“And the premiere—did you know both of them would be here?” He elevates his voice, now pacing in front of me in the shoebox supply closet, barely big enough for the both of us.
“I—”
Everything is caught in my throat.
“Just be honest. That’s what I liked about you.”
“Holden. It’s not what you think…”
“I think you are still working for Blackburn. That you did all of this to convince me to go along with everything.”
“That’s not true.” My words are trembling and I’m fighting the urge to cry that is welling up in my eyes.
“Then, what’s the truth, Charlotte? Because Chris just called me.”
I pause for a moment to ask, “What happened, Holden?” My voice is soft and low as I try not to spook him.
He rubs the back of his neck a few times before shifting on his feet and saying, “You toyed with me. Just like everyone else. You did your job. I was stupid to think otherwise.”
With his ruthless stare and unwavering opinions, I can see that everything feels so factual to him. That any truth I can bring to the issue doesn’t matter. The cracks that formed in him years ago had a tight grip around his neck.
I want to say everything. To say—I see you, Holden. I truly do. The way I see you would probably sting.Instead, I repeat my question.
“What happened while I was gone?”
He cracks his neck before sliding down to the carpeted floor, his lips pressed tightly together and his nostrils flaring. Staring at only his feet.
“Chris told me your plan from the start.”
“What plan?”
My index finger rushes to my temple, holding on to the pulsing headache coming on.
“Pushing me toward Sloane and Graham, so it’s one big media frenzy. Next thing I know, you are going to trap me in a room with them.”
“I would never do that,” I mumble.
His words are packed with bitterness. Whatever I felt was happening between me and Holden is quickly demolished in this moment. We weren’t a what-if. We are at a middle-of-nowhere gas station that is a saving grace while you refuel and get back on the road.
He is back on the road. And I—was never supposed to be here.
I move an inch forward to where he is standing and mouth,I’m sorry.I gently place my hand on top of his. This gesture only seems to repulse him and he shoves it off, pushing me away.
“Sorry,” I repeat before pushing myself off the floor, my shoulders forming goose bumps as the vents blow more air toward us.
“He is your client. Treat him like one,” Skye whispers in my left ear then my right ear. My jaw tightens, noticing the glow sparkling across my neck.
Her words have set me straight. I am standing tall now, shoulders back. Preparing myself to start acting less like an obedient servant and more like a goddamn human being with thoughts and feelings just like anyone else.
I don’t need the necklace to make this painful.
“You were right, Holden. I had a plan. It was devious. I wanted to trick the whole world into believing that you are America’s sweetheart. That everyone deserved to see a side of you that is tucked away, hidden in a little box just like the room in your house full of scripts you want to act in.
“I wanted you to succeed so badly that I shoved down the media’s throat that you loved acting and helping others. That your costars from YEARS ago didn’t bother you. Because what is in the past is the past and you have grown.
“But I miscalculated.”
He says nothing. He just bites harder on his nails, still staring at his feet.
