Page 63 of Lovers at Seaside
“Yeah, but you did it like you didn’t care.” Luce took the clip out of her hair, freeing her thick mane, and used it to pull Parker’s hair into a low ponytail, securing it at the nape of her neck.
“Maybe I don’t.” She definitely hadn’t taken the time to do her makeup the way she usually did. Every time she looked in the mirror, she saw someone she didn’t like. Grayson had been so good to her, so patient and loving, and she’d barely given him a chance to explain.
“You do care. You’re just in that crazy messed-up place women go when their hearts have been broken.” Luce put makeup beneath Parker’s eyes. “You’re becoming beautiful again, thanks to me.”
She’d been up half the night studying her lines and trying to convince herself that she’d done the right thing by walking away from Grayson. Okay, maybe she’d spent the night trying to study her lines and thinking about how much she missed Grayson.
Luce snapped her fingers in front of Parker’s eyes.
Parker blinked several times. “What?”
“You are totally zoning out. You cannot do this audition.” Luce shoved her makeup back into her tote and crossed her arms. She was about as cutthroat and sharp as they came, and she could turn a rat’s reputation into Prince Charming within a few highly strategized days.
Parker knew if Luce didn’t think she should do the audition, she was probably right, but she wasn’t in a compliant mood. “You’re not here as my PR rep,” she reminded her.
“Right. Let me say this as your friend instead.” With one hand on her hip and a witchy look on her face, she said, “Your incredibly amazing boyfriend did you a solid by trying to find your family. He went about it backward, because that’s whatrealmen do. They don’t always think before taking action. Not that you would know, because you’re never around normal men. You’re around quasi-men who wax their entire bodies, have less muscle than me, and trade testosterone for paychecks.”
Parker couldn’t help but laugh. “They really do wax all over, don’t they?Blech.Grayson has this sexy dusting of chest hair, and he’sloadedwith testosterone. He’s so confident and in control and always watching, you know? Watching other people watching me, like he’d step in if someone approached.”
Luce raised her brows. “You sound dreamy, like you did when you were back at the Cape.”
“I do not.”I totally do.
“You love him, Parker, and there’s no shame in that.”
“He broke my trust.” She turned away, but she couldn’t escape the pain that chased the memory. “I can’t love him.”
“Okay, you’re right. You can’t love him, because people don’t make mistakes. That’s why I’ll be out of a job tomorrow. No mistakes, no need for PR.”
Parker glared at her. Nothing felt right since she’d come back home. Her house felt vacant, her bed was lonely, and her heart ached so badly every time she thought of Grayson she wanted to cry and punch something in equal measure. And Christmas? Her poor boy had been moping around for two days, whimpering, sleeping beside the bed, like he was waiting for Grayson to climb into his spot beside her. She wished he would.
“Well, if you’re really over him, then you won’t mind seeing this.” Luce dug in her tote and pulled out a screenshot of Perez Hilton’s website. Beneath the headline, WHENPARKER’SAWAYLACROUXWILLPLAY, there was a picture of Grayson sitting in a dark restaurant with an arm around Bailey Bray, one of the hottest female rock stars around. He was leaning in, like he was whispering in her ear.
Like he used to do to her.
She could practically feel his warm breath on her skin. Hear him whispering,I love you, sweetheart.
Parker dropped the paper. Her lungs refused to work. She couldn’t believe Grayson would move on that fast. She had been bratty and upset, but still. He’d said he loved her. He’d touched herlikehe loved her.
“I didn’t show you before because, well, you know. I thought it might make you fall apart.” Luce pulled a handful of tissues from her tote and shoved them into Parker’s hand. “So much for the makeup. I’m canceling your audition.”
“No!” Parker finally managed. She wiped her eyes, sniffling, and trying her hardest to pull herself together. “I need this role.”
“Like you need a hole in your head,” Luce said flatly. “If you never worked again you’d have enough money to live a very elaborate life.”
“I don’t need it for the money.” Tears tumbled down her cheeks. “I need it so I can forget…”
Luce opened her arms, and Parker fell into her warm and welcome embrace.
“Feel that?” Luce asked.
“The man I love killing me? Yeah. I do. Thanks. And I hate yousomuch right now.”
Luce stroked Parker’s back. “No, honey. You’re not dying. You’re finally living.”
“You’re messed up.”
Luce laughed. “Probably, considering I can fix everyone’s life but my own.” She pulled Parker from her shoulder and leveled her with a serious stare. “You need a mom.”
