His lower lip trembled. “Ma, it’s me, Aidan. I’m here for you. You’re gonna get well. I’m gonna get you out of here.”
Her eyebrows furrowed.
Aidan swallowed hard. She didn’t believe him.
“Ma, I’m sorry. I’m so goddamn sorry. I should’ve tried harder. I failed you.” Aidan leaned over the bed and hugged her, tears streaming down his face. “Don’t die. Please don’t die. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.” A strangled cry escaped his throat as he tightened his embrace.
“Stop!” Her voice sounded nothing like her. “Please, stop, Aidan!”
“What?” The hospital gown muffled his reply.
“Aidan.”
He sniffled. “Mother?”
“Aidan.”
“Aidan!”
“Aidan!”
Aidan heard what sounded like a hundred people calling his name in rapid succession all around him. He covered his ears with his hands and squeezed his eyes shut, desperate to block out the dreadful noise. Someone grabbed him from behind and ripped him away from the bed.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” He writhed against his restraints with all of the strength he could muster. “My mother—I have to save my mother!”
Aidan fell to his knees again, hoarsely shouting for his release. He was about to punch his captor when he felt a slap across his cheek, followed by a sharp sting as his lower lip caught between his teeth. The blurred scene before him moved up and down like he was riding on an out of control teeter-totter.
When his vision cleared, he saw Preston staring down at him, his eyebrows drawn.
Aidan’s captor released him. He straightened his jacket and touched his throbbing bottom lip. When he pulled his hand back, his fingers were smeared with blood.
“Keep that crazy maniac away from my son!” Mr. Rooney yelled from the perimeter of the set.
Mrs. Rooney stood next to her husband, hugging Richard and crying hysterically.
Aidan bent over the unoccupied bed and skimmed his hands across the crumpled sheets. Panicked, he looked at Preston. “She was here. I swear, Pres, she was here!”
The director tilted his head inquisitively. “Who was here, Aidan?”
“My moth—”
Aidan looked at the empty bed again and then down at his clothes. Blood dotted his white T-shirt.
The last few minutes rushed back to him.
“Please, stop, Aidan!”
“You get that crazy maniac away from my son.”
He realized his mother had never been in the hospital bed. It was Richard, and they had been on the Spike Rollins set the entire time.
Aidan shakily rose to his feet. The crew stared at him in stunned silence. As he walked around the bed toward the Rooney family, someone grabbed his arm.
“Not so fast, son.”
Aidan looked over his shoulder. A Starlight Studios security guard stood behind him.
“You best keep your distance from them, young man,” he said, a no-nonsense expression stamped across on his face. “Don’t make me restrain you again.”
Aidan hung his head.
A wide-eyed Richard huddled in his mother’s embrace. “It’s all right, Aidan. I forgive you.”
Aidan mustered a weak smile. “Thanks, buddy, I didn’t mean––”
“No, it’s not all right!” Mrs. Rooney placed her hand over her son’s face, partially shielding his eyes.
Guilt shadowed Aidan’s face. He didn’t blame Richard’s mother. He was a monster, not a hero. He should’ve known better than to think he could handle this role.
“Aidan Evans, you will never work in this town again, do you hear me?” Mr. Rooney pointed at him accusingly. “Mrs. Rooney and I are going straight to Mr. Mertz and you will be fired from this picture!”
Preston caught Aidan’s dejected gaze. “Listen, you’ve had a long morning. How about we call it a day?”
Aidan raked his hand through his hair. “Pres, man, it won’t happen again, I swear. I know I messed up, but––”
Preston hushed him. “It’s all right. Why don’t you go home and I’ll come by later and we can talk.”
Aidan scanned the soundstage. The cast and crew looked at him in the same way he looked at himself every time he caught his reflection in the mirror over the last thirteen years––the same way his father looked at him following his mother’s death: with disappointment and pity.
