I don’t know if I can do this. How am I supposed to keep my distance like this? And Griffin’s face of disapproval keeps flashing into my mind, fueling that nonsensical feeling of guilt.
Why do I feel guilty? This is work, I’m literally just doing my job. And even if I weren’t, why should I feel bad? I’m single. This stupid crush on Griffin doesn’t mean I owe him fidelity or anything.
Although things have been better the last few weeks, I know his perspective on me hasn’t magically changed. Just because he’s not treating me like a teenager anymore doesn’t mean he sees me as anything other than a little sister figure.
I look at myself in the mirror. It’s a weird sight, I’ve got color contacts in to make my eyes match for the role, making both of them a soft hazel. I’m surprised by how much I dislike the sight, though. I’ve always been kind of insecure about my mismatched eyes, so it’s an odd sensation to miss them.
I’m stalling, and I know I’m running out of time, so I give my head a good shake, as if it’s an Etch-a-Sketch I can clear, to start fresh.
I just wish I could figure out some way to do the same with my heart.
Chapter Seven
Rory
Two Days Later
“Well, why can’t you date him?”
“Are you serious? I just gave you a whole list of reasons why that would be a terrible idea!” I exclaim.
“No, you fed me a bunch of bullshit excuses for why you haven’t gone after him already,” Lumi says with a laugh.
I blink, shocked. “Who are you and what have you done with my real best friend?”
“What?” she protests, “You’re the one who’s always telling me to go for it, right? So you’re all talk?”
“This is different, Lu-“
“What? Just because he’s your co-star? Actors hook up with their co-stars all the time!”
“It’s not just that,” I argue, lifting my iced coffee from the cupholder and taking a drink.
“And I already told you, there’s literally no reason that Griffin should be influencing this decision for you. It’s like you said, you’re a grown woman, who cares if he doesn’t like him?”
“That’s not-“ I sigh, “That’s not what’s holding me back, though.”
Lumi glances at me briefly before turning her eyes back to the road. “So what is it?”
“I can’t get Griffin out of my head, either,” I admit.
“Wait, you still have that crush on him?” Lumi sounds surprised, “I thought you got over that years ago, all you’ve done for years is talk about what a killjoy he is.”
“I know,” I groan, “But it just won’t go away. And honestly, Lumi, it’s more than just a crush. A crush I’d be over by now.”
“So why don’t you tell him?”
“Are you out of your mind?” I laugh in disbelief, “He’s been a part of my life so long, he’s like family, he treats me like a little sister. He’d probably be repulsed.”
“You’re not even giving him a chance to respond differently. You’re just assuming,” Lumi counters.
“Because if I do tell him, and I’m right, it’s going to fuck up everything. He’s more than just my manager, Lu,” my throat tightens, “Besides you, he’s my best friend. I don’t know what I would do without him.”
“So what? You’re just going to pine over him forever?”
“I’m not pining!”
“So go out with Phillip,” she counters.
I let out a growl of frustration and Lumi laughs. “You’re just mad because you know I’m right,” she says.
I flip her the bird and she laughs again. But then, her expression softens a little. “But seriously, Ror, it’s not like you’ve never dated anyone else before, and you’ve had these feelings for Griff for years. Why is Phillip off-limits?”
“I know this is going to make me sound awful, but it’s because he’s the first one I’ve ever felt anything this real for,” I admit, “The guys I’ve dated before, yeah, it was fun, but that’s all it ever was. They were boys, they were fun, but Phillip…he’s different. He’s not a ‘boy,’ he’s a man, and I know that sounds cliché and cheesy as fuck, so don’t judge me.”
Lumi shakes her head. “No judgement. I kind of get it, actually,” she admits, and I notice her pale cheeks turning faintly red.
A grin spreads across my face. “You mean Xander Valentine?”
Her face goes redder, and she’s quiet for a long moment. “Partially.”
“Oh, that’s right, I forgot about your little love triangle, how’s that going?” I ask.
“No, no, don’t change the subject now, we’re still on you,” she counters, turning left down the street towards the house where she’s staying.
