Page 19 of Shocking Sapphires
Once we were alone, Eva said, “I’m sorry I didn’t make it here sooner, darling, but I’ve been so busy filming all over the world. I can’t wait for you to get a look at what we’ve been doing withPandemic. It’s going to be my biggest blockbuster yet. I just know it.”
She had a dreamy, faraway gaze as she imagined the additional fame and fortune headed her way. Both were as addictive as any drug. I knew that as well as anyone.
I waited patiently as she prattled on about how the movie that she’d just been filming had everything audiences love… dramatic suspense, sizzling romance, fantastic characters, and epic locations. Although I was sure she was right about the movie’s merits, I couldn’t drum up any enthusiasm about it. The entire Hollywood scene felt foreign and insignificant to me now.
After letting her drone on and on about her filming schedule, her travels, and her socializing, I finally broke in with, “So, I’m doing okay. Thanks for asking.”
She did manage to morph her expression into one of guilt, but she was a talented actress, so I couldn’t be sure if her sympathy was legitimate. It was truly frustrating trying to figure out someone who pretended to be everyone, except herself, for a living. I didn’t know how Molly endured dealing with me.
When Eva took my hand within her clammy one, I almost chuckled at the realization that this disproved the ‘cold hands, warm heart’ theory that Molly and I had discussed.
The actress sounded sincere when she said, “I would have asked you how you’re doing, but I assumed you didn’t want to talk about it. This is my first time dealing with anything this awful, so I’m nervous about saying or doing the wrong thing. I’ve been super anxious about coming here.”
Somehow, she managed to turn everything back to her. Anger made my nostrils flare as I said, “Sorry to make you uncomfortable with my permanent, life-altering injury. What was I thinking getting into that horrific crash?”
My sarcasm seemed to sail right over her head.
Her sparkling blue eyes gazed into mine as she said, “I want us to get back together, Grant. I want to stand by your side during this tragedy.”
For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what her angle was here, but I knew she had to be up to something. Narrowing my eyes at her I said, “Then where have you been? This happened months ago.”
“I told you… I was filming. I came as soon as I could manage it.”
Unable to curb my new sarcastic streak, I asked, “And phones don’t work at any of the locations where you were filming?”
She managed to drum up a couple of tears as she said, “I didn’t know what to say, Grant. I wanted to call you, but I was scared. I’m here now, though. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Are you hoping for a photo op standing by your crippled boyfriend’s side?”
“Of course not,” she answered, swiping a final, stray tear from her cheek. Her crying magically stopped when she realized it wasn’t swaying me.
Wanting her to stop with the dramatics, I said, “You don’t need to be here, Eva. We both know our relationship was fake, anyway.”
“It wasn’t entirely fake,” she reminded me.
A mental image of the hot nights we’d spent together flashed into my mind, but that had been a long time ago. In fact, it felt like an entire lifetime ago.
“I don’t know what kind of guilt has you thinking that you need to come here to save me, but you truly don’t have to. I’m going to be okay, and we both know there are other places you would rather be.”
“I want to be with you,” she said in what sounded like a sincere voice before she leaned in and crushed her lips to mine.
Of all the rotten luck, Molly chose that moment to return to my room.
17
Molly
Istopped short and stared at Grant as he made out with one of the most beautiful women in the world. The temptation to kick myself was very strong as I gawked at them. The two of them made sense. They were equals. I was just some hick from a ‘podunk’ town that had let myself believe delusions of grandeur that a movie star could actually have feelings for me.
After clearing my throat, I put my head down and scurried across the room, pushing the stroller ahead of me. “I forgot Scout’s favorite plushy. I’ll just grab it, and we’ll be out of your hair.”
I quickly scooped the soft blue elephant that I had named ‘Peanut’ from the window sill and turned to leave.
“Wait!” Grant said to my retreating back.
The guilt visible in his eyes when I turned back to face him almost did me in. It wasn’t fair of me to have inserted myself into his life or to expect him to feel for me even a fraction of how much I cared about him.
Eva’s presence practically electrified the room. She was almost as charismatic as Grant. He deserved to be with someone like her. Even if their relationship had been mostly fake in the past, she was here for him now, so I owed it to him to at least give him the opportunity to try to make things work with her.