With his gaze to the floor, he removed Spike’s red windbreaker and dropped it onto the bed. He wasn’t as tough as Spike, nor could he save anyone’s life, so he didn’t deserve to wear the jacket. In fact, he felt he didn’t deserve to play Spike at all.
The crew parted, creating a path for him to the door. He kept his eyes down as he walked across the silent soundstage, realizing he probably wouldn’t return. As he opened the exit door, whispers erupted behind him. He could imagine how satisfied Mr. Mertz was going to be after the Rooneys shared what happened. Mertz hated him already and he just gave the studio boss the biggest reason of all to fire him and send him back to New York. He felt bad that he let Preston down after the director fought so hard to secure him in the role.
Faced with the reality of leaving Hollywood, Aidan came to the conclusion that he had a lot more to learn about Method acting and New York was where he belonged. His absence from the Actors Studio and the guidance of Strasberg and Kazan was doing him no good. Without them, he had a hard time controlling his emotions.
Mr. Mertz firing him from Spike Rollins was the least of his worries, though. The fact that he lost touch with reality really scared him. He’d had nightmares and flashbacks before, but he’d never completely lost it like he did today. He couldn’t believe he actually thought Richard was his mother.
Aidan knew the hospital set was the trigger. The last time he visited a hospital, he was kneeling at his mother’s bedside and begging her not to stop fighting for her life, even though the doctors told him her injuries were fatal.
Aidan recalled his father watching him from the doorway of her hospital room, dressed in his white lab coat, a stethoscope draped over the back of his neck. Dr. Evans didn’t console his son or cry over his battered wife. He merely stood and watched them, stone-faced and motionless. His apathy continued for years after her death.
As Aidan bolted from the soundstage, he felt like screaming. Desperate for a distraction, he shoved aside the sad memories from his childhood and focused on Beth. Although he’d told himself previously that he wouldn’t search for her, he couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing her once more before he left Hollywood for good.
He checked his watch. It was twelve thirty. He wondered if she was at the commissary. She wasn’t there yesterday, but he figured it was worth stopping by before he left the studio grounds, just in case. With renewed determination, he broke into a sprint and headed toward the other end of the lot.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Beth glanced at the commissary clock and reluctantly rose from her chair. She needed to leave now to make her meeting with Mr. Mertz on time. As she picked up her purse, she heard a collective gasp, followed by a fury of whispers. When she spotted a disheveled-looking Aidan standing near the entrance, her hand flew to her mouth. Her panic subsided, though, with the rationale that Spike Rollins was a member of a gang and Aidan was obviously in character for the role.
Beth walked toward him, planning to say hello on her way out. She hoped he wouldn’t think her quick departure was rude. To her delight, Aidan stood still after he saw her heading toward him. She cast her eyes to the floor, her heart racing as she anticipated their reunion. Stopping before him, she looked up and gasped.
Blood smeared across his face and white T-shirt, and now that she was close to him, she no longer felt certain it was fake. Upon further inspection, she determined his swollen lip and the welt on his right cheek looked much too realistic to have been created using makeup.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she met his tremulous gaze. She reached out and cupped his
sore cheek in her hand, brushing her thumb along his stubbly jaw. The room fell silent, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was Aidan. It was the two of them against the world.
Aidan squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head to her opened hand, resting his lips against her palm, his expression cloaked in anguish. Beth didn’t really know him, yet as he stood before her now, looking bruised, bloody, and broken, she vowed to do whatever it took to save him from his sorrow.
“What happened?” she asked softly.
Aidan winced and pulled back, breaking all physical contact with her.
The profound emotional connection Beth felt between them did not wane.
“What happened?” she repeated hoarsely.
He averted his gaze.
She choked back a sob. “Please tell me.”
“Aidan.”
He turned around at the sound of his name.
Beth focused behind him. Nathan stood near the door, looking calm and sympathetic. He and Aidan shared a silent exchange.