“What else is there to discuss? I have a thing for unobtainable men. End of story.”
“Oh, that is such bullshi-“ she trails off and her brow furrows.
“What? What is it?” I ask, following her gaze down the road.
“I don’t know, maybe I’m crazy, but that looks like Isabella’s car parked in front of the house. But how the hell would she have found out? I told her and Dad that I was renting an apartment with you across town.”
I see the sleek black luxury sedan in front of the frat house. It sticks out like a sore thumb in this neighborhood, unlike Lumi’s discreet little Honda. “Why would she be here anyway? It’s not like you guys are close.”
“More likely she’s got Dad with her and I’m about to get torn a new one for lying to them,” she sighs.
“Well, you’ve got me with you, maybe we can lie our way out of this. Or, conversely, we flip this bitch and go on the run a la Thelma and Louise.”
She laughs. “Who needs a man when you’ve got a partner in crime, huh?”
“Exactly! No more love issues, no worrying about your psycho stepmom, we’ll just head down to Mexico.”
“And drive off a cliff?”
“No,” I scoff, “We’ll actually make it. It kind of helps that we’re not murderers, though, and we wouldn’t be running from the cops.”
“I almost think I’d rather run from cops than deal with my dad when he’s pissed,” Rory mutters.
I laugh. But despite our jokes, Lumi parks her car behind the other car. The moment she does, the driver’s side door of the black sedan opens and Isabella Pelletier steps out. She looks as out of place in this neighborhood as her car, in expensive designer threads and flashy, blingy jewelry.
It’s weird to think that she’s only a few years older than we are. Something about her gives her this sort of weird, ageless vibe where she could be 20 or she could be 50 somehow. Maybe it’s all the Botox.
I’d been in a movie with her, technically, but it had been a voiceover role, so I’d spent the majority of my time working in a booth by myself. And from everything Lumi’s said, and everything I’ve heard about her from other peers, I dodged a bullet not having to work with her directly.
“Still time to throw this fucker in reverse and run,” I whisper.
Lumi giggles, but unbuckles her seatbelt. “Let’s just get this over with.”
We get out of the car, and to my surprise, Isabella waves eagerly. Lumi approaches, and I’m right on her heels. Maybe with me here, her folks will be less likely to go off on her, to avoid the scene.
“Hi, Isabella, what, uh…what are you doing here?” she asks, peering into the car to see if Isabella is alone.
“Oh, don’t worry, honey, your dad’s not with me,” Isabella says with a high-pitched laugh, “You’re not busted.”
Lumi relaxes a little, but her expression is still guarded, and I don’t blame her. Honey? Honestly?
Now that we’re closer, I notice that the other woman is oddly twitchy. That laugh, and her voice, sound weird and strained, almost manic. Rory hasn’t mentioned a drug problem, but I’m wondering if this chick is on something.
“I just wanted to come by and bring you some of your things that you left at the house, I thought
you might need them,” she says, striding over to the car and pulling a box from the backseat.
“Oh,” Lumi’s eyebrows lift in surprise and she takes the box, “Thank you, that’s so sweet, you could have just had me come get it.”
“Nonsense, it was on my way,” Isabella waves a hand, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to bark out a laugh.
On her way where? I can’t imagine Miss Priss having anything to do in this area of town. It’s plain old suburbia out here.
“And I brought you a little housewarming gift,” she says, reaching into the car again and pulling out a foil-wrapped pie dish.
Since Lumi’s got her hands full, she hands this to me. “Wow, Isabella, thank you,” Lumi says, “You’re…you’re not mad that I lied?”
“Every girl’s got a few secrets, darling,” Isabella says with another of those weird, creepy laughs, “Don’t worry, this one’s just between us,” she winks, “Your dad doesn’t have to know. Just be safe, you know, surrounded by all these boys, you could get yourself into some trouble.”
