lingering, I tell my mom that I read the transcript from the Barbara Walters’ interview with Dad. I’m ready to bring this out in the open.

  “Did you read it because your dad won an Oscar?” she asks casually.

  “What? He won?” I’m shocked, but happy for my dad. Especially since I know he gave me up to save me. “I didn’t know. I read the interview before the awards aired, and you know I don’t watch that stuff. So the interview, Mom, I’m guessing you’ve seen it.” I look at her and wait for her to say something.

  “Oh, honey. I wanted to tell you. But your father and I decided that your safety was a top priority. After the car crash, it was only a matter of time until someone really hurt you to get to us or to get a story. Then there were crazy fans that had broken into the house several times, another crazy woman who kept trying to get into your school by saying she was your mother, it was terrifying for us Sydney.”

  “So dad’s affair?” I choke on the words as my mom sits across from me at the dining set by the pool.

  “Sydney,” my mom reaches over and places her hand over mine. She looks at me despondently, her gorgeous face saddened, “Your dad and I had been having problems for several years by the time that video came out. He wasn’t even living in the house with us. You never noticed because he was always gone so much. I admit that it hurt me deeply that the entire world saw our relationship go under and he made me look like a fool, but we had already been talking about divorce at that time. I was just so angry that he would put us in that position with the tabloids. More specifically, that he put you in that situation with the media. The firestorm that was coming with that video, and the breakup of ‘Hollywood’s It Couple’,” she makes a sour face, “was going to make what had happened to you so far look like nothing.”

  “So you let me think everything was Dad’s fault?” Tears are threatening to fall.

  “No honey. Dad wanted you to think everything was his fault. He wanted you to be able to leave with a clean break. He felt guilty and wanted to be punished for it. For driving the car when it crashed, for not able to keep you safe at home; it was killing him to be so helpless. Yes, my ego was shattered in front of the whole world, but I would have been fine eventually. I could have stayed and kept acting. We wanted you to grow up normal and when we got the call that your dad was caught on tape with another woman and it was going to air nationally the next night, it was time to go. I was leaving with you anyway, the scandal just moved the date up a week.”

  She pats my hand comfortingly. “I know it’s going to be a tough change, Sydney. For years you’ve been told to hide from the fame that comes with being our daughter. It was so you could become a young woman without the outside pressure of millions of eyes on you and to keep you safe from the things we couldn’t control. Now that you’re an adult, it’s time to embrace who you are and accept it.”

  “But it’s all I know, Mom. I don’t know how to be any other way.” I sound like a baby, but I can’t help it. It’s just too much for one person to handle.

  “It’s our fault that you’re so afraid Sydney. We didn’t know what else to do. I was hoping when we moved, you could grow up like everyone else. Without people jumping out of the bushes and making you cry, or perverted stalkers lurking in your bedroom because they say they love you, or crashing the car you’re in and taking pictures of you crying and broken in the remnants of the accident. That environment would have damaged you more if we stayed.”

  My mom and I are both crying as we hold hands and mourn the loss of my childhood. A childhood that wouldn’t have been normal no matter which option my parents chose, crazy in California or hermit in New York. There is no normal for the child of such scrutinized public figures. They took the only road that could keep me physically safe.

  “I love you Mom.” I stand up and hug my mom.

  “I love you too, Sydney.”

  “Thanks for saving me when I was twelve, and for saving me again now, Mom” And because she sacrificed everything for me when I was a kid, I think I can suck it up and make some sacrifices now to repay her. It scares the shit out of me, but it’s time. I tell her my plan and she absolutely loves it.

  Chapter 31

  “Where the hell have you been?” Leah’s expression is alternating between wanting to hug me and punch me when I see her. It’s been five days since the party at the Verve, and I haven’t contacted anyone since I left. I flew back from Belize this morning and when I got home, the concierge had the messenger bag that I left at the club.

  My phone was dead so I plugged it in to charge. It beeped about a million times when it came to life and I saw that I had so many voicemails my mailbox was full. Most were from Drew and Leah, one was from Adam apologizing for Kiera, how did he get my number? , and three were from Jeff Talley, Sander Yates and Ben Walton at the Warren, all congratulating me for the design and the success of the opening. At least they didn’t notice my early departure.

  I erase the ones from Drew without listening to them. I have too much going on to start crying again. And frankly, I’m not ready to talk to him just yet. There are also so many text messages from Drew and Leah that I couldn’t possibly read them all, so I just delete those too.

  Now, after calling Leah and telling her I’m home, she’s standing over me less than ten minutes later screeching like a banshee. Who knew that someone so small could be so intimidating?

  “I went to Belize and stayed with my mom. I had to think. I just couldn’t do that here with the pressure from you and Drew.”

