It got Ren’s photos off the front pages quicker than asking them to remove them would have. If I get her back, they’ll post them again, but we’ll be ready. I hope.
In reality, I haven’t seen her in six months. None of us have, but my gut says Mills knows where she is. The plan to meet at the airport never happened. By the time Mills got Dani and Mrs. Silva to the safe house, Ren had disappeared. They tracked her phone, but found it smashed in a trashcan, and no SIM card.
At first, we thought Luis had found her, and I lost myself in a haze of weed and booze. Theo came over to the house a few times after Dev called him, and Pongo was on non-stop alert. Jamie and Steve spent a week by my side every hour when Dev couldn’t. I didn’t eat or sleep for days and would have been the perfect pick for a zombie film.
After two weeks, Mills came back with evidence showing Luis sending his gang and prison connections to find her. Things he wouldn’t leverage if he already had her. He’s not smart enough to cover his tracks like that.
After Mills found out what I put myself through, his shell cracked, but only a little. He gave me a box, saying someone mailed it to his office. Inside I found a sunflower pin. I’ve given Mills envelopes of cash every few weeks since he gave me that. We don’t talk about it, he just nods and sticks it in his pocket. After that, I buckled down and took on more work.
Dani and her mother moved out of the safe house about a week after the photos, since Luis never threatened them. Xander got Dani to take him back, since he’d been worried sick about her. They’re dating my PA, Megan, and the three of them moved in together not long after Ren took off. I’m not sure that will last, though.
Instead of being home alone, Ren’s mother has been staying with Dev and me for the time being. She tried to refuse, but she saw my breakdown and because of that, she’s worried about me. Now we argue over who gets the kitchen on which nights and where the pots and pans go. She’s happy to not be alone, and it’s nice to have a part of Ren here. We’re all just trying to pretend life is back to normal when it’s anything but.
“E-excuse me. Uhm, Mr. Cooper?” I turn around and find a young woman biting her lip like I’m going to yell at her for interrupting. God, I hate the actors that feel the need to freak out people like her to flex their power.
“Yeah? What’s up?” I ask, making sure I smile as she hands me a note.
“Uhm, your agent, Cynthia, called. She said I needed to have you call her as soon as you were finished with the scene. She said you should probably take the call in your trailer.”
A month after she disappeared, I got the first email. No one knows about it, or if they do, they haven’t told me.
I don’t want to wait. I don’t want to give Luis any more of my time. You shouldn’t either. I can’t stop you from looking for me, and I hope when all of this is over, we can find each other again. For now, just know that I’m safe and I’m okay. I love you, Puppy. Go be my movie star so I can watch you on the big screen until I can hold you again.
I’m doing what she told me, not giving Luis Santiago any of my time. I’m also not giving any to Ren, and that part hurts, but sometimes I’ll get a package or a message. There’s never a way to contact her back, but she already knows what I’d say. I’ve thrown myself into my work with more energy and passion than ever. If movies are my only connection to Ren for now, I’m going to give her everything I’ve got. She’s going to see it’s all for her.
It’s also driving the press nuts trying to figure out why I got the tattoo and wear a sunflower pin to every carpet, interview, presser, everything. So far, they’ve guessed it’s for a movie, a cult, and a stance against some government somewhere. No one knows it’s just my way of telling her I love her. No one but her.
“Here we go again.” I nod to Pongo as he follows me back to the trailer. Cyn and I have been playing this game for the last few weeks, and I’m pretty sure I’m close to getting Cyn to crack. I want her to take Lawson down, and she has the connections to do it, but she keeps giving me excuses. So, once again, I’ve taken Ren’s advice and stopped giving Cyn my time.
“Don’t hang up!”
“Have you found her?”
“No, but?—”
“Are you going after Lawson?”
“Chase—”
“Okay, fun talk.” I hang up, tossing the phone on the bed and heading to the sink to wash the dirty and grime off my face. I listen as the phone vibrates behind me, closing my eyes and letting the water drip from my face and hands. I’m too close to teetering over the edge. It’s like a high-wire act, and I can’t see the other side, but I’m still moving ahead. Pongo strolls into the bathroom and nudges me.
“Hey, Buddy. You wanna head back to the apartment and get something to eat? I’m starving.” He hops onto the bed, pushing the phone over the edge with his nose. “No way. She knows what she needs to do.”
The phone vibrates again, and I pick it up and glance at the screen—there’s no caller ID. Cyn can get pretty sneaky, but she’s notunlisted phone numberkind of sneaky. I jam my finger down on the green button.
“Ren?”
“HA! Still thinking she’s coming out of hiding so you two lovebirds can have your cute movie ending?” Lawson sneers. “I knew that stunt a few months ago with the smoking hot, big titty blonde wasn’t real.”
“I’m not signing it. I’ve told you that already.”
“Check the news. I’ll call you back in five to see if you’ve changed your mind.”
Lawson hangs up, and I open the web browser, not finding anything. I refresh it a few times until a new headline loads, and I’m grinning ear to ear.
My phone rings again, but I’m not sure what to do. Why does Lawson want me to know about the arrest? Fuck it.
“What the fuck do you still want, Lawson?”
