by T. A. Foster
“Right. See you tonight.”
“Bye.”
He hung up and started making the calls that would bring Haven to him. He had waited two weeks for this.
SINCE SHE had met Evan, this was the longest amount of time they had gone without seeing each other. Over the past two weeks, she had spent her time at the studio with Carly either writing music or listening to her lay tracks for the next album.
A few afternoons when Carly had to leave early for press commitments, Haven had even tried to find the secret fishing hole, but she always seemed to walk in the wrong direction. The ranch wasn’t the same without Evan. Everything felt quieter and empty without him filling in the space.
She watched the Texas fields scroll past as the jet climbed higher toward California.
As soon as she heard Carly was taking time off, she was ready to drive one of Evan’s cars west, but there was no way he would be ok with that. Maybe one day they could take a road trip together and get lost like he did over the summer, stopping at tourist stands, taking pictures in front of the Grand Canyon or the Space Needle.
The white clouds surrounded her view, and she settled into her seat. In two hours, she would land in L.A. That’s the only thing that mattered. Her eyes closed and she found sleep while the engines hummed and the plane rose higher.
When the jet landed, there was a private car waiting for her on the tarmac. L.A. was better equipped to handle secretive passengers than the Austin airport.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the hotel. Haven had always heard awful stories about L.A. traffic, but it didn’t seem to be a problem.
For her first time in the land of glitz and glitter, she didn’t care about any of the hot spots. All she wanted was to see Evan. Hear his voice. Look into his eyes. Feel him pressed against her.
“Can we get you anything else while you wait, ma’am?” The hotel valet stood in the doorway of the suite.
“No, I’m fine, but thank you.”
He made a slight bow from the waist then backed into the hall with the valet cart.
Haven surveyed the set of rooms that formed the suite. She walked to the closet and grabbed one of Evan’s T-shirts, pressing it against her face. There was that clean soapy scent she had missed. She inhaled again before returning the shirt to its hanger.
It was almost seven. She hoped he was on his way home. She sent him a quick text.
Waiting for you.
There was no response. She tossed her phone on the couch and picked up the remote. She flipped through the channels until she saw Evan and Emmy’s faces appear on the Gossip Channel. The anchors were talking about Red Lines, and the rumors that Evan and Emmy had rekindled their romance.
She cringed when she heard the woman call them “Evmy.” Was that a thing? There was a reason she never read gossip magazines or paid attention to tabloid headlines. None of this was true.
She was about to change the channel when a picture of Evan with his arm around Emmy flashed on the screen. For a second, Haven couldn’t breathe. It was as if all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. But then, she focused on the picture frozen on the screen and realized they were somewhere tropical. There were sailboats behind them. It wasn’t a recent picture. It must have been dug out of their relationship archives. The feeling returned to her chest, and she took a normal breath. She turned off the TV.
Rumors. They were only rumors. She knew Evan was over Emmy, but for the first time since he started working on the movie, she felt tinges of jealousy. The rest of the world didn’t know it was Hollywood spin. They thought there was a chance the couple had been brought back together by the movie. It made her stomach ache.
It made sense in theory when Evan had proposed the idea of letting the press be misguided, but now that she could see it for herself, she wasn’t sure she was equipped to handle it. She didn’t want to share the headlines with him, but maybe it was worse having Emmy in his spotlight.
She texted again.
I’m in your suite. Can’t wait to spend the night with you.
Fifteen minutes passed and she still hadn’t received a response. She pulled out one of her lyric pads and unclasped her guitar from its case. One of the perks of flying on the jet was that she could bring as much as she wanted. Her writing sessions with Carly might be on vacation, but there were still lyrics in her head. She settled back on the couch, tucking her feet behind her.
Suddenly, she missed her hammock and the little porch on the beach house. All summer she had wanted to escape it, branch out into the real world. Now she was in the center of it, and the only thing she could think of was salt breezes and the sounds of the boats in the harbor.
You haunt me like the wind
Taking me back to where I’ve already been
You think I can’t be happy without you
But I can stand out of the shadows too
That was all she had. She strummed a few more bars then glanced at the floor-to-ceiling windows. Where was he? She watched the lights dim over the Hollywood hills, wondering when she was going to see him.
HAVEN FELT lips brush against her cheek. Someone was in the suite.
“Haven, wake up.” A firm hand nudged her shoulder.
She stretched upright, locking eyes with Evan. “Hey, what time is it?” She must have fallen asleep waiting for him.
“I’m sorry it’s so late, but I couldn’t get out of there. It’s midnight. 2 a.m. Texas time. You’re probably exhausted.” He sat next to her on the couch. “But I’m so glad you’re here, darlin’.”
She nodded, pushing herself forward. Midnight? He hadn’t called or texted the entire time. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him, wanting to feel the strength of his arms and the warmth of his skin, but her nose was hit with a sharp wave of perfume.
Quickly, he pulled her hands off his neck and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m going to go take a shower, but I’ll be right back.”
She watched him walk toward the bathroom. All the feelings of joy and anticipation of seeing him again felt shadowed and dark. Something was off, and she didn’t like the way he smelled.
