I yanked the phone out of Raoul’s hand and turned off the speaker. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Nothing. I thought you weren’t gonna be here till ten,” Mike replied.
“So you thought you’d have a meeting with one of the writers alone to make script changes?” I might have chosen not to officially take any credit for co-writing this movie, but I was still one of the writers. And the fucking director. Any changes had to be run by me.
“Carolina—”
“I’m coming over.” I hung up and shoved the phone in Raoul’s hand. “You’re coming with.”
I stormed inside the screening room, but only the 1stAD, Nadine was there. “Where the hell is he?”
Her beady eyes widened with fear. “He said to meet him in the conference room.”
“Fuck.” My fists clenched.
“Calm down, Mags.” Raoul trailed behind me as I stalked away.
I pushed the metal handle of the door and blew into the conference room—
“Surprise!” The voices of a hundred people boomed the word at once.
I flinched, my feet slowing to a halt, taking in the grinning faces of the movie team, the festive banners, and the breakfast buffet on the table. “Oh my God, you crazy bastards,” I murmured, laughing.
“Congratulations, you wacko,” Raoul said through the loud claps and cheers.
“Fucking changes, huh?” I slugged him on the back, eyeing Mike’s face in the crowd as he winked at me.
“You caught me by surprise. I didn’t know what to say,” Raoul replied, ushering me to the table as I thanked the friendly faces congratulating me. Everyone was there, Amanda, Samantha, Lahey, Bailey, even Dad, celebratingmysuccess.
Cassidy hopped on the table, holding a megaphone, while Mike elbowed his way through the crowd to reach me. “This was your idea, of course,” I told Mike. “You and your surprises.”
“Me?” He shook his head. “It was them. I just helped keep you in the dark.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I motioned for Dad to come closer. When he arrived, I jumped into his embrace. “Thank you so much for coming, Daddy.”
“I’m so proud of you, baby.” He kissed my cheek. “I saw the pictures of the festival. You were amazing.”
“Our beautiful Maggie Dawson has won her first award. Woohoo,” Cassidy shouted in the megaphone, and the crowd broke into a roar. “The only one in Hollywood who can take a week off and stays ahead of schedule.”
Raoul rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me.” He scoffed through a loud hum of laughter from the surrounding companies.
“The only director who’s younger than all of the cast, beautiful as hell, swears like a man, screams in megaphones, and still manages to earn our respect before our love,” Cassidy said.
I laughed with the amused crowd, Mike and Dad each on either side of me.
“On behalf of everyone here,” Cassidy continued, “I’d like to say that your team loves you, Kid.”
Right now, I had never felt more proud, confident, beautiful and loved. A stupid grin wouldn’t leave my face, and my soul was dancing. Then I heard it. The ugly voice that wouldn’t let me be.
No. No, please. Just let me have this. For once.
Just before the invisible monster could snatch me from my happy moment, Mike lowered his mouth to my ear. “You’re the most beautiful everything in the world.”
I focused on his smile to silence the voice creeping into my head.
“Look around you. Capture the moment in your head, and stay there because you, my love, deserve it.” The look in his eyes banished my self-doubt thoughts.“And I love you,” he whispered. “Everybody does. Is it enough?”
Touching my scar, I nodded, assuring myself before him. “It will be.” My eyes took in the scene before me one more time. “It has to be.”