  “So you left and didn’t tell me? Or Drew? He went absolutely nuts and caused a huge scene at the club when he found out what happened, Sydney.” I wince at her words. “The man arrives from flying cross-country to see you and finds out that you’ve vanished! He was devastated, Syd. You should have stayed and talked to him!”

  “You know how I feel about that, Leah. I …” she cuts me off, angrier than I’ve ever seen her.

  “I know that you love him! That’s what I know. I know that he loves you too! Nothing el
se matters! You have got to let this crazy paranoia go or you’re going to be miserable. I’ve known you for a long time, Syd, and Drew has made you happier than I’ve ever seen you! And you’re ruining it because of his job!” Leah is pacing my den, hostility radiating off of her small form.

  “You can’t know that he loves me Leah, he hasn’t even told me yet.” I glare at her, trying to be angry so I won’t cry. I can’t cry anymore.

  “Well he told me that he loves you.” She puts her hands on her hips defiantly. My mouth gapes and I can’t make any words come out. “That’s right, he knew I recognized him. He knew I did him a favor and didn’t tell you he was an actor. He’s not stupid, Sydney. He knew enough from that crap with Adam that if he revealed who he is, you’d leave him.

  “He came to see me at the café the last time he was in town to see you. He wanted to know why you were so afraid of fame and celebrity. I let him know that I wasn’t going to tell him and that he was going to have to get that story from you. I also told him that he needed to explain to you what he does for a living, because you were going to find out eventually and hearing it from someone besides him would be really bad. He told me he was in love with you, Sydney. He was scared of you leaving him when he told you. I told him I thought you loved him enough to stick it out. Was I wrong?”

  I just sit, frozen on the couch, knees pulled to my chest, my arms clutched around my legs trying to hold myself together. I might fall to pieces any minute.

  Leah continues her rant. “He was going to tell you before you left for the party! He knew he couldn’t walk into that club without you knowing. Shit, everyone there knows who he is. That bitch Kiera Radcliff is his co-star in his next movie for God’s sake! But his flight was delayed in L.A. and then diverted to Denver due to a medical issue with one of the passengers. It was one big clusterfuck!

  “He tried calling you to let you know where he was, but by the time he was able use his phone, yours must have been behind the bar at the club. He said that he planned on staying downstairs in one of the hotel’s conference rooms when he arrived and he was going to have a staff member bring you to him to talk. But then Kiera told you who Drew was before he got there, and you left him!”

  “He lied to me Leah. And you!” I stab my finger at her. “You knew who he was this entire time.” I stare at her accusingly.

  “Yeah, I knew. It took me a minute to recognize him under that ugly-ass hat, but I knew. And you told me you were glad I never mentioned that Adam was a celebrity because you never would have given him the time of day and you found out he was actually a great person. So I did exactly what you just said you wanted me to do. I let you get to know Drew as a person, Sydney, not Andrew Forrester ‘Sexiest Man Alive’.” Her words cut me to the quick.

  I stare down at my toes looking at the bright red polish I had done for the club opening. “It sure does explain his fondness for that nasty baseball cap, doesn’t it?”

  I look up and can’t help that the corner of my mouth lifts in amusement. It actually explains a lot, like the pilots’ reaction to him and the private dining rooms. God, and that homeless running outfit. Damn, I’m so oblivious.

  She starts laughing, “Yeah, it does.” My smile fades as quickly as it appeared when Leah keeps talking. “You have to talk to him Sydney. You didn’t see how devastated he was. He got to the party and the staff told him you were gone. I swear it was only thirty minutes after you left. I found him in the club and told him what happened.

  “He went nuclear on Kiera. I’ve never seen anyone so angry, Syd. I had to physically get between them. Kiera had this nasty smirk on her face, and said something rude about you, and I swear I thought he was going to punch her. Then he turned on Adam and threatened to kick the crap out of him for trying to steal his girlfriend. Someone even got a picture of it and posted it to some crap blog online. It was a shitstorm.”

  “Holy shit, Leah, she’s a bitch and all, but it’s not Kiera’s fault! He’s the one who didn’t tell me who he was.”

  “But he was going to tell you, just like you were going to tell him about your parents prior to the party. You both had secrets. You both wanted to make sure you were right for each other before sharing them. You’re not exactly innocent, Sydney. After he made a scene, we left Verve and came here because we couldn’t reach you on the phone.”

  “I left my phone in my bag at the club.” I say sheepishly.

  “I didn’t know that at the time,” she glares at me. “An employee at the Warren found it behind the bar the next day and it had your business cards in it. So they called the New York office listed on the card and a co-worker of yours brought it to your concierge on Monday. Anyway, we got here and you wouldn’t answer your phone and the concierge wouldn’t let us upstairs. Drew was going ballistic in the lobby, screaming at the concierge to open your door. When he refused, Drew threatened to call the police to let us in to make sure you weren’t dead. I’m not kidding, Sydney, I’ve never seen a man have a complete breakdown, but I’m pretty sure I did that night.”