She slipped off the couch and crept to the bathroom door. She pushed it open slowly. Evan was standing under the stream of water. His back was facing her. She stared and took a step forward. It was covered in red lines.
“Evan, what happened to your back?”
He jerked and turned around. “Oh, that’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Haven opened the glass door and reached out to touch his skin. She didn’t care that the water was soaking her shirt.
His eyes held her steady. “Baby, it’s from the movie. It’s not a big deal.”
“Are they from Emmy?” She remembered the scene in the book.
“Not Emmy, Karina.” His head tilted to the side, and she thought he was trying to soften the impact of the physical evidence.
“Same person. Did Karina put these on your back?”
“Yes, but they don’t hurt. They’ll be gone by morning.”
Haven turned from the shower and closed the door behind her.
“Haven, wait,” Evan called, but she didn’t stop. She hurried through the suite, looking for a place that would offer comfort, but it just looked like a fancy hotel suite—not home.
“Haven, we should talk about this.” Evan appeared dripping wet, holding a towel around his waist.
“Is this what happens every day? Is the movie really this physical?” She tried to make the words smooth, but she choked in between questions.
He hung his head. “You read the book. You know the storyline.”
Her eyes stung. “But I thought there would be doubles or something. Body doubles, right? There are supposed to be other people doing those parts.” This couldn’t be how it happened. Where were the special effects? There should be some makeup artist painting lines on his back, not Emmy.
“You won’t see that much of it once they do the editing. No frontal nudity for me, I promise.�
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“Was frontal nudity an option?” She felt naive.
Evan led her to the bed and sat on the corner. “Darlin’, in this movie, everything is an option.”
“Does that mean Emmy is naked? Are you with her naked?”
“It’s not like that. There are fifty people around us at all times. It’s choreographed and technical. I swear, absolutely no improv. I can’t even turn my head without them telling me which direction to go.” He paused. “I thought you were ok with all of it. Didn’t you tell me it would be hot if I did the movie?”
“I didn’t know what I was saying. I didn’t know it would be like this.” She pointed to the top of his shoulder where she could see the pink lines start. Her inexperience in how movies were made was plastered all over her forehead. Evan stared at her.
“I wouldn’t have signed on if you had said no.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “But I can’t back out now. I have a contract. I have to finish it.”
Her eyes fell to the quilt. She couldn’t look at him. “I don’t know what to say. All I can think about right now is you and Emmy.”
“Hey, hey. Come here.” He pulled her against his chest. She felt the water droplets against her cheek. Thank God, the perfume smell was gone. “There is no Emmy and me. I am making a movie with her, yes. But as soon as we wrap, it’s over. I won’t see her until premiere week. This will all be over.”
Haven nodded, but she felt as if she was agreeing to something she didn’t truly believe.
“You know it doesn’t mean anything, right? It’s acting. I’m only acting.”
She tried to nod her head.
“How about we get some sleep? It’s late and we’ve both had a long day.” He maneuvered around her, pulled the covers back, and then adjusted the pillows. “We can talk some more tomorrow. I don’t have to be on the set until noon. We can sleep in. Have a nice breakfast.”
How was she supposed to fall asleep next to him now knowing the marks on his back were real, and his hands had been on someone else?
It wasn’t the night of passion and heated abandon she had planned, but she curled up against Evan, his palm planted on her hip. Within minutes, his breathing was slow and rhythmic, but all she could think about was that he had just spent the day in bed with Emmy.
She clung to the hope that, in the morning, she would wake up and all of this would be a dream. It was part of some big misunderstanding caused by an acute case of jetlag. There was nothing ok with this situation. If it wasn’t a dream, she was going to have to figure out a way to deal with being in love with the man staring in the most talked about movie on the planet.
And his ex.
EVAN’S VOICE was muffled. He was in a serious discussion with someone. She threw back the covers and padded into the next room.
“I can’t keep her cooped up in here.” His back was to Haven. She listened. “This is crazy. I should be able to go out. Can’t you do something about it, Jeff?” Evan paused. “I know, I know, but it was a surprise to me too. I didn’t know she was flying out. And what the hell is this ‘Evmy’ crap?”
Haven felt a sour pit fire in her stomach. She turned from the conversation and rushed to the bathroom. This was all a mistake. She should have stayed in Austin and worked on her music, or flown home to see her parents. Her mother was dying for her to make a trip.
She splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. There had to be a way to get out of L.A. When she finally emerged, Evan was standing in front of a room service cart pouring two cups of coffee.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked.
“Fine.” She didn’t like the awkwardness that was starting to spread between them any more than his diversion tactics.
“I thought we’d order some room service. These omelets aren’t as good as Lenny’s, but I had them add extra bacon for you.” He winked and motioned for her to join him.
She sat at the bistro table in front of the balcony, feeling stiff and guarded. How was he able to act like everything was normal? He was one half of “Evmy.” That was not normal.
He sat across from her. “I need to talk to you about something.”
