Marly laughed, dropping her head with a small shake. With a final sigh, she broke free from my hold, sniffling. “Thank you for this week.” My stomach dropped, empty and hollow as she lifted her hand to my jaw. “It was amazing.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Maybe if I pretended it wasn’t there, it would disappear. “Why does that sound like a goodbye?”
She blinked, not answering. And that was answer enough.Because it is goodbye. “I-I’ve got to get to Omar,” she said. “He’ll know what to do. We have to arrange something with our publicists—”
“Marly, slow down.” She couldn’t leave me. This couldn’t be over. “Maybe it’s best if you wait it out here. They’ll lose interest and go away after a few hours. Something new and shiny will inevitably pop up. It’s tinsel town, remember?” I didn’t say it… but I needed her. A group of paparazzi outside my home was my fucking nightmare. I needed Marly to get me through it.
“I just need to get home. I need some space. Some time.”
“Well, that might be hard since we’re auditioning together in a couple days.”
She pulled her hair into a ponytail and smoothed it back with her palm. “Maybe we shouldn’t be,” she whispered. “Maybe this was all a huge mistake.”
She moved past my shoulder and I grabbed her elbow, gently stopping her. She spun to face me, eyes flashing as she looked between my grasp on her arm and my eyes. “What about us?” I asked. “Can I see you before the callback on Thursday?”
A bitter laugh bubbled and exploded as Marly rolled her eyes. “You don’t get it, do you? Even if I get this part now, it won’t be because they consider me to be the most talented. Or the best for the part. Even if that’swhythey cast me. All people will see is a girl who’s had two leading roles and two fuck buddies in each respective part. No one will take me seriously after this.” Her voice cracked and tears welled in her eyes as she lifted her gaze to the ceiling. “It’s my fault, Jude. Really. I should have known better than to sleep with you.” And with that, she spun, yanked open the door, and walked out.
