Page 57 of Reckless Hearts
“At first, he laughed it off, but the guy was insistent that Marcus could be the next big thing. Then he gave Marcus his card. We checked him out when we got back to the hotel, and he’s a legit agent. So Marcus called him, and the guy invited Marcus to stay with him in Los Angeles when we finished traveling. So Marcus changed his flights. He’s going to stay over there for a few weeks to see what happens. He just messaged me today to say he was getting headshots done.”
My head swirls.
“Can you believe it?” Saskia asks.
It feels like the room has tilted, as if the axis of my world has shifted. I grip the edge of the table to anchor myself.
Suddenly, the smell of the food is unappetizing, my stomach recoiling. I take a sip of water, hoping to wash away the nausea.
I don’t say what I want to say to my sister.
You were supposed to bring him back to me.
One Year
Two Years
?
Three Years
Four Years
Five Years
Six Years
Seven Years
14
Marcus
Seven Years Later
“I’m getting married in two days!” My best friend is practically vibrating with excitement, her smile threatening to outshine the Fijian sun beating down on us as we stand at the outdoor bar.
I can’t help chuckling. “I’m aware of that fact.”
“It’s going to be a whole day about Saskia!”
“Isn’t every day a Saskia day?” I ask, and she lets loose her tinkling laugh.
She puts down her cocktail to wrap me in a hug, and I get a nose full of her Gucci perfume. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too,” I say honestly.
When she releases me, her eyes are brimming with tears. She wipes a hand across her face with a rueful smile.
“God, I’m turning into such a sap. Quick, say something snarky before I ruin my makeup completely.”
“I think it might be too late to save your face,” I say. “That ship has already sailed.”
Saskia elbows me. “Hey, we’re not all famous actors with hair and makeup people ready to airlift in for emergency Botox at a moment’s notice.”
“I’ll have you know I have never touched Botox. I don’t really like the idea of injecting myself with bacterial toxins.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Is that what Botox is made from?”
