“What do you want?” Aster folded her arms across her chest and glared.
Heather turned with a grin and wagged a finger between them. “Look at you with your matching tees. You two legit now?” Her brown eyes flashed. “Oh, relax,” she said, reading Aster’s enraged expression. “It’s not like I’m gonna alert the press. Who you choose to hook up with is your business. Though I am curious . . .” She moved closer. “Does this mean you’re no longer a virgin?” She set her gaze on Aster, before switching to Ryan. “Or is she still making you wait for it?”
Aster was furious, ready to unleash the full extent of her fury, when Heather said, “Better get used to it. You’re the one who decided to go on Trena’s show and profess your purity to the world. I remember thinking just seconds after you said it that you’d live to regret it.”
“What do you want?” Ryan slid a protective arm around Aster, but it did nothing to calm her. She was too wound up for that.
“Looking for Madison.” She pursed her lips and looked around. “But apparently, she’s not here.”
“So you think she’s alive, then?” Aster was annoyed, but she knew better than to let it get in the way. If Heather knew something, then Aster needed to try a little harder to befriend her.
“Of course she’s alive.” Heather rolled her eyes like it was a well-known fact, and not a question the whole world was debating.
“What makes you so sure?” Ryan watched as Heather wandered to the far end of the trailer, where she stood gazing at the collection of crystals.
She pinched a stone between her fingers and said, “Rose quartz.” She held it up for better inspection. “Said to attract love and romance. Did she use this to cast her spell on you?”
Ryan’s face went grim as Heather laughed, replaced the crystal, and sank down onto one of the cushions. Crossing her legs in a way that encouraged her dress to rise high on her thigh, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and said, “Then again, no love spell necessary, right? I mean, after all, she is Madison Brooks. And Madison gets what Madison wants. She’s weatherproof, waterproof, scandalproof. Nothing ever sticks. Including her breakup with you.” She nudged a finger at Ryan. “She made sure to manipulate it in a way that made her look good, while you two . . .” She shook her head and smirked. “Well, you looked like a couple of assholes, didn’t you?”
Ryan frowned. Aster struggled to withhold her response.
“Anyway, despite all the evidence, I never believed she was dead. I also never believed you guys were guilty of anything other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And maybe, at least in Aster’s case, a tiny bit of tragic naïveté. And then yesterday, when Paul called—”
Aster jumped in before she could finish. “You heard from Paul?”
Heather swiveled back and forth in the chair, making them wait. “He claims he wants Madison’s dog. But if you ask me, it seems a bit sketchy.”
“So what happened?” Ryan asked. “No one’s been able to find him.”
Heather inspected her nails. “And they still can’t. I waited for over an hour and he never showed.” She looked around with a bored gaze. “One thing’s for sure, if you find Paul, you find Madison.”
“You make it sound easy,” Aster said.
“Do I?” Heather looked amused. “You’re the one who broke into his office. Pretty sure you know more about the mysterious Paul Banks than any of us.”
Aster clamped her lips shut. She wasn’t about to incriminate herself.
“Oh please, it’s not like it’s some big secret. The whole world knows you were there. Ballsy move on your part—didn’t know a girl like you had it in you.”
“A girl like me.” Aster stiffened her stance. She didn’t like where this was going, but she was braced for just about anything.
“Aw, see, now you’ve taken offense, and it’s the last thing I meant. You have to understand, I didn’t have many advantages in life. I worked my ass off to get where I am.”
“So you assume my life has been a breeze because my family is rich?”
Heather scoffed. “Clearly not. It’s just I was always fascinated by girls like you. As a kid, I was forced to work on a ranch, mucking out stalls and hauling around giant bales of hay. The girls who owned the horses always seemed so glossy and effortless, with their long shiny ponytails and their expensive britches and boots. They reminded me of the pedigreed horses they rode. Thoroughbred Girls, I used to call them. Anyway, I guess that’s how I think of you too. You’re a Thoroughbred Girl if I’ve ever seen one.”
Aster was taken aback. She didn’t quite know how to respond.
“No matter how many magazine covers, product endorsements, or decent roles I get, I’ll never achieve that. I’ll never know what it’s like to feel so cushioned from the rougher edges of the world.”
“And you think I’m cushioned?” Aster glared.
“Well, clearly not anymore. You want my honest opinion?” Heather’s brown eyes fixed on Aster’s. “I think there’s a good chance you’re about to face a jury of twelve people who also grew up hating the Thoroughbred Girls, and believe me, that won’t end well for you. To make matters worse, your kind tends to lack the sort of survival skills girls like Madison and me learned by necessity.”
Aster stood speechless.
Heather held her gaze, then said, “So, she was here, right?” She glanced between Aster and Ryan. “Madison was here.”
Aster looked at Ryan. Ryan stayed silent.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Heather said. “You’re wearing her watch!”
Aster’s gaze dropped to her wrist. She’d slipped it on just after they’d found it. She hadn’t yet decided what to do with it.
“Madison had more Hermès bags and Louboutin heels than she could count, but she cherished that thing more than anything else. You’re not going to try to keep it, are you?”
