Chapter Fifteen
Kealen
Her cool skin blushed, sizzling up my fingertips with force. I didn't want to have to see her here, I didn't ever want her to know.
Now she did.
Jumping to her feet, the tight smirk disappeared as her hand drove into her hip. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Cut!” Marc screeched, jumping from his seat and storming over. “What the hell are you doing? That was good, all of it was so good. Why are we stopping?”
“Why?” Snapping her chin, Allie let out a sarcastic laugh, rolling her head on her shoulders. “Are you kidding me?”
Marc eyed me, then bobbled his head back to her. “Allie, let's do this in my office, not here.”
Her chuckle grew darker as her eyes enlarged. “And why's that, Marc? Is it because you forced him here too? Or are you both in on this together? Hey, where's my father? Shouldn't he be here for this grand reunion?”
Dipping my brows, I held my arms up. “Wait, what are you talking about?”
“Don't pretend like you don't know, it was you all along, wasn't it?” Pointing her finger between Marc and myself, Allie nodded her head. “Marc has it, don't play stupid.”
“Allie,” I said, reaching for her shoulder. But she stepped away, jerking out from under my hand. That sudden repulsion stung, it hurt to have her move away and not closer.“I really have no idea what you're talking about.”
I needed her to believe me, to trust that I wasn't lying to her. There was so much already that hadn't been said between us. But now, I was done pretending.
I was done pretending I didn't know who she was, I was done pretending that I hadn't seen her on the set the day she stormed off. And I was done letting this show control her.
When I spotted her that day on the beach, I couldn't have imagined how far she would go to try and be someone else. I had seen the stories and thought that they were probably blown way out of proportion, the same as any other sideline story about a high profile face.
But when I saw her expression dull with any question about her past, I knew it went deep.
There would be no more of that sadness in her life, no more regrets, no more assholes.
Stepping into her, I cupped her chin, forcing her to look into my eyes. Her face held mine, reading me, watching me. “You're serious?” she asked.
Thumbing her cheek, I rolled the pad of my finger under her jaw line. “Yes.” Breaching the space between us, her head tilted higher on reflex.
Allie's face fell flat, her lush lips thinning tight. “You really didn't have anything to do with that picture?”
Curling my arm around her back, I forced her into my chest. “Look, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I had nothing to do with it.” Stroking my hand down the back of her hair, I held her close.
She was right where she belonged; in my arms.
Her eyes began to water, the tiny droplets pooled under her lids, just waiting to be released with a blink.
She looked so sad, so lost and alone. I wanted to steal her pain like I had her virginity, I wanted to be the reason for her to smile and the reason she would never have to feel this awful again.
Allie's face grew hard, scrunching up tight. “Then why are you here?”
“Allie, please, let's go talk in my office.” Marc skittishly looked at the herd of paparazzi with their jaws hanging open, fanning his arm out to lead us away.
A deep giddy laugh echoed behind the crew as an arm flew up high, waving wildly in the air. “This is great, really great.” Garrett stepped through the crowd, a smug grin plastered on his face. “I only wanted to get you, Allie, never in my life did I expect to get this rat bastard too.”
I felt her body start to shake as her head ticked slowly in his direction. “You! You did this!”
Shrugging his shoulders, he let them fall weightlessly back down. “I didn't have a choice, you walked out, you were going to ruin my career. I had to do something.”
Her small frame broke free from my arms in a rage. Angrily slamming her heels into the pavement, she kicked them off. “How dare you! How could you!?” Allie's long legs flew forward, inching her closer and closer to Garrett.
