Page 106 of You and Me, For Real
“Actually, I can.” Some deep part of me hopes Dad will see how much I need this. Somethingoutsideof work. Something Iwantto do. “It’s something I believe in. I’m excited about it.”
“Son, the only thing you need to be excited about is your next role with Wesley Rhodes. That’s where your focus should be. Not on some…pet project.” He gestures to Ashton, still in the living room, as ifsheis the charity case and not the organization she represents.
I step toward him. “That’s enough!”
He matches my challenge, inching closer, and nails me square in the chest with his finger. “No, that’s enough from you. Son, you better get your act together, or you might as well throw your career in a dumpster fire because that’s exactly where it’s headed with these kinds of choices.”
I lift my chin. “Maybe I don’t care anymore.”
“That’s garbage, and you know it. This is everything you’ve been working toward. I’ve been listening to you gripe for years aboutMalibu Shores. I’ve handed you the perfect segue on a golden platter—Scarlet. And now you toss it in my face? You’re too close to waste it.”
I clench my fist, hating that he thinks this is the only way I’ll land a film deal and the doubt it festers inside me.
He speaks low, his tone harsh. “You’d best get your act together and be the man I raised you to be. I’ve scheduled a public date for you and Scarlet tonight. We’ve got to wash away all this bad press and make it clear who you’rereallywith. You better sell the act like your life depends on it. Or you can forget about Wesley’s multi-million-dollar film contract sitting on my desk.”
That stops the tirade sitting on the tip of my tongue. “He made a formal offer?”
“Of course he did. The biggest you’ve ever had in your career. But I swear, if you break his girl’s heart—you screw this up—you can forget about this project.”
I don’t know what to say. It’s my dream come true. And yet…it comes at the cost of spending more time with Scarlet. More stupid, scripted fake dates being her doting boyfriend. I’m no better than a puppet on strings. I guess that makes my dadnotmy agent, but my puppeteer.
“Whatever you do in your private life—” his voice is low and menacing “—had better stay private. Got it? Now, clean up. You’ve got a date tonight. And you better act the hell out of it.”
With that, he spins out the door.
“What a jerk,” Luke hisses from the living room.
I see only red. I storm off to my bedroom—every bit the moody teenager Dad claims I am—and slam the door, hoping it’ll make me feel better.It doesn’t.
As scolding, hot water streams down my overheated face, I clench my jaw. Why do I always let him walk all over me like that? Why can’t I just stand up to him and tell him my life is none of his business? He’s had too much control for too long.
It’s got to stop.
When I return to the living room, groomed to perfection for my date, the room is empty. Luke sits on the back porch, a glass of iced tea and a book in his hands. “Where’s Ashton?”
“She left.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal that she’d leave without telling me. Then again, I’d done the same.
“Where’d she go?”
He puts the book in his lap and arches an eyebrow. “Look who cares now.”
“I know. I’m a jerk. I should have apologized for my dad.”
He tilts his head. “Just your dad?”
“Yeah. Okay. Me, too. I was an idiot.”
He sets his book on the side table and crosses his arms. “You know that woman was nearly in tears when your dad steam-rolled his way out of here, and then you stormed off like a grumpy raincloud.”
“A what?”
“You heard me. Your dad was harsh. He spoke about her like she was trash and wasn’t even in the room.”
I plop on the couch across the coffee table. “I know. My dad has been running my life for far too long. He overstepped this time.”
“I’ll say.” Luke leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You know what you should have done?”
I turn my gaze to him.
