Page 27 of The Burdens We Share
Brody answers next, “I’ll do an acai bowl. Extra strawberries please.”
Selene looks at Dallas and suddenly, I feel my handsclamming up. She’s gonna ask me what I want and I can’t exactly ask for lettuce. Selene doesn’t know about the nutrition plan Nara has me on and if she did, it would only cause her to flip on Nara and then my modeling career would vanish. I push out of the booth and past Sly and Aria. I feel everyone’s confused eyes on me, but Selene doesn’t notice, too busy typing in Dallas’ order. When she finishes, she turns to me, “What do you want?”
I shake my head, “I’m good. I have lunch in my trailer. I’m actually gonna go eat it now,” I rush out of the trailer before anyone can say anything else. I don’t want them to ask me questions.
I feel Dallas at my back, keeping up with my every step. “Ivory,” he calls but I ignore him and continue for my trailer.
When I make it to the stairs he repeats, “Ivory.”
I turn to face him, “What?”
He looks confused, “What is going on?”
I shake my head, “Nothing. Everything is fine.”
He looks like I just told him a joke, “That definitely wasn’t nothing.”
I’m hungry, tired, stressed, and annoyed all at once. Hungry because Nara doesn’t have me eating anything but rabbit food, tired because my body doesn’t feel rested, stressed because I have a lot on my plate including a psycho stalker, and annoyed because he’s pushing me. “Why don’t you just mind your own business?” I snap at him. “Isn’t your job to just watch me? Nobody said you needed to talk.” I turn and swing the trailer door open so hard, it hits the stair rail. I let it slam behind me and instantly, I feel guilty, but not guilty enough to go out there and apologize.
I toss myself down on the bench seat and stare at the ceiling. I don’t know how much time passes before the door opens and Dallas enters. He glances at me lying and staring at nothing and raises a brow at me, “Are you done with your temper tantrum?”
I stare daggers at him but decide to just ignore him. I roll onto my side so that I’m facing the bench seat and not him. My stomach growls and I pray to God he didn’t hear it.
––––––––
“FINALLY, MY TURN. Ithought Brody would never shut the fuck up.” I pause, “LA was only supposed to be a pit stop. It wasn’t exactly on my way to Texas, more like across the country, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes after living on the East Coast my whole life.
“I got off that disgusting public transport bus and just looked at the city and knew I needed to be there. I got a cheap and super shitty motel with