  I can’t speak. My throat is dry, and I have no response to Leah’s accusatory stare. “So, they finally let us in and we could tell that you had been here. You threw away a four-thousand dollar Jason Wu? Are you nuts?”

  “I don’t ever want to look at it again,” I snap defiantly.

  “Real mature Sydney.” I stick out my tongue and Leah gives me an evil look. “Anyway, it’s a good thing it was so late, because only one or two of your neighbors came through the lobby while one of the world’s biggest movie stars was having a meltdown at the front desk. Hours later we finally realized you weren’t coming home, and Drew only left when I shoved him out the door and promised him I’d let him know if I heard from you, even if you told me not to. You have got to call him Syd, otherwise I will. I gave him my word.”

  “I know Leah. I will. But first I need your help.”

  Chapter 32

  Leah is sitting on the edge of my bathtub, all of the color gone from her face. Leah, silenced again. I seem to be good at that lately. “Leah! Leah!” I snap my fingers in front of her face. “Hey! I’m the one that needs to be comforted, okay?”

  She looks at me, her trance broken. “This…this is…” she waves the positive pregnancy test in front of me. “This is huge, Syd. I can’t believe it.”

  “I know.” I’m so over-stressed that I’ve passed the point of reacting to anything and moved to total numbness. “I already took one, it said I wasn’t pregnant.”

  “What? You knew you could be pregnant?” She looks at me as if I sprouted a second head.

  “It was one time a month and a half ago, Leah! A caught up in the moment thing. I took a test a week later and it was negative. I don’t even get regular periods. But I’ve been sick for the last couple of weeks. I blamed it on stress and nerves.” I sound whiney and I hate it.

  “A week? You can’t test for pregnancy until at the very least two weeks after you have unprotected sex, Sydney! How do you not know that?” Leah jumps to her feet and is waving the test in front of me. She has an incredulous expression on her face, making me feel like I’m the stupidest person ever.

  Which, I probably am right about now.

  “I don’t exactly use pregnancy tests every day, Leah! I just wanted to get the test over with so I wouldn’t have to worry anymore!” I snatch the test out of her hand and throw it in the sink. “Fuck, Leah, I have to call Drew.”

  “Yes, you do, for more than one reason. Get over the fame thing, Syd. He’s going to be the father of your child. You can’t let potential tabloid shit come between you. Don’t make the same decision your parents did. Don’t let your kid grow up without a father.”

  Leah’s face is sympathetic, but still upset. Her dark blonde eyebrows are pulled together over her concerned blue eyes. I’ve let her down. I let my mom down. I let Drew down. I was faced with my fears and ran away like the twelve year-old Sydney would. Now, it’s time to stop running and fight. I pull out my phone and
dial.

  When the thunderous knocking starts, I hurry and open the door so my neighbors don’t come out to see what’s going on. A very disheveled and tired looking Drew comes rushing in, wrapping his arms around me. He kicks the door shut and pulls my head to his chest. “Jesus, Sydney. You scared the shit out of me. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” I hear his voice crack a little.

  Crap, don’t cry Sydney.

  I snuggle into his warm body and inhale his scent, pure Drew, masculine and comforting. I relax into him and can’t help it, I burst into tears. “Shhhh, it’s okay babe. It’s okay.” He scoops me up and brings me down the hall to my bedroom, gently laying me on top of the bed. He uses his feet to remove his shoes and lies down with me, letting me cry into his shirt until I’m spent.

  I wake up and see that Drew is still draped around me. He’s awake and I’ve caught him watching me sleep. I can see the fear in his eyes behind the love that I know he feels for me. He doesn’t trust that I won’t run away again.

  “Drew,” I whisper and reach up to run my fingers through his soft hair. “I’m not going anywhere.” I hesitantly lean in and press a gentle kiss on his mouth. We have so much to talk about, but right now, I need him to take me, make me his again.

  “God, Sydney.” He holds me and kisses me aggressively, needing to prove to himself that we’ll be okay. “I love you, Sydney,” he whispers against my lips. “I can’t be without you.”

  I grip his hair in my fists, my heart pounding from his declaration. “I love you too, Drew. I’m sorry I ran. I won’t do it again.”

  He groans and rolls us until his hard body is pinning me down to the bed. Claiming me with his mouth, his tongue pushes in and tangles with mine. It feels like home when I taste him.

  “Sydney, I want you. I need to know that you’re still mine,” he says as he rubs his nose along my neck.