Quinn scooted her seat closer to the table. “I have to hear this!”
Harlow chuckled and began her story. “Well we both had cameos on this low budget TV show. We were only—what—sixteen at the time? Well Chase gets this bright idea to get drunk at the hotel after filming…. ”
An hour later, we left the restaurant. Quinn was in a great mood, and the girls had gotten along great. The fans had gotten tired after a few minutes and stopped taking pictures, and Randall had kept people from bothering us.
“Well?”
“I loved her,” Quinn said, the smile hadn’t left her face. Harlow had already left for a photo-shoot. “Do you think those pictures are gonna be online?”
“I know they will, but Harlow was at the table as well. I doubt anyone will think anything of it. It didn’t look like a date.”
“Good.”
“But if it does, we will take it as it comes. Not to worry.”
As we made our way to the car, Quinn kept eyeing the water.
“Wait.” She put a hand out to stop me.
“Yes?”
“I want…can we take a walk on the beach?”
I nodded, unsure of where she was going with this. Quinn hated the water, why would she offer to go down to the beach? I took her hand in mine and she led me through the hot sand towards her greatest fear.
Quinn
I wanted freedom. I wanted to choose my own future, and as good as this day had been going, there was no better time to swim in the ocean. I hadn’t planned it or even thought about it. It was an impulse decision as we left our brunch with Harlow. One look at the water, and I knew it was time.
“I can’t breathe,” I told Chase, he responded by squeezing my hand tighter. I closed my eyes and focused on taking small breaths. I did this before, with him by my side. I could do it again.
“You don’t have to do this now.”
“I used to love the ocean,” I admitted. From the look on his face, I could tell that he was shocked.
“I just assumed…”
“I know, but once upon a time, when my parent’s and I were closer, we would go to the beach every year. I loved everything about it. I especially loved the smell of the salt and ocean fizz.” I took a deep breath of the salty air. Yup, it was still the same.
The beach was practically empty except for a handful of birds. The waves crashed against the rocks over and over again. I closed my eyes and inhaled as my hair flapped across my face. Something pulled me toward the shore. I wanted so badly to get past the hurt, and I wanted to see if I could do it.
I can do it. I can do it.
Without hesitating, I walked up to the water. Further and further. Deeper and deeper. The entire time Chase stood at my side, letting me do my thing. My anxiety almost took over, but just as I began to panic, calm washed over me. It was a feeling of newfound strength and hope.
“Six months,” I told him. “Six months after the accident I gave up.”
As I talked about the suicide for the first time, I wondered why I hadn’t told him before. I’d only discussed the situation with doctors.
“Were you scared?”
“Not at first.” The waves came up to my hips, and I struggled to stand strong in the sand as the water pushed at me. After a few mishaps of almost falling, Chase took a step closer to me. With both hands on my hips, he held me in place.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered near my ear. I felt lighter, and I took a deep breath as Chase held me in place. He gave me strength, made me stronger.
“Could you tell me about that day?” He had never asked before, and I was afraid he’d think less of me if he knew the details. I bit my lip nervously.
“You promise not to ever bring it up?”
“I’ll never bring it up again.”
I hadn’t talked about it in so long. In therapy they made me analyze each part of that day. I talked about it till I was blue in the face. Where did I start? My downfall began the night Bash died.
“I used to visit that bridge every day. You know, stand on the edge, and peer into the murky water. The dreams came frequently back then, nightly. It got to the point where I wouldn’t sleep. I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, Bash was there.”
I closed my eyes and imagined the old rusty bridge that ran along the outside of town. The image was etched into my mind.
“My parents fought all the time. My friends, all of them, believed I killed Bash. People said I drove the car off the bridge. Some said I left Bash to die and saved myself. Whatever the reason, I didn’t know. I couldn’t piece together that night. Sometimes I would get a glimpse of something that happened, but I could never tell if it was real or if it was a dream. I wanted to know. I needed to know what happened. There were times I’d convinced myself that a certain memory was just a figment of my imagination.”
“You did nothing wrong.” Chase wrapped his arms around me tighter to make me feel more secure.
“I sat at that bridge. I thought I could remember what happened. I wanted to prove to myself that I didn’t kill Bash. Everyone else seemed so certain that I had. I decided to recreate the accident so I drove my car off the side and just sat there as the water filled the car.”
I shook my head because it seemed so childish now. A stupid idea to begin with, but I hadn’t been thinking clearly. I’d been distraught with guilt, pain, and loneliness.
“I just sat there, without a care in the world... At the last moment, I changed my mind. I got scared, but it was too late. I couldn’t get out in time. I remember the pain as I inhaled all the water….the struggle to breathe. Some guy drove by and pulled me from the car. My heart stopped but he gave me mouth to mouth until the ambulance came. And when I woke up, I knew that I was being given a second chance. I focused on getting better. I focused on forgetting the past. I focused on getting away.”
“You lived for this moment right here. You, me, and our child…” He securely placed his hand on my stomach.
