“Don’t we all?” Kyle mumbled.
I broke my embrace with Amanda. “What the… You know what? All of you, listen carefully ‘cause I’m gonna say this once and for all,” I commanded, anger rumbling in my chest. “I know you see Mike Gennaro as afucking god, but I don’t, not when I’m used to waking up to find him watching TV in our living room on a Tuesday. I’ve known the man since I was BORN.”
The three of them looked startled as I lashed out, but I didn’t care. These three people are supposed to be ones of the closest to me. The people who loved me, and I loved back. I didn’t need to take shit from them, too. This haze and confusion and accusations were fucking up my mind, and they needed to end right now.
“It’s completely normal for him to give me expensive gifts, ‘cause that’s what fucking rich people do. I used to do it all the time, too, when I was. It doesn’t mean anything at all,” I bellowed, my fists on my hips.
“And you know why he can’t wait for Christmas to see me again? Because we’ve only seen each other five fuckin’ times all year. Five.” I held up a hand, spreading my fingers. “This holiday is the only time we can be together before he takes off again to make more movies for God knows how long. And just so you know, even though I hate the fucking holidays, I, too, can’t wait for Christmas to see him again.” I gritted my teeth. “Any more fucking questions?”
Amanda and Raoul exchanged a glance and shook their heads like scared morons.
“Good, ‘cause we have work to do.” I stalked toward my laptop. From the corner of my eye, I saw a grimace I couldn’t interpret on Kyle’s face.
Scene24
Maggie
I looked up from my laptop when Kyle plopped down on the couch next to me. The sheepish smile on his face made me quirk an eyebrow. “What?”
“Is it too early to ask?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes.” It’d been two days since I’d agreed on a two-week trial of staying at his apartment—to see if I liked it enough to make it our new home—and he was already asking if I had made up my mind. Two fucking days.
As I glanced back at the laptop, I could feel his stare on me. If he wanted an answer now, it would be a big fat no. The apartment was twice as big as mine, yet stifling. The monochrome, Ikea furniture set me off. I didn’t mind the black, but there was just too much white. Who in their right minds would buy a white, leather couch for the living room? My mouth twisted at the thought as I shifted in the ridiculous couch.
He bent his head closer to the screen. “What are you doing anyway?”
“Cyber stalking the festival jury.”
He chuckled and leaned back. “How many views so far?”
“One thousand, thirty-two,” I mumbled, chewing on my fingernail.
“That’s pretty awesome.”
“Not so awesome.Eyes on VallartaandBirthare kicking our asses.”
“But the results have nothing to do with the views, right?”
“No, but it’s an indicator.”
His hand saved what was left of the fingernail from my teeth. “Maggie, you’ll win. Just relax. You got this.”
I sucked in a breath between my teeth, missing my vape. It was the only thing that calmed me, yet I couldn’t use it inside his place. Our place? “Thanks.”
He laughed, shaking his head.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just I haven’t seen you like this in months, when all that mattered was your novel. Remember that?”
“Yeah.” My eyes tightened. “Well, I don’t know if you’ll understand, but this movie means the world to me now. I care about it much more than I’ve ever cared about all of my stories.”
“Oh, I understand. I just hope you don’t wake up one day deciding this was never something you wanted.”
I tilted my head, my eyes scrutinizing his expression. “You sound a lot like Dad, you know?”
