I stared in the eyes assaulting me. “I’m making movies because I have finally found a job that I care about and love. And I’m gonna make it in this business whether you like it or not, Andrea.”
She stepped forward, closing the distance between us. “Come on. Be realistic for once. You really think he’ll be with someone like you? He’s Mike Gennaro, and you’re…you know.”
Tears accumulated in my eyes despite my efforts. “I’m what? Not pretty or hot or smart or good enough for him or any other man or anything in this world?”
Andrea rolled her eyes, her hands lifting in the air. “I’ve had enough of your drama.” She spun and returned to the dresser. “When will you ever grow up and spare me these ‘crying for attention’ spectacles?”
“Mecrying for attention? Yeah, right. Well, hear me out because I hope to God this will be our last conversation ever.” I blinked the tears from my eyes. “You can turn it all on me and feed me more lies as you always have, but it won’t work anymore. Because today, when I found out you were ready to destroy your own daughter for your own gain, I realized you’re simply incapable of loving anyone but yourself. I have finally stopped seeking your love.”
“Is this what you came here to say? Are you done?”
“I’m here to tell you to leave us the fuck alone.”
Andrea chuckled. “Do you even love him?”
“None of your business.”
“Well, if you do, if you really care about him, you shouldn’t make those movies with him. You don’t want to bring him down with you when youfuck up.”
The image of Andrea’s gaze in the mirror pierced into my heart, stabbing between the cracks. Again, Andrea had managed to strip me of the ability to fight in a confrontation I should’ve won easily. I was the one wronged here, not the opposite. I wanted to tell Andrea I wasn’t going to fuck up. I loved Mike as much as he loved me. We’d succeed together because we cared and believed in each other. But the words refused to leave my lips.
“Goodbye, Andrea.” That was all I could say.
“I wish I’d aborted you when I had the chance,” she mumbled loud enough for me to hear.
My eyes squeezed shut as I shook against my will. “Then why the fuck didn’t you? You could’ve done us both a fucking favor!”
I stormed out of the house. Blinded by tears and rage and fissuring ache, I barely made it half-way across the street when tires screeched, and I felt myself flying and then rolling down a cold, rough surface. Pain cracked into my left hand and shot all the way up my arm, followed by a painful smack in the head.
Then…everything went black.
Scene51
Mike
“DeVries,” Mike called out as he dashed forward. He spotted her blonde head peeking out from behind a security team posted in front of the hospital wing.
She waved an arm at him. “Come.”
“Where is she?” he demanded, his heart racing, his eyes darting around the closed rooms.
She nodded at a room on the far left guarded by two bodyguards. “I arranged for security as you can see. Any reporters down there?”
He shook his head, running to Maggie’s room. When the guards let him in, his heart jumped to his throat. “Oh my God.”
She was lying on a bed, her face and lips swollen, her arm in a cast, her eyes and nose red. He rushed to her side and kissed her forehead and a spot on her cheek that wasn’t bruised. “How are you feeling, amore? What did the doctor say?”
“I’m all right. Don’t worry,” she said, her voice distant. “You didn’t have to come all the way. Now, the tabloids will feast on us.”
“You expect me to sit on my ass somewhere while you’re fucking hospitalized? Who the fuck cares about the tabloids?”
She glanced at him, her eyes vacant. “It’s just a few bruises anyway. They said they’d discharge me tomorrow.”
He squatted next to the bed and took her hand in his. “Just a few bruises? Your arm is in a cast.”
“Yeah, that too.”
