“Don’t know.” Eva crossed her arms and popped out her hip. “She was walking toward the back hallway.”
Hope pulled her lips to the side and glanced toward the door. “I have to film?—”
“Mom. This is important. I…” Eva stopped, and she came in closer, taking Hope’s hand. “I’ve never seen her like this before. It… worries me.”
Hope’s stomach sank. Eva wasn’t one to exaggerate ever, and if she was thinking something was that far off with Angelica, then she must be right. And she’d left filming in the middle of a scene, shortly after Hope had left her, which meant… she hadn’t even been talking to anyone. Unless there was an altercation, but there wouldn’t have been that much time.
“Mom!”
“What?” Hope snapped out of her thoughts.
“Go to her. That’s what you’resupposedto do!” Eva waved her hands from Hope toward the door, as if shooing her out of it.
“Yeah. I’ll go.” Hope held her breath tightly before she blew it out. “Thanks, Eva.”
“Get out.” Eva pushed on her back and shoved her out of the door.
Rishal stood on the other side of it, looking vexing concerned and confused. “She wouldn’t tell me what was wrong.”
“It’s nothing really.” Hope shrugged, trying to keep the situation under control and not let anyone else know just how bad this might be. Because the last thing Angelica would want was for the entire crew to be worried about her. She abhorred that kind of attention. “Thanks for putting up with her eccentricities.”
Eva cleared her throat. “Mom!”
“I’m going!” Hope put her hands up and walked backward down the hall for a few steps before spinning around and walking as quickly as she could without looking as though shewas rushed toward the elevator. Finally out of sight, she jammed her finger into the button multiple times as she waited for the elevator to arrive, but it just seemed to take forever.
When she finally reached the main floor, Hope stepped out and looked around wildly. Crew milled about. The lobby seemed to be full of life, but she knew that looks were deceiving. Rex caught her eye and started toward her. Hope stayed still.
“Where is she?” Hope asked.
Rex shook his head. “I’m not sure. She literally said nothing, just started crying, covered her face, and walked off. What’s going on?”
Hope tensed. She had no idea what was going on. Nothing at all. And she should know. She and Angelica were in a relationship. Everyone would expect her to know what was going through that head of hers, to be the one to smooth things out when there were upsets like this. But that had never been her job before. She was the one who needed cleaning up after, not Angelica.
“I don’t know,” Hope whispered. “We haven’t exactly had a chance to talk, and she’s not exactly someone who pours her heart out every five seconds.”
“Fair.” Rex frowned. “She walked off toward the back.” Rex pointed down the hallway.
“Thanks.” Hope took a step to follow whatever trail she could find of Angelica.
“Hope!” FloRo’s voice echoed through the hallway. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Hope spun around, facing down Florence, anger in her face, cheeks red, and eyes wide. “I’m going to find Ange.”
Florence shook her head. “No, I need you to get back to filming. You’ve already missed most of prep.”
Hope glanced from Florence to Rex, who stepped back and crossed his arms, but he turned slightly toward Hope, and shetook that as a sign that he was in support of whatever decision she made. And that was all Hope needed. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Not this time.
“Do you know what upset Ange so much?” Hope asked, crossing her arms and leaning forward.
“No.” Florence sighed. “She’s been moody lately.”
“Moody.” Hope could have cursed that word to the moon and back. And she would have loved to. “Ange isn’t someone who’s moody, not unless something dramatic and deeply disturbing is happening. You’d know that if you’d been around the last few seasons, but since you weren’t, I’m letting you in on that. Rex can back me up on that one. Hell, anyone who was on set when we were in Vegas can do that.”
“What’s your point, Hope?” Florence raised an eyebrow at her, one that was meant to get her to move along and do as she was told, but Hope wasn’t going to give in.
“I’m going to find out what’s wrong.”