Yes, I survived twice for a reason, but I could never figure out the reason. He was right. I was a fighter, and my life had purpose now. I wasn’t living for the next day, I was living for now. I wasn’t living to forget. I lived to remember. I stood strong in the water that I’d avoided for so long now. My feet planted firmly in the sand with Chase behind me so that the current couldn’t knock me down.
Chase
After we left the beach, we made our way over to Barrett’s house in Brentwood for an impromptu party.
“Do we have to come here?” Quinn complained as I pulled her from my car toward Barrett’s mansion.
“They wanted us to come over. Be nice.”
“Holy crap, how many houses does Barrett have?” she exclaimed while looking up at the large two story home.
“This is just one of many, Quinn. His parents are loaded.” I clasped her hand tightly in mine and led her up the walkway toward the door made out of iron and glass. Instead of knocking, I walked right in like I normally did.
“Surprise!”
Everyone jumped out from behind sofas, bookshelves, and hallways. Quinn gave me a sly look before laughing. From the looks of all the pink and blue streamers, this was a baby-themed party.
“What is this?” she asked.
“It is a party!” Ginger said stepping over with a huge blue crown. “A gender reveal party!” She placed it on Quinn’s head and took a picture with her camera. Quinn looked around nervously at the small group of about a dozen people crowded around her with party hats and confetti. Harlow, Barrett, Tucker, and a handful of onset acquaintances stood nearby.
“Quinn, this is Tucker,” I said.
Tucker reached out to give her a hug.
“Chase never mentioned how hot you were,” he teased.
“I didn’t realize Chase had mentioned me at all,” Quinn said between gritted teeth. She looked up at me, and I shrugged. There were only about five cast members of Timelines. The rest were directors and stage members. I trusted them all no
t to say anything, but it was clear that Quinn didn’t feel the same way.
“Ginger, we need to talk.” Quinn grabbed both my hand and Ginger’s and pulled us into the adjoining kitchen.
“Ginger, what is this?”
“I felt bad for the other night, so I threw together a party. Surprise!” She threw her hands in the air and struck a sexy pose. I laughed until I caught Quinn glaring at me.
“Ginger, I don’t know these people, and I sure as hell don’t want them to know I’m having a baby…with Chase!”
Frankly, I was relieved to be able to share this secret.
“Calm down, Quinn. I know these people. They all have secrets, and I trust them not to say anything. We’re planning on telling people here in a few weeks anyway.” I put an arm out to her shoulder.
“You’re right, and we should be the ones to tell friends, not through a press release.” She took a deep breath and leaned against me. Well, that was easy.
Ginger put her hands on Quinn’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I thought people were finding out. Your mom knows, and Harlow told me that you told her…”
“Come on, dear,” I told Quinn, pressing my mouth against the top of her head. “Let’s go mingle.”
We made our way back into the large sitting room where everyone stood with glasses of champagne.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us you were expecting!” a few people said, giving me a pat on the back as I walked past.
“Announcement!” I took a glass off a nearby table and raised it in the air.
“As many of you may have figured out by now, Quinn and I are having a baby. I would appreciate your discretion until we have made an official announcement, and I tell my publicist because God knows she will kill me.”
There was a slight chuckle in the room since many of them know how controlling Rhea could be.
“To new lives, new babies, and new movies.” Everyone raised a glass and the sound of crystal clinking rang through the room.
Barrett came up to Quinn and threw a lazy arm around her.
“Ginger told me months ago though I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone. And I didn’t. I kept your little secret. Aren’t you proud of me? I think a kiss will be thank you enough.”
My fists tightened in jealousy. Barrett was joking, but a protective streak still overcame my senses. I opened my mouth to say something, but Ginger beat me to it.
“She’s my cousin, Barrett. Have some respect.” She pushed Barrett off Quinn, almost knocking her over in the process.
“Easy now!” I yelled out, reaching out to steady her.
“Sorry.” Ginger mumbled before giving us a fake smile. I glared at them bickering quietly among themselves and pulled Quinn toward a table with food on it.
“Are you okay? I had no idea about the party, I swear. Barrett said we’d just be hanging out, the four of us.”
“No, it’s fine. We agreed that we were gonna start telling people. I just didn’t think it would be like this. I figured it would be a bunch of phone calls and text messages.”
“Your family knows.”
“I don’t think they care. My mom did nothing but blame me and then started in on Ginger.”
“My mom will be excited though.”
She nodded.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the couple of the hour.”
I knew that voice, and as Quinn spun around to see who was talking I groaned. Lena. She stood there with her black hair falling across her tattoo covered shoulders. She used her tongue to twist her lip ring as she took in Quinn.
“Hi, I’m Quinn.”
Lena rolled her eyes at Quinn’s outstretched hand.
“So you’re the new girl.”
“Lena….” I warned. Quinn’s eyes widened when she recognized the name. I couldn’t have Quinn getting stressed out, and Lena didn’t look to happy to see me. She was still a little pissed at me for not returning her calls or messages.
“Lena?”
