‘So instead, you lied!’
‘I didn’t lie, I… I said?—’
‘You said you were just trying to improve your image!’
‘I was!’
‘But you didn’t say that you were trying to trick me into appearing on a reality show!Oranythingabout us getting engaged!So this was all fake?It was all a set-up?’
‘No!’ I went to rest my hand on her shoulder and she brushed it off.‘Everything I feel for you is real.I swear.’
‘I told you how important the truth was to me, Jake.You knew how hard it was for me to trust again, but you lied to me and… Wait, are youfilmingthis?’ Halle glared at Wilma who was holding her cell up in her direction.‘This is fucked up!’
Halle sprinted to the front door, opened it then raced outside.
I went to run after her, then stopped.If Wilma was filming, I needed to deal with that footage first before she uploaded it or sent it to God knows who.I had to protect Halle.
‘What the fuck, Wilma!’ I snatched her cell from her hand and stopped the recording.
‘That’s mine!’ Wilma shrieked.‘Give it back!’
I raced into the bathroom, locked the door, then deleted the video.Then I went in the trash and made sure I deleted it from there too.
When I went back in her photo library, I spotted dozens of photos she’d taken of the hotel and most importantly of Halle, so I canned those as well.
Once I was sure every trace of Halle was off Wilma’s phone, I unlocked the door.When I came out, Wilma was in the bedroom, trying to open Halle’s suitcase.
‘What the hell are you doing?’
‘Finding info on your mystery woman.’
‘Get the fuck out of here.Now!’ I grabbed her arm.
‘Get off me!’ Wilma said as I pulled her out of the door.
When I left, I saw one of the groundsmen I’d become friendly with.
‘Brian.Can you call security, please?We’ve got a trespasser.’
‘On it, sir.’ He nodded.
I continued escorting Wilma down the path.
‘You can’t do this!’ she protested.‘And give me back my goddamn cell!’
‘Fuck your cell, and fuck you.’
‘You better speak to me with respect, boy.I’m the key to your future.The production companies will only speak tomeabout this deal.You need me.’
‘The hell I do!You crossed too many lines, Wilma.I might not have my career or a home any more, but do you know what I do have?’
‘You don’t have shit, Jakey boy.Especially without me.’
‘Stop fucking calling me Jakey boy!And you’re wrong.I’m cash poor, yeah.But I’m the richest I’ve ever been because I have love.’
As those words flew from my mouth, I swallowed hard.
Shit.