Lumi’s face turns bright red. “Oh, no, it’s not like that, I-“
Isabella makes that dismissive hand-waving gesture again. “It’s none of my business, sweetheart, you’re young, you should have lots of good-looking young men around you. After all, it’s not like there’s a ring on your finger!” she waggles the massive diamond on her ring finger, making it flash and sparkle in the sunlight, letting out another cackle.
“Right…” Lumi looks a little unnerved, but she composes herself and arranges her features into a smile. “Well, thank you, really, this was so sweet. Do you want to come inside for a drink or anything?” she offers.
Some strange, dark expression passes over Isabella’s face, but it’s gone before I can make any sense of it. “No, no, honey, like I said, I was just passing through, you girls go have fun! But just remember, honey that pie is for you, not your roommates, don’t let them snarf if all before you get any, ok?”
It’s kind of an odd request, and Lumi looks as puzzled by it as I am, but she nods. She shoots me a glance and I simply shrug, not sure what to tell her.
“O-ok, I will, Isabella, thanks.”
“Marvelous. Well, I have to run!” she exclaims, doing that weird little air kiss thing over both of Lumi’s cheeks.
“I’ll see you and Dad this weekend,” Lumi calls as Isabella slips into the driver’s seat of her car.
The smile slips from Isabella’s face momentarily and I see that weird look in her eyes again. But she simply closes the door behind her, and starts the car.
“So, that was weird as fuck,” I whisper.
“No kidding,” Lumi agrees, but as the car pulls away from the curb, she cocks her hip to hold the box and free a hand to wave.
Once she’s down the road, we head inside. Lumi sets the box down and unfolds the flaps. “So what did she bring over?” I ask, setting the pie on the kitchen counter.
“There’s one sock, a bottle of shampoo that’s not even mine, a pair of boots I’d thrown out because they’re too small, and a couple of books. Why did she think this crap was so important?”
“Is she, like, ok? Like, does she have a drug problem or anything?” I ask, “Because she seemed super twitchy and off.”
“Not that I know of,” Lumi says, “But I guess I wouldn’t be shocked.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t eat something she baked if she’s tweaked out on something,” I say, hesitantly lifting a corner of the foil on the pie.
I immediately regret doing so, though, if we’re gonna just throw this out. The sweet fragrances of apples, cinnamon, and clove, invade my senses and my stomach growls.
Lumi snorts. “Please. Isabella, sinking to anything as domestic as baking herself? Fat chance. I’m sure that’s safe, because I’m at least 95% sure she didn’t make it.”
“Well, good, because I’m fucking starving and it smells really good. Want a piece?”
“Just a little one,” she sighs reluctantly, “I’m supposed to be counting calories. They want me to drop ten pounds for the music video for the single.”
I bristle with anger. Lumi has a beautiful figure, curvy and lush in ways I desperately envy.
“Fuck them,” I snarl, rummaging for the silverware drawer, “You don’t need to lose a single pound.”
I find a knife and forks, then start hunting for plates.
“It’s not a huge deal, Ror, you know how it is, sometimes you need to slim down a little for a role, sometimes you have to bulk up, it’s just part of the job.”
“It’s bullshit,” I snap, finding plates and slamming them on the counter.
I cut each of us a massive slice of pie and I see a smile curl the corners of my best friend’s lips. “You are a perfect goddess and you deserve pie. Fuck the calories.”
Lumi shakes her head and laughs. “That’s a true friend right there.”
“You’re damn straight,” I scoop up a forkful of the gooey, messy treat and take a bite.
While I’m scarfing down the pie, I weasel Lumi into finally dishing about the two men currently battling it out for her heart. I’d met them both briefly, and I can’t say I’m surprised that Lumi’s a little torn; they’re both hot as hell.
Just not as hot as Phillip or Griffin.
Lumi picks at her slice while she talks, and when I’m licking the last traces of apple filling from my fork, I’m considering swiping a bite off of hers, too.
But then I turn my head to look and everything sort of swoops unpleasantly, so intense I almost lose my balance.
“Hey, Rory, are you ok?” Lumi asks, “You look kind of pale.”