“Ok.” She wasn’t interested in touching breakfast. The weight on her chest kept her from being able to breathe. It was like a vice had been fastened to her chest, and every time Evan spoke, someone cranked the handle on her back, making even a whisper impossible.
“So, here’s what’s going on.” He flashed a grin. The one she had seen on the front of magazine covers. “I was talking to Jeff, and he thinks it’s best if we aren’t seen in public together while you’re in town.” He picked up a piece of toast and slathered it with butter.
“What? I don’t understand?” It sounded like he just said she was a hideous toad that he couldn’t be seen with in public.
“Remember the plan I had to keep the press away from you? Well, now that we’re both in L.A., it isn’t going to work out like that. If they see me with you, it’s only going to ramp things up worse than they’ve ever been. Do you understand? They’re like sharks when they get a whiff of the tiniest amount of blood.”
The burning in the back of her throat and eyes was almost unbearable. She pushed back from the table. “I understand. I’ll head to the airport.”
Evan jumped toward her. “No, that’s not what I want. I never want that.”
She whipped around, her eyes firing into his. “What do you want? You didn’t want me last night. You fell asleep. Then I overhear this morning that my surprise trip has ruined your big PR plans. It’s obvious I don’t belong here. I shouldn’t have come. I’m just in the way. I can pack up and be out of here in ten minutes.”
“No, no, no. You don’t get it. I don’t give a damn about the movie PR. I’m doing it for you. I want to keep them away from you. If we give them just one photo op, your life will be a living nightmare. If I keep the spotlight on Emmy and me, it takes it off you. That’s all I want. I want to keep you safe.”
It may have sounded sensible, but it didn’t cure the burn that had invaded her body. All the jealousy, the embarrassment, and the suspicions he wanted her to stay in the shadows had taken hold, and no logical explanation was going to unwrap their talons.
“I’ll head back to Austin today, and you won’t have to worry about it.” She turned toward the bedroom, hoping she could make it before the tears started sliding down her cheeks.
“Haven.” Evan grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him. “I don’t want you to go. You can’t go.”
She couldn’t look at him. “I think it’s the best thing for both of us right now. We can talk about it later when I’m gone.”
“You don’t really believe that. How can the best thing for either of us be you leaving when we can’t stand to be on opposite sides of the room from each other?” He dropped his grip. “You’re like a magnet to me. I won’t be able to think about anything but you. I can’t think about anything but your blue eyes, your laugh.” He paused. “Your stubbornness.” He chuckled. “Girl, you have lost it if you think I would be happier with you back in Texas. I can barely breathe when you’re gone.”
“But I heard what you said to Jeff. And I know about ‘Evmy.’ I can’t stay.”
Then before she had a chance to stop them, the tears fell.
“Baby, don’t cry. I know this was a horrible start to your L.A. trip, but we can turn it around.” His thumb brushed a tear that had descended toward her chin. She felt the warmth in his touch, and it stirred hope she thought was lost. Little flickers of hope that just needed fanning.
“How are we going to do that?” She looked at him, needing answers from him that would soothe all the confusion and hurt she felt.
“First, we’re going to start by me loving you like I should have last night.” He stepped closer, filling all her senses.
“I-I—”
“And don’t argue with me.” He scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom, proving for the next two hours that he was a man of hi
s word.
FOUR DAYS later, Evan watched his jet take off east, carrying Haven and her suitcases back to Austin. He shook his head. Somehow, they had managed to salvage the trip, but he didn’t feel any better about putting her on that plane and sending her home. He already missed her. Most of the time he was on the set, but she seemed to be coming around to the idea. It was better she never visited the set location. He had to keep her far from Emmy.
He pointed the car onto the freeway. Shooting started in twenty minutes, and he barely had enough time to make it to the studio. He dialed Emmy’s number.
“Hey, babe. Where are you? We’re getting ready to start and I just stopped by your trailer.”
“I’m running a few minutes late. I’m on my way. Cover for me?”
“Of course. See you soon.”
He tossed the phone in the console. Emmy had her moments.
Today they were shooting a hospital scene, so for once he didn’t have to wear his birthday suit to shoot the damn movie. If he could just get through the rest of this, he promised himself he would never do another film like this again. He didn’t care what doors it opened for him. It wasn’t worth the hell he had been through.
He threw the car into park in front of his trailer and rushed out to find the makeup team. Today he would be bandaged and splattered with blood from a motorcycle accident. His character was a real daredevil.
“There you are.” Emmy stepped out from her trailer. “I bought us another twenty minutes and said I had a headache.” She smiled.
“Thanks, Em.” He raced past her. “See you on set.”
“See you.”
There were always strings attached when Emmy did him a favor, but right now, he couldn’t think about that. He needed stitches.
THE HOTEL suite felt like an icebox, exactly how he liked it. He always slept better when it was freezing, but he knew he did his best sleeping with Haven next to him. Tonight would be a toss and turn kind of night. The lights from the Hollywood hills sparkled through the windows, and he crossed the room to close the drapes before flipping on the lights. He was actually done at a decent time today, nine o’clock.