Parker nods, slow and deliberate. “That’s a great point. When we went to that bar to spy on you”—I bark out a laugh, which earns me a mischievous grin—“he complained about her quite… forcefully.”
I nod and take another swig. The bourbon is giving me clarity at this point.
Parker turns to me. “Julia, I know my brother, better than anyone. And while I don’t know for certain what went on last night, I know that he was categorically distraught over you going on that date. And I don’t think he’d humble himself the way he did, only to turn around and blow it all up.”
She’s right. He wouldn’t.
“I also know that the showrunner is a sleazy piece of shit. And I wouldn’t trust a single thing he showed me until I looked my brother in the eye and asked him to explain himself.”
“Oh god.” Guilt slams into me because she’s right. “How could I possibly trust anything that Richard’s had his hands in when it comes to the truth?”
Emmett and I are still working on building a solid foundation, but he’s shown me his true colors, and so has Richard. And I think in a moment of vulnerability, I may have been played.
“What if I fucked up?” I say, the reality of the text I sent to Emmett sinking in. I can imagine his hurt that I believed that footage for even a second. That I doubted him.
But Parker doesn’t seem the least bit concerned as she shrugs and takes another drink. “Then Emmett will forgive you, because that’s what you do when you love someone.”
CHAPTER 44
Emmett
Julia
How could you?
The words flash across my screen right as I step onto set. Now that I’ve settled on quitting and have given my lawyer all the information he needs, I’m only here to look for Julia.
My hangover lingers, but I still managed to drag myself here a little bit early in hopes that I could head her off before anyone else gets the chance to tell her the big news.What are you talking about? I text back, a thread of worry weaving through my fuzzy conscience.
My brows furrow as I stare down at my phone hoping I’ll see those rolling dots that tell me she’s writing back. But they don’t come and I’m too antsy to stand around waiting. All I know is I need to find her.
Because after my conversation with Oma and Opa last night, I don’t give a fuck about the pretense or appearances or what Richard might think.
Jules is my top priority.
I pop my head into the production trailer, with a cup of steaming hot coffee in hand. My bewilderment only mounts as I face a room full of crew members who appear to be hard at work.
But what do I know about all that goes into canceling a show that was almost finished recording. I’m here for one person, and one person only.
“Good morning. Has anyone seen Julia yet?”
Ben, the director of photography, turns and smiles at me. “She was literally just here, but took off. You look chipper this morning.”
He winks at me, and my brows furrow. “Uh, thanks? I guess quitting the show really took a weight off my shoulders,” I say, not sure why he seems so happy about the entire show crashing and burning.
“Quitting the show?” Now it’s his turn to look confused. “Is that what we’re calling last night with you and Evelyn?”
His tone is teasing. He’s lost me completely. “Me and Evelyn?”
“Yeah, you know… after last night. Or wait, are we doing the a gentleman never tells thing even though it’s all on camera?”
I step up into the trailer, that thread of concern fraying into something akin to dread. Each loose string wraps itself around me. “What do you mean?”
“Dude. Did you kill too many brain cells last night?” He turns back to the computer and hits play.
Then, right before my eyes, a horrific scene unfolds. One that makes me sick and furious at the same time.
Hearing Evelyn moan my name is the most bizarre type of violation. Because that video isn’t me, and I was never there.
All at once, I realize that Julia is out there somewhere thinking I was.
I duck out of the trailer, scanning for the sleazebag responsible for this. With fury surging through me, I spot him talking to Teri in front of his trailer, the two of them hunched over a tablet chatting.
“Richard, what the fuck? I quit the show so you decide to what? Fabricate the rest of the show?” I storm across the set straight at him. I want to pummel the shit out of him. He’s not just fucking with me now.
He’s fucking with the woman I love.
Teri steps into my path, pressing her hand to my shoulder to hold me back. “Emmett, whatever you’re about to do, cameras are always rolling, and he’s not worth going to jail for.”
I peer down my nose at the woman who’s been leading me through this sham for weeks. But it appears in a moment of clarity, she’s rediscovered her morals.
“Did you know about last night’s video?” I spit. “And do you know your boss is fucking his favorite contestant? Did he happen to tell you I quit the show?”
A few gasps ring out from around us, and Teri winces. “Listen, all I know is that I don’t have anything in writing.” She drops her voice to confess. “All he told me is that we needed a proper conclusion for TV, and we couldn’t count on you to deliver it.”
“Fucking right,” I retort as Richard saunters up to us like he doesn’t have a care in the world. “Because I quit. I’m done. Exactly like I told you last night. How am I supposed to get this through your thick fucking head, Dick Wad?”
“You threatened me, Emmett,” he says calmly. “And that’s fair. Some people would say I deserve it. But the truth of the matter is, you signed a binding contract. And I doubt you can afford to get out of it. And me? I still have a network to answer to. Millions of dollars invested. And creating a usable scene doesn’t violate a single thing. You’re too frigid to provide any of the footage we need. Fine. Then I’ll do it myself. As far as I’m concerned, you should thank me for making this so easy on you.”
With that, he spins on his heel and paces away, leaving me rooted in place, fists clenched and heart racing.
Every primal urge screams at me to run after him. Throw this hot fucking coffee in his face. Force him to spend more money at the plastic surgeon than he already does.
But I don’t move. Instead, I project my voice across the set, cold and clear. “Sue me then. Bankrupt me. See if I care. I’ve already got everything you’ll never have.”
The crew goes deathly still, deathly silent, as they filter forward to watch the confrontation. Richard freezes before turning slowly in my direction, his gaze narrowing on me.
But his glare doesn’t dissuade me. I continue, “From here on out you talk to my lawyer, and my lawyer only. I think he’ll be very interested in some of what I have to share with him. Now. Fuck. Off.”
His face is beet red, and he looks ready to explode.
But I don’t give him the chance. I turn to Teri and spit, “Sure hope your cameras caught that,” before I blow off the set like a tornado, leaving a wake of chaos behind myself.