Sweat beads on my forehead and my stomach roils. I don’t dare speak for fear that if I open my mouth, I might puke. “Water,” I grit out.
Lumi rushes to get me a glass, and I hurriedly take a gulp, but even that single swallow makes my churning stomach lurch.
“Rory, are you ok?” she asks again, “What’s wrong?”
“Lumi,” I sway on my feet, that dizzy, unpleasant sensation making my head spin and my ears ring, “I don’t feel so good…” my vision swims in front of my eyes.
I stagger, and while I try and grip the counter to keep myself on my feet, my legs wobble beneath me and I can feel myself going down.
“Rory? Rory!” I can hear Lumi screaming, and it’s the last thing I register before everything goes black.
Chapter Eight
Phillip
“Hemlock? What the fuck is that?” I demand.
“It’s a plant,” Cody replies, “Related to wild carrot or something, I think, except super poisonous.”
“How the fuck did she end up eating it?” I ask in disbelief.
I’m still reeling. I’d been woken up early this morning by a phone call from the director, telling me that our filming schedule was off for the time being because Rory was in the hospital.
I’d booked a plane ticket before I could find my shoes.
And now I was sitting in a waiting room with a frat guy I’ve never met. The kid, Cody, was the one who had found Aurora and Lumi, and he was filling me in on the details. He’d been upstairs, heard a scream, and when he came down, Lumi was out cold and convulsing, and Rory was on the verge of passing out.
“I didn’t see any of it, I’m just kind of piecing this together from shit I’ve heard from Orion and Xander,” he warns, “So I might be wrong, but from what I gathered, it was in an apple pie.”
“Wait…” I’d been under the impression that this was some sort of stupid mishap, but now I’m wondering: “So this was deliberate? Someone put some poisonous shit into an apple pie?”
Cody nods. “Lumi’s stepmom.”
My jaw drops. “You’re fucking kidding.”
“No, there was a detective sniffing around earlier when Lumi woke up and everything. Her dad was here, too, and he went absolutely apeshit when he found out. He’s already been on the phone with a lawyer about a divorce, and they haven�
�t even found her yet.”
“I don’t fucking blame him,” I mutter, “If my wife tried to poison my kid, I think I’d be ready to call it quits.”
“Yeah,” Cody nods in agreement, “It’s wild as fuck. Like, it sounds like something out of a movie, it doesn’t sound real. It makes Isabella seem like some kind of fairytale witch or something, using some random crazy plant to try to kill her stepdaughter.”
The door swings open and I look up, my heart racing, hoping it’s a doctor or something here with some good news. But the figure that walks through the door is a familiar one. Aurora’s manager. His face is solemn to begin with, but it curls into an outward scowl when he sees me.
It’s pretty plain to see the guy’s got a thing for her, which is why he hates my guts. The way he looks at her? It’s like she hung the moon.
Not that I blame him. I still can’t figure out if I made a brilliant decision or a horrible mistake in auditioning for this movie with her, because while I’m enjoying every minute I spend with her, trying to resist the temptation with her around me all the time is torture.
I want to make a move, but I’ve held back for some reason. Normally I don’t hesitate with a woman I’m into, but there’s just something different about Aurora. She’s worth waiting for.
“How is she?” Cody asks immediately.
“It’s still iffy,” he sighs, some of the anger ebbing out of his face, “They said it doesn’t look like there was significant organ damage, but she’s still comatose. But she’s been breathing on her own the whole time, and the doctor says that’s a really good sign.”
There are dark circles beneath his blue eyes and stubble sprouts on his jaw. He looks exhausted, and I can see the worry lines etched into his skin. “When will she wake up?” Cody asks.
“They don’t know,” Griffin says, and I can’t miss the pain in his eyes, “Could be tomorrow, could be…” his face twists into a grimace, and I feel like I’m gonna be sick.
“Oh.” Cody’s voice is tiny, “I’m so sorry. I only met her briefly when she was at the house, but I mean…” he stumbles over his words, “I don’t know what I’m trying to say, all I know is that I hope she’s ok.”
Dangerous Dreams Page 4