“Beth, I think you should go,” Nathan said before she could inquire further. “You don’t want to be late for your meeting.”
She looked at Aidan, hoping he didn’t want her to leave, too.
His eyes darted to the floor, his expression cold and unforgiving. “It’s best for you to go.”
Her heart squeezed. She could help him, if he would only trust her.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” she said in a last attempt to break through the wall he’d re-constructed around him.
Aidan cringed. “Please, just go.”
“But––”
Nathan held up his hand to stop her.
Beth brushed the tears from her eyes and pressed her lips together in a hard line. If there was one thing she’d learned since signing with Starlight Studios, it was that nothing stayed a secret around here for long. She felt confident she would find out what happened eventually, even without their co-operation.
She glared at the two of them. “Fine.”
Squaring her shoulders, she charged out of the commissary. On her way across the studio backlot, memories from her earlier conversation with Nathan hit her. Now, not only was she concerned about Aidan, but she also felt worried about her meeting. She hoped this day wouldn’t get any worse, but she wouldn’t know until after she exited Mr. Mertz’s office.
***
Aidan stood outside the commissary, watching Nathan drive away. He patted the back pockets of his jeans and cursed. No cigarettes.
Preston had called Nathan after the incident on set. Now Nathan was returning to his office to join the director and Richard’s parents for an emergency meeting about Aidan’s fate on the picture. They would then relay the information to Mr. Mertz.
Nathan told Aidan things weren’t looking good, but he would do all he could to fix the situation. Apparently, Preston didn’t want Mr. Mertz to fire him, but his mishap was so troubling that even with both men vouching for him, his future on the film was uncertain.
Aidan was grateful the two of them were on his side, even though he didn’t believe he deserved their total confidence. The thought that maybe he really was dangerous made his stomach churn. The last thing he wanted was for Nathan and Preston to get him reinstated on the picture, only to end up being a safety liability to everyone around him. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he lost their respect.
Or Beth’s …
When Beth walked up to Aidan in the commissary, he didn’t feel like a failure. It wasn’t until she cradled his battered face in her soft hand, her expression full of innocence and kindness, that his elation shifted to guilt and he forced himself to pull away from her. He felt it was wrong for him to dump his misery and problems on such a wonderful young woman who had everything going for her, especially when she barely knew him.
As she left the commissary, Aidan wanted nothing more than to run after her. As much as he felt his departure was best for everyone, he didn’t look forward to leaving her or his film behind—not like he would have a choice in the matter once Mr. Mertz got wind of what happened this morning.
Nathan didn’t know the specifics of why Aidan broke down. After Beth took off, all Aidan told his friend was that he lost touch with reality because he was too caught up in his character. Thankfully, Nathan seemed satisfied with the explanation.
As somewhat of a consolation for his behavior in the commissary, Aidan asked Nathan to explain to Beth what truly happened on set on his behalf. He didn’t want her believing any of the rumors about him that were sure to circulate around the studio once the news got out, regardless of the fact he would probably never see her again.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The image of Aidan looking fraught and wounded in the commissary haunted Beth as she made her way to Mr. Mertz’s office. Ethel greeted her upon her arrival and told her she could go right in. The first person Beth saw when she stepped inside the office was Will, who was supposedly required on set all day. After Nathan’s cryptic warning, she knew she had to keep her guard up.
She forced a smile. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.”
Will’s wide grin worried her further. “Hi, Beth.”
“Sit down, Miss Sutton,” Mr. Mertz instructed.
Beth walked to the only vacant chair in front of her boss’s desk. She sat down, crossed her legs, and placed her purse on her lap, making sure to look Mr. Mertz directly in the eye.
“Miss Sutton, I watched the rushes for Sparkling Meadow and was extremely impressed with your performance.” Mr. Mertz’s expression contradicted the praise that spilled from his lips.