“Of course not!” Aster sounded offended, which she instantly regretted. It was better to stay neutral. Heather would consider any emotional reaction a victory, and Aster was unwilling to concede that to her.
“Then you better wipe it clean. Leaving any trace of your prints behind could really come back to bite you. Especially with so much evidence already stacked up against you.”
Slowly, Heather rose and lazily tugged at the hem of her dress. “Well, thanks for the hospitality.” She tossed a breezy wave over her shoulder as she brushed past them and made to leave.
“You’re leaving?” Aster stared after her retreating form.
“No point in staying when she won’t be returning.”
“How can you be sure?”
Heather turned with a grin. “Because Madison won’t stay in any one place for more than a day. I’m surprised she even came here, since it’s registered in her name. Well, her real name. And now that we all know what that is, it won’t be long before the LAPD and the press catch on. The fact that she was here just proves how desperate she is.” Heather shook her head sadly. But Heather wasn’t that good of an actress. It was clear she didn’t feel the least bit sorry for her former friend. “It’s weird to think she’s been gone for so long but never made it past here. Maybe she really did just need a break, but then the whole thing kind of blew up and she didn’t know where to turn.” She twirled a random blond curl around her index finger. “It’s kinda sad if you think about it. I mean, to be that well known and not have a single friend you can count on—other than Paul. All we can do is pray for her now.” She focused on Aster. “I’m sure you already are, only for different reasons, of course.” Heather reached for the door. “Anyway, gotta run. Shooting on the new show is set to begin.” Looking at Ryan, she said, “I really did lobby for you, but they’re trying to get Mateo Luna to sign. Pretty sure you know him.”
“I took myself out of the running early on,” Ryan said, his voice tight.
“Did you?” Heather looked amused. “My bad. Anyway, Mateo’s a natural. A reluctant natural, which makes him even more perfect. Still,
it’s doubtful he’ll do it. He’s kind of a purist.”
“So, you two a thing now?” Aster studied her. She hadn’t liked her before. She liked her less now.
Heather laughed and stepped outside. “I never kiss and tell.” She shot a pointed look Ryan’s way. “You of all people should know that.”
Aster watched Heather climb into her car and drive away. When she was gone, Aster turned to Ryan and said, “What the hell did that mean?”
A flash of pain crossed Ryan’s face. “Nothing. You can’t trust anything she says.”
Aster wasn’t sure she believed him, but they had bigger issues to deal with than the long list of girls Ryan may or may not have slept with. “Do you think we should’ve followed her?” she asked.
Ryan shook his head. “I doubt she knows anything. She’s too narcissistic to waste much time on it. She’ll keep herself just involved enough to be part of the story, but no more.”
“You think she’s right about Madison not returning?”
Ryan shrugged. “Makes sense.”
“But then why would she leave the watch if she was supposedly so attached to it?”
“It was a sentimental attachment,” he said. “But make no mistake, her only real attachment is Blue. Which gives me hope that she really is out there. Even so, if it came down to it, Madison wouldn’t hesitate to walk away from him too.”
Aster gazed in dismay at the mess that surrounded them. “I’m not sure what to do from here.”
“You might want to start by checking your phone.” He nodded toward the table, where her cell vibrated.
“It’s Javen.” She looked at Ryan. “He sent an address. Says Layla’s headed there now.”
“Another dead end?”
Aster sighed. “Guess we’re about to find out.”
TWENTY
SLOW DANCING IN A BURNING ROOM
Tommy was acting weird, and it was making Madison nervous.
She glanced in the vanity mirror, ensuring that her wig was still on, her makeup in place. She’d been careful to stick to her role and keep her arm covered. And yet not long after they’d exited the freeway, something had shifted between them, and she’d been unable to get him back on her side.
She remembered the previous times they’d met, back when he was a naive country boy who was in way over his head. He’d been so much easier to manipulate back then.
The summer had changed him. Now he seemed resentful, edgy, like he had somewhere better to be.
Was it because back then she’d been Madison Brooks—the It Girl at the top of Ira’s get list? She doubted it. Their kiss felt like something more had sparked between them—something more equal and intimate than the usual fan/celebrity hookup.
Did his change of heart have to do with Layla?
Was he really so devoted he wouldn’t indulge in a little harmless flirtation?
And if so, what the hell did he see in her?
She guessed Layla was pretty enough. And God knows she was driven and ambitious in a way Madison might’ve found admirable if the circumstances had been different.
But the way Layla had gone after her on her blog had earned her a place on Madison’s blacklist. Her most recent post ensured she’d remain there for good.
Madison looked out the window and sighed. Tommy was so keyed up, she worried he might try to drop her off and drive away before she even had a chance to put her plan into play.
“Stop,” she said. “Stop right here.”
Tommy motioned toward the windshield. “There’s nothing here.” His tone was a combination of jittery and annoyed.
“I know. Just—I want to say something before we arrive.” She waited while Tommy reluctantly pressed his foot to the brake and slowly rolled to a stop. When he killed the engine, she said, “I’m sorry.”
He removed his sunglasses and studied her face.
“If I got too flirty, or made you feel uncomfortable in any way, then I apologize.”
The look she received in return was blank.
