Page 62 of 7 Dirty Lies

Chapter18

“You saw her, didn’t you?”Ted asked the minute he saw how grumpy I wasbeing.

“Who?”

Even Colt didn’t buy my act.He groaned.“What does playing dumb accomplish?Yes, we saw that bitch Meredith and my biggest regret is that I didn’t throw her out on her backside with my own barehands.”

God, he was hot when he was inprotectivemode.

Ted gave him a thumbs up.“I’m sorry I forgot totellyou.”

“It’s okay,” I assured him.“You’ve been a bitpreoccupied.”

Everyone thinks LA is this huge city of anonymity, but I think it’s true whether you live in a small town or metropolis, your circle is your circle and you see the same people when you tread the sameground.

“How bad was it?”He set down his bag in the corner of the room.Charley had been awake for about fifteen minutes and was eating her prescribed snack ofblandness.

“She reminded me she hates me, called me a shitty actress, and said things about myfamily.”

“Blech.”Charley made a face.“That was about Meredith, not the food, by the way.And you are a brilliantactress.”

“I appreciate that.”Because the rest was completely true.“So, they’re going to kick us out now but we’ll be back when visiting hours start in the morning.Unfortunately we’ll have to hit the road right after we meet mygoddaughter.”

Charley waved me off.“You have a schedule.I get it.Besides, that baby will be doing nothing but sleeping and mooching off me for the next three months.I promise you won’t be missinganything.”

I hugged Ted.“You doingbetternow?”

“You better believe it.Seeing your smile changed everything,Princess.”

Colt tugged me away.“Weshouldgo.”

Ted grinned.“I see things are progressing between you two.If I didn’t know better I’d say you just got a little jealous.”Then he winked and I thought Colt was goingtodie.

“Good night Theodore.Sleeptight.”

It wasweird having Colt in my apartment.It was weird being in my apartment at all, but with Colt there too?Well it was pretty much an out-of-bodyexperience.

So was the way he wokemeup.

After a huge breakfast that was totally necessary to refuel after all our exercise, we met Evangeline.She was the cutest little bundle of squished skin I’d ever seen.I loved her instantly and was already planning ways tospoilher.

Then we were back on the road north with Colt at thewheel.

“So Meredith?You want to talk about that?”He glanced at me from the side of his sunglasses.He was almost relaxed after an evening away.His shoulder tension was gone, his smile was back, he even had the nurses laughing at the hospital.It made my heart so full it wanted toburst.

It made it easier to tell him the things that scared me.“My grandmother was a great actress.One of the best.She won Oscars, was a guest of dignitaries the world over, she was truly great.”I stared out the window at the passing scenery.“She had a kind soul and loved all forms of art.She had masterpieces that hung in her house.Famous musicians would come play at her parties.She wrotepoetry.”

I jumped when Colt set his hand on my leg.“She soundsamazing.”

“She was.She died at sixty-two so I didn’t get to know her.Liz remembers her.”I was always jealous of that.But at least we had her memoire.I’d read it at least a dozen times, sitting up with my sister to ask her questions.“My mom is her opposite.I really can’t explain why she is the way she is.Cybil drinks up fame the way others drink up water.She doesn’t particularly care about working hard or doing good, just whether it will get her some attention.She’s made an empire out of the reality televisionphenomenon.”

It wasn’t fun being a teenager with a mother on the cover of everytabloid.

“I’ve heard of her, but never watched anything.”He stole another glance.“I assume you’re about to tell me why Meredith called you trash since that doesn’t particularly go hand in hand with artisticroyalty.”

“My childhood was anything but.”I closed my eyes wishing I didn’t see the memories.“My father is just as bad and they feed off each other.They’re toxic.They use and abuse.Our house was always filled with strangers, they took advantage of any opportunity that might present itself, even when it was clearly a scam.That’s how they managed to burn through my grandmother’s entire fortune.They forced Elizabeth to work so they could live off of her instead.It wasamess.”

His hand tightened around my leg, but I didn’t think he was aware of it.He was lost in thought, staring out at the road, his jaw ticking.“I’m sorry tohearthat.”

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