“Right, when what actually happened was a scheduling conflict,” I chime in. “They would have needed me in Vancouver a month before I was finished shooting a movie in Toronto.”
“But the two of you have never made any public comments about the veracity of the rivalry,” Samira says. “Why is that?”
Selma opens her mouth, closes it, and looks at me. I nod for her to go on. “It wouldn’t have helped,” she says. “People will believe what they want to believe. Our supposed feud may make headlines whenever we’re within a hundred feet of each other, but it’s never really bothered us since we knew it wasn’t true.”
Samira looks at me as if for confirmation.
“She’s right. Whenever I saw the headlines, it kind of just made me laugh and roll my eyes. Iamglad we have the chance to rectify it now and put the ridiculous rumors to rest, though.”
“Josslyn, you said you and Selma Melissa were basically only acquaintances until a few days ago,” Samira says. “What happened then?”
“When we all officially signed on forFinding Usand the Pascal sisters agreed to film in Honeywell, I invited Selma and Natalie up here for a few days. We won’t start filming for another month or so, but I wanted to spend some time with them, and I wanted them to get a feel for the town.”
“Can I just say the idea of the three of you doing a movie together makes mebeyondhappy?” Samira says. “Natalie, I don’t want you to feel left out of this conversation, so do you want to tell us what this movie is about?”
“Gladly!” Natalie sits up straighter, crossing one long leg over the other and clasping her hands in her lap. She’s practically glowing now that it’s her turn to be in the spotlight.
And I…well, I have to stop myself from letting out an audible sigh of relief as I lean back on the couch. The hard part is over. Now I can stop spilling my private business to the world and we can talk about the movie and Honeywell.
I’m not entirely sure if I hope Liam is watching the interview or not. Confessing my feelings for him on live TV wouldn’t have been my first choice for how I’d tell him I love him, but it’s out there now. I may have initially wanted a no-strings-attached holiday, but those strings grew until they sprouted roots. I just have to hope he feels the same way and we can turn our fling into something more permanent.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The phone calls start before we’ve even finished filming the interview. By the time Mae hands over our purses, which she locked in the back room, I have forty-seven missed calls and a mountain of texts, mostly from numbers I don’t recognize. I don’t even bother checking my voicemail; there’s only one person I’m interested in hearing from, and I don’t see Liam’s number among the seemingly endless list of missed calls.
After saying our thank-yous and goodbyes to Samira and the crew, Mae insists on making lunch for Nat, Selma, and me. While we eat, Natalie and Selma decide they want to spend the day touring Honeywell. Nat says something about acquainting themselves with the town through immersion. When I tell them I’d like to go home for a bit, they don’t have time to voice their displeasure before Mae jumps in and offers to be their tour guide.
“Those production people paid me more to rent the café for a couple of hours than I’d make if I opened now, so I might as well play hooky the rest of the day,” she says. I mouth ‘thank you’ as Nat and Selma start talking about what they want to see and do, and Mae shoots me a wink.
“Are you sure you won’t come with us?” Natalie asks a while later when we’re about to part ways. “Selma and I are leaving tonight.”
“I promise to meet up with you later,” I tell her. “A month away from the spotlight has made me soft. I need an hour or two to recover from the crash that comes after an adrenaline rush.”
Much to my surprise, Nat lets me go without a fight. Back at the house, I light a fire in the living room fireplace, plug in the Christmas tree lights, and curl up with a book in my favorite chair. My eyelids grow heavy almost immediately, and I only fight it for a few minutes before allowing myself to nod off.
When I wake up, the screen on my phone is lit with an incoming call. I kept it on silent after retrieving it this morning so the constant calls and texts wouldn’t drive me nuts. I’m about to dismiss the incoming call when I recognize the name on the screen: it’s the rehab facility in Toronto where Thea is staying.
I nearly fumble the phone in my rush to answer. “Thea?”
“Hi, Joss! Yeah, it’s me. How are you doing?”
“Shouldn’t I be askingyouthat? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, fine. Things are going really well here. I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m getting there. Feeling stronger every day, and the group therapy is doing wonders.”
“I’m so glad to hear that, Thea. I hope you know how much you’re missed here in Honeywell.” I cringe as soon as the words are out and add quickly, “I didn’t say that to make you feel bad. I just want you to know we’re thinking about you and rooting for you.”
“Don’t worry, I know what you mean and I appreciate it.” There’s a pause, followed by some muffled voices in the background. “I don’t have long to talk. We’re supposed to limit outside contact so it doesn’t interfere with our progress, but they’ll make exceptions. I call Rex and Liam every few days. And Liam actually visited me today.”
“Hedid?”
“Mmhmm.” There’s another pause and, when she speaks again, her words come out faster. “The last time I talked to him on the phone, he told me what happened between you two. He feels like shit about it, Joss, but I don’t think he knows how to handle it or how to move forward. I told him about the family therapy sessions they do here and he agreed to come to one, which is why he was here today. I saw your interview onNorthern Lightthis morning, and holy shit, Joss! You’re staying in Honeywell and you’re in love with my brother? At least I assume it’s Liam?”
I can’t help the wobbly laugh that escapes me. “Yes, Thea, it’s Liam. What did he say about the interview?”
“He hadn’t seen it,” she says. “He was on his way here when it aired and he didn’t know anything about it. I even asked him to make sure. I told him you’d done an interview, but didn’t say what it was about. I figured he should see it for himself or talk to you rather than hearing it from me. He said he had some business stuff to do in Toronto, so I don’t know if he was going home tonight or tomorrow.”
My heart sinks. I didn’t do the interviewforLiam, but I can’t deny I’m disappointed he didn’t see it. Maybe it’s better this way and heshouldhear it from me.