“I know you have a girlfriend and—”
“We’ve been over this.” He gripped the wheel hard. She’d pushed him too far. “It’s weird how you keep bringing it up.”
Madison studied him. “I thought you and Layla Harrison . . .” She left it unfinished, but Tommy just stared out the windshield and clenched and unclenched his jaw.
“I’m tired of every nuance of my life being dished out for public consumption.” His features sharpened, his lips flattened in fury.
“You wanted to be a star.” Her words echoed between them. “It’s part of the deal.”
He turned to her, eyes burning. “I never wanted any of that. I never wanted people to dissect my choices—who I’m dating, what I’m wearing, what I drive, where I go, what I eat, drink. Everything I do is under a microscope, and if they don’t like what they see, they don’t hesitate to unleash their contempt in the comments section. It’s total bullshit! My personal life is none of their business, and yet they act like they own me. All I wanted, all I truly ever wanted, was to make music that people enjoyed—that’s it!”
Madison simmered in fury. Any residual guilt she might’ve felt over stringing him along had just vanished. If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was when people acted like victims of their own good fortune. The other thing was when people blamed outwardly instead of getting real with themselves.
“You sure about that?” Her voice was her own, no more pretending. “Because last I checked, you wanted fame and the fan base that comes with it. Only your dream didn’t come packaged to your exact specifications, so now you think you have the right to complain to anyone who will listen. Well, too bad. The spotlight is shining on you, so what are you going to do about it? Are you going to run back to your hick town and let the locals use your return to defend their own sorry avoidance of whatever dreams they once had but never found the guts to pursue? ‘Look at him,’ they’ll say. ‘He soared so high he touched the sun, but in the end, he came running right back to us.’ Will you play into their narrative? Performing sad songs at the local dive bar and pretending you’re relieved to have escaped the evils of Hollywood—to be back among all the real people living real lives?” She rolled her eyes. “Give me a break, Tommy. I’m all too familiar with the sort of world you fled, and I’m here to tell you that Hollywood is far more raw and gritty and real than just about anywhere else. It’s a place of soaring triumphs and devastating defeats. Where fortunes rise and fall on the whims of an increasingly fickle public that’s impossible to please. Every choice is a risk and the stakes are tremendous, and yet every failure offers another shot at redemption. So you tell me, what’s more real than that? From the moment you arrived here, you entered the game. And trust me, you’re one of the lucky ones. It didn’t take you very long to get known.” The laugh that followed was harsh. And though she knew she should let up, she’d kept the sentiment bottled up for so long the words had to be spoken.
She’d been pretending to interview Tommy off and on for hours, and she was tired of the way he’d framed his life. Maybe that sort of regretful, wide-eyed, how-did-I-end-up-here bullshit story would work in print, but as it turned out, nothing he said would ever go any further than the inside of his car.
The irony wasn’t entirely lost on her. For a person who specialized in deception, Madison was demanding 100 percent authenticity in return. Only then would she know she could trust him.
“You came here to be a star, right?”
Tommy glared, silently seething.
“And now you are. So own it, or leave. Your call.”
“Kind of seems like the ‘interview’”—he used air quotes around the word—“ended back in Calabasas.”
“It was never an interview.” Madison paused, letting the words sink in. The game was over. And though she had no idea what would follow, she knew it was time for her to get real too.
Tommy stared in astonishment. She’d just confirmed what he’d already
been thinking, but now, from the looks of him, he was having a hard time processing it.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked, his voice low and menacing.
Still, Madison relaxed for the first time that day. Finally, they could start to move forward. She knew he wouldn’t harm her. Tommy wasn’t the type to ever raise a hand to a woman.
“Seriously! What the fuck?” He gazed around wildly. “I mean . . . fuck!” He slammed his fist hard on the wheel, repeating the word, as Madison watched quietly from the passenger seat. “Do you have any idea what you’ve put us through? I went to jail because of you! We all did! I got death threats. My tires were slashed. And you’ve been alive all this time?” He whirled on her. “What the fuck, Madison?”
He’d called her Madison, not MaryDella. She took it as a good sign.
A single tear slid down her face. Crying on cue had always come easily. But while her intent was to appear vulnerable in a way that would make Tommy calm down enough to talk, the flood that followed came of its own accord. Once it started, Madison found it impossible to stop.
It was the first time she’d cried in a really long time. It felt good to finally let it all out.
Tommy glanced from her messed-up ankle to her bandaged hand. “What the hell happened to you?” He reached for her arm and gently pushed up her sleeve, seeing the burn scar and the new one just above it, where her flesh was still tender and pink. He shook his head and sighed. It was the final confirmation he needed.
Next thing she knew, he drew her into his arms. Smoothing a hand down her back, he whispered a string of reassurances she longed to believe.
It was the second time she’d turned to him for solace. She hoped his support would extend a little further. She pulled away and dabbed at her cheeks with the cuff of her sleeve.
“Here.” Tommy pressed a napkin he’d plucked from his cup holder to her cheek. “It’s clean, I promise,” he said, which made them both laugh.
With his other hand, he slid the sunglasses from her face and stared in confusion.
“Contacts,” she whispered.