Beth’s eyes brightened with relief. “Why, thank you, sir. I felt I brought a lot of myself to the character and––”
Mr. Mertz silenced her with a vague wave of his hand. “I was most impressed with the onscreen chemistry between you and Mr. Everett, especially during the kissing scene in the barn.”
Beth blushed, recalling the real reason why their kiss was so passionate and looked so believable. Her stomach twisted as she wondered what Aidan was doing right now and if he was all right.
“Yes, sir, Beth and I make quite the team, don’t we?” Will’s boastful remark brought her attention back to the matter at hand.
“You are correct, Mr. Everett, hence my reason for calling you both into this meeting.” Mr. Mertz folded his hands on his desk and leaned forward. “Mr. Everett, Miss Sutton, I have a proposition for you both.”
“Anything, Mr. Mertz!” Will said.
“I propose an engagement.”
Beth blanched.
“After watching the dailies, I’m certain Sparkling Meadow will be a huge success,” Mr. Mertz explained. “I’ve been in this business for many years and know a golden Hollywood couple when I see one.” He focused his black eyes on Beth. “Miss Sutton, with your girl-next-door image, and Mr. Everett’s boyish charm, you two are the perfect match. Imagine the public’s elation when they find out that love spawned between not only Max and Claire, but also the two stars playing them. The American people won’t be able to get enough, which will result in high ticket sales when the film opens.”
Mr. Mertz leaned back in his chair, awaiting their responses.
“I, uh, don’t know what to say,” Beth replied. She was horrified by her boss’s proposition, but didn’t know how to phrase her true feelings so he wouldn’t be cross with her.
“Of course, the studio will compensate you both for your participation,” Mr. Mertz added, as if that made any difference. Beth’s parents raised her with the strict belief that marriage occurred between two people who loved each other. It was not a business transaction.
“How much?” Will asked.
Beth gaped at him.
“Ten thousand dollars each,” Mr. Mertz replied. “And the studio will pay for an extravagant wedding, complete with a guest list full of my most prominent players. Furthermore, your engagement party, wedding ceremony, and honeymoon will be featured in every major newspaper and magazi
ne across the country, with you two as the cover stars.”
Beth placed her hand to her churning stomach.
“We’ll do it.” Will turned to her and winked. “What do you say, wifey?”
Beth looked at him in disbelief. Ten thousand dollars was an outrageous sum, but this deal in itself was ludicrous. She was not for sale, not for any amount of money.
Mr. Mertz’s malicious grin made her skin crawl. “Good then, it’s settled. I’ll have an engagement ring picked out right away and––”
“No,” Beth whispered, following Nathan’s advice.
Mr. Mertz frowned. “What do you mean, no? You want to pick out your own ring?”
Her face grew red. “No, I mean I’m not interested in your proposition, sir.” She looked to her lap, awaiting the backlash she knew would follow.
“Beth, are you insane?” Will replied. “Mr. Mertz is offering us ten thousand dollars each. That’s a very generous sum, especially for you, considering you haven’t worked here for very long.”
Beth met Mr. Mertz’s glare.
“It will only last for a few years,” Will continued. “You know how these things go. The public will lose interest, and then we can announce a divorce. It happens with celebrity couples all the time. During our marriage, we can always have relationships on the side, since the entire thing is a sham anyway. It’s a win-win situation, really.”
Beth couldn’t believe his twisted rationale.
“Mr. Everett is correct, Miss Sutton.” Mr. Mertz’s lips curled into a sneer. “This is a very generous offer and you would be very foolish to turn it down.”
Beth cleared her throat. “I understand, sir, and I’m very gracious you’ve presented me with this, uh, wonderful opportunity, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable marrying Will. I don’t love him.”
Mr. Mertz and Will chuckled.
“Love?” Her boss sputtered the word through his laughter. “Who said anything about love? This proposal is strictly business-related.”
Will composed himself enough to add in his two cents. “Yeah, Beth, don’t be ridiculous.”
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