Lena looked Quinn up and down slowly, distaste showed clearly in her eyes. Who had invited her? I knew for a fact that she and Ginger didn’t get along.
“Who invited you, Lena?”
“I’m here with Tucker,” she stated while looking down at her black painted nails. I glared at Tucker, who only shrugged.
“Good luck with that,” I mumbled. I could feel the tension in the room rise as I tried to pull Quinn away from Lena before Lena got even more catty.
“Couldn’t convince her to get rid of it? That’s too bad,” she yelled out. An eerie silence filled the room; everyone stopped what they were doing to watch Quinn’s reaction.
“Oh. Hell. No,” Quinn said, drawing out each word slowly. She turned around poked a finger into Lena’s chest. “Don’t you ever talk about my child that way.”
“We all know exactly who you are; some gold-digger who successfully knocked herself up and landed herself a movie star baby daddy.
Quinn dropped her finger, and I saw her confidence begin to waiver. “You stupid bitch!”
I jumped in between the two girls as Lena opened her mouth to retaliate.
“Get her out of here,” I said to Barrett, nodding my head towards Lena. Barrett reached for Lena’s arm, but she stepped out of his reach.
“Don’t touch me! You’re all thinking the same thing. I was the only one with the guts to say it!”
“Get the hell out of here!” Ginger pointed toward the door and watched Lena stomp out.
I looked around at my friends who all stood silently with that gossipy look on their faces. I suddenly felt uneasy entrusting them with this part of my life.
Quinn’s eyes scanned the room, uneasy with being the center of their attention. I sensed that she was about to have a breakdown in front of everyone so I bent down and spoke into her ear.
“Calmly walk to your left. There is a bedroom at the end of the hall.”
She held her head high as she walked through the crowd with me at her heels.
“What is everyone staring at?” I heard Ginger yell from behind us. “This is a fuckin’ party, so party!”
When we made it into the bedroom, I shut the door behind us. Quinn faced the other way, but I could tell from the way her shoulders were shaking, she was upset.
“Are you sure you can handle this?”
She nodded, but still wouldn’t turn to look at me.
“Because,” I persisted, “this won’t be the worst thing someone will say about you. Girls will be jealous that I’m off the market. I need to know you can take this.”
“I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting all of this today. Can you leave me alone, please?”
I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to hold her, but something in the way she stood told me that she needed some space.
I silently left the room and made it out to all of my friends who were chattering again.
“Lena is crazy,” Tucker said when I appeared.
“Damn straight.”
“Will Quinn be okay?”
“I hope so.”
Quinn
“Quinn, Quinn,” the voice just wouldn’t stop. I groaned and tried to turn over on my stomach.
“Quinn. You need to see this. It’s all over the gossip websites.” It was Ginger. Why was she bothering me? It had taken me forever to get to sleep after that disaster of a party she had thrown yesterday.
I put my head under my pillow and said, “I told you to stop reading those. You shouldn’t care about those liars.”
“It’s about you,” she told me. Her words made me sit straight up in my bed. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to look at her to see how serious she was.
“What?”
“They have a picture of you and Chase kissing at some restaurant, they don’t know who you are yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”
My heart thudded against my ribcage and my breath caught in my throat. I knew this would happen eventually. Tears threatened to spill but I blinked them back.
“Show me,”
I demanded.
She grabbed her laptop and sat next to me on my bed. Sure enough, there on the front of the website was a picture of Chase and me leaving the doctor’s office after our appointment that morning, then us kissing on our first date, having lunch with Harlow, and then a picture of us driving in the car. How did they get all these? I cried out when I saw the photo right below mine. It was of Chase and his blonde co-star. They were holding food in their hands and she was all up on him. The headline read:
“Chase Crowley Cheats on Chloe James with Pregnant Mystery Girl.”
The article didn’t state my name, and the picture wasn’t even that close up, but it made me look like the other woman. They would soon know who I was, and then I would look even worse. I needed to talk to Chase and fast. Why was there a picture of them looking so cozy?
I should have stopped at the article, but I didn’t. The comments were hateful, with people stating how ugly or horrible I was for being the other woman. Even though no one knew it was me, it still cut just as deep. I scrolled down the bottom where it listed related articles about Chase. I gasped when I read the headlines. I’d known that Chase had a reputation in Hollywood, but I never actually sat down to read what the tabloids said about him.
Once the floodgates were open, I couldn’t stop. Chase got around. He left a trail of broken hearts behind him and was spotted out in LA clubs almost every night. Dozens of pictures were of him and that Lena girl partying. After looking at a few photos with him dancing up on her, I slammed the laptop shut and laid back on my bed crying.
“A lot of it is made up,” Ginger said trying to console me. I knew that, but it didn’t change the fact that it was all there for the whole world to see. I don’t know why, but other people’s view of him bothered me.
“How long before they figure out who I am?” I asked her.
“A few days, if we are lucky. The media almost ate you alive last time, but that was local news. These types of reporters won’t be as nice.”
The Last Thing Page 19