A few hours pass and we get some work done before Holly Hart finally shows up. She comes on stage wearing big black sunglasses and talking quietly, and it’s obvious that she’s hungover. There are whispers all over about this, and it’s driving me crazy, but at least she doesn’t give me any dirty looks.
In fact, she doesn’t even look at me at all. I don’t have to interact with her much, but she’s not openly hostile toward me this time. I don’t know why but she acts like I don’t exist, which is way better than her acting like I killed her dog or something.
Holly gets in a few scenes and although she’s clearly feeling like hot garbage, she manages to get through it with some poise. The crew is going nuts and gossiping like crazy, and I’m pretty darn confused myself, but at least we get some actual work done.
“That’s lunch!” As soon as the director calls it, Holly darts for her trailer and disappears.
I’m torn about what to do. On the one hand, I’m happy Holly isn’t trying to murder me with her eyes. On the other though, I don’t know what the hell Jackson was doing with her. And I know it’s none of my business.
I head over toward the food line, still thinking about what’s going on, when Jackson appears from his workout. “Tara,” he says, catching my eye. “Can I talk to you a second?”
I look at him and hesitate. He sounds like it’s about work, which I can’t really turn down, but I’m not sure I want to talk to him right now. Still, I have to go with him, especially since there are so many people around right now.
“Sure,” I say, and follow him away from the group. I hurry to catch up to him as he opens the door to his trailer and walks inside.
I follow him in there, not sure what the hell I’m expecting. The door shuts behind me and he turns as we step into his little living area.
“You saw the pictures,” he says to me simply.
“Yeah, I saw them.”
“It’s not what it looks like. I was home all night last night.”
I shrug a little, my heart beating faster. “It doesn’t matter to me.”
“It matters to me. The fucking paparazzi can lie all they want, but I’m telling you the truth.”
“Okay then. What was that in those pictures?” I don’t know if I want the answer, because I’m afraid of what it’ll make me feel.
“She showed up at my room, drunk as hell. She came on to me.” He stares at me, a straight face.
“I don’t need details,” I say.
“Yes, you do. I want you to know everything.”
“You don’t owe me this, Jackson. It’s not like we did anything but sleep together one time.”
“Listen to me. She was drunk as hell, falling down on herself. I helped her back to her room and that’s all that happened. The fucking paparazzi appeared out of nowhere, I guess he had snuck in and found out where she was staying. Caught us both off guard.”
I frown at that. It’s not unheard of for a paparazzi to bribe a hotel employee to find out which room a star is staying in. I’m guessing Holly will switch rooms or maybe even hotels to avoid getting hounded every day. The hotel should be better about security, but that sort of thing happens sometimes.
It’s not impossible. I mean, based on the pictures I saw, I can totally see that happening.
“So you just dropped her at her room?” I ask him.
“Exactly. She was wasted, Tara. And I’m not interested in her at all.”
My heart is beating faster and this is what I was afraid of. I didn’t want to know the truth because it’s easier to hate him. It’s so much simpler if he’s just an asshole that broke my heart and nothing more to me.
But as he steps closer, I know that’s not the case. It hasn’t been, not since he walked back into my life. The bastard broke me, but now he’s back, and all those old feelings are warring inside of me.
He stops inches away from me. I can’t help but notice that he’s slightly damp with sweat, but not too bad. He’s looking at me like he wants to rip my clothes off and I’m freaking out. I should run away, get the hell out of there, but I’m rooted in place. I want to feel what I felt the other day again. I want to taste him, even if it’s irresponsible and stupid.
“You know there’s only one thing I want,” he says, his body so close to mine.
“We can’t,” I whisper, but I don’t mean it.
He can see right through me. He always could. “Yes, we can.”
He kisses me and I don’t resist. I feel everything inside of me crumble. All of my fear and my anger and my disappointment, it all melts away and I’m left at his mercy, totally exposed for him.