Page 14 of Knot Their Starlet

“Get out,” an all too familiar voice hisses. Ah, mother dearest.

“But—but Ms. Sterling, if your daughter is starting to wake up, it’s my job to⁠—”

“You’re just the nurse. The doctor checked up on her earlier,” Gina snaps. “Let me speak to my daughter in private.”

My mother’s voice grates against the inside of my skull like sandpaper.

Through the lifting fog in my brain, I hear the soft murmurs of my mother’s publicist, Stuart. “Gina here is just a concerned mother. I’m sure you understand. We just need a moment of privacy. We’ll call you in if we need anything.”

My eyelids feel like they weigh two tons each. I’m greeted by my mother’s glare. It’s a look I’m well acquainted with.

She was beautiful once. Maybe if you don’t know the darkness she carries inside her, you’d think she’s pretty now, despite the tax of age on her skin. But this life—the one chasing after fame and fortune—has left its mark on her.

All I see are the dark roots peeking past her dry blonde hair, betraying the fact that the color comes from a bottle, that almost grotesque thinness achieved with Pilates five times a week and the quarter of an avocado she counts as her first two meals of the day, and her thick lash extensions framing her muddy green eyes, that I know she wishes were blue.

And in those swampy depths, is a rage that I can practically taste at the back of my throat, even though it’s still on fire.

Her wine scent is sour and acrid with her fury. Her perfume was sweet once, like fresh grapes and juice, rather than what it is now.

“What the fuck did you do?” she hisses, her manicured nails gripping the railing of my hospital bed so hard her knuckles are growing white through her pale, paper-thin skin.

I know my mother. I wasn’t exactly expecting her to ask me how are you doing? But I was hoping—maybe naively—she’d ask what happened?

I try to swallow past the pain in my throat and wince. Damn, Ezra did damage.

“Can... I have some... water?” I croak out, sitting up so I can face everyone in the room.

“Priorities, Andromeda! Ezra’s team has barely said a word, and rumor has it he’s not responding to any calls. We need to strategize to figure out how to get ourselves out of this mess you have gotten us into!”

One of Gina’s many assistants lets out a quiet cough, making her turn and glare. It’s funny, there are like, half a dozen people in here and none of them seem to give a shit about me. I’m about to climb out of bed myself to pour myself a glass of water from the pitcher across the room when Stuart finally has mercy on me and brings me a cup.

“No simple gift basket will get him to take you back!” Gina continues.

Take me back?

I nearly spit out the water I’m drinking. I’m lying in a hospital bed, probably looking like I got fucking run over, and that’s all my mother can think about?

My eyes drift shut as I’m overcome by a wave of exhaustion. I shouldn’t be surprised. This is Gina Sterling we’re talking about.

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, you ungrateful little bitch,” Gina hisses.

“I didn’t⁠—”

“I don’t want to hear it!” She flutters about the room, the red-bottomed heels that are her constant companion clicking on the hospital linoleum flooring.

“He slammed my head into the counter,” I say slowly, through gritted teeth. “Like, four times. It’s over. I’m done.”

Her steps freeze. Her head jerks towards me like she’s possessed, turning at a freakish angle while her body stays stock still.

“The Fletcher family was supposed to be our golden ticket, Andromeda! What don’t you understand about sacrifice?”

Sacrifice? What kind of fucking bullshit is that?

“Didn’t you leave Dad when he threw you down the stairs? And you were bonded to the guy. Why’re you telling me to stay with Ezra when he fucking did this?”

Wrong thing to say.

“Don’t you dare bring up that good-for-nothing, abusive monster!” she shrieks. I flinch backwards, wincing as her scream pierces through my skull like an ice pick. “And don’t call him your Dad! He was never there, you hear me? Never! I was there for you!”