“Your guilt is precious.” I rub my thumb over his bottom lip. He broadcasts his emotions so clearly, it’s as if I can feel them myself. Maybe he will end up being a good actor. My mother was certainly an expert in making you believe she felt a certain way. The difference between her and Adam is that his emotions are without artifice. If he’s manipulating me, it isn’t with the same cold calculation as my mother. It’s also what makes him such a good lay. He’s so vocal and physical—a happy boy when he’s feeling good, and a whiny little bitch when he’s not getting what he wants. He doesn’t hold grudges and he rarely plans ahead, just lives in the moment like a true hedonist.
“What are you going to do?” Adam asks, looking as though he might wish to put this particular genie back in the bottle.
“That’s not something you need to worry about, dove. All you need to do is be on your very best behavior while on set. Don’t provoke him, don’t even engage with him outside of your scenes. Keep your chin up so the world can see how beautiful you are and deliver your lines as a sophisticated Tristan Ramsey III would. I’ll take care of everything else.”
He nods, looking a little fearful of the powers he’s unleashed.
Well, he should be.
Chapter18
Adam
For the rest ofWrecked’sshooting, I ignore Maddox’s taunts and all the shit-talking I know he’s doing behind my back. Every time I get the urge to clap back, I remind myself that Cassius is handling it, and he wouldn’t want me to interfere.
Luckily, most of the other cast members like me. I mean, I’m a fun guy. And since I don’t have a lot of scenes to film, there’s plenty of opportunity to goof off. I teach Chloe how to juggle and Zeta gives us both tarot readings. When Zeta pullsthe loversas my destiny card and I mention Cassius, they ask me, “Do you love your boyfriend?”
“More than anything, I’m obsessed with him.” When I’m not thinking about Tristan Ramsey III or myself, I’m thinking about Cassius.
“The lovers card represents a unique bond and deep connection between two people. Is he good to you?”
“So good,” I assure Zeta and Chloe both. “He’d do anything for me.”
And I meananything.
“See how the couple on the card are both nude?” Zeta says. “This means they are willing to bare their most vulnerable selves to one another. Their secrets, their pain. They are in tune with each other’s needs and willing to provide for them. But this card may also symbolize choice. You may have to choose between this love and your career, or love and your friendships, or love and your family. Even your freedom may be jeopardized because this sort of love demands a sacrifice.”
“A sacrifice? Cassius never makes me choose.”
“There may come a time when you must. For harmony’s sake. For balance. For your own sanity.”
I brush it off as silly new-age nonsense and say goodbye to my new friends since we’re about to go on a brief hiatus while they edit the first three episodes. I’m drinking saké and eating sushi with Cassius later that week at an upscale Japanese restaurant when Cassius says, “Don’t look now, but Maddox Kepler is dining in tonight.”
I start to swivel in my seat when Cassius’s hand shoots out like a grappling hook and latches onto my balls.
“Fuck,” I grunt because his grip is like iron.
“I told you not to look,” he says before slowly releasing me.
“Okay, fine, but what’s he doing here?” Talk about a vibe killer.
“He invited Lucia to dinner.”
“Lucia?”
“They met on a dating app.”
What are the freaking chances? “Cassius, that guy’s an asshole. We have to warn her.” I start to get up again. Cassius grabs my bicep and squeezes hard enough to leave bruises. For a slender guy he’s fucking strong.
“Sit down, Adam. This is part of the plan.”
“The plan? Oh, theplan.What does Lucia have to do with it though?”
Cassius fiddles with a button on my shirt to make himself look busy and says just as nonchalant as ever, “He doesn’t swing our way, dovey. Otherwise, I’d have seduced him myself. Now, keep your eyes on me.” His voice is a soft coo, and I manage to stare straight at him even though the temptation to look over at Maddox and Lucia is killing me. “That’s a very good boy. We’ve caught his attention. I’m going to act mushy, and you’re going to go along with it.”
Cassius acting mushy? This I gotta see.
“Smile, Adam. You’re being romanced, not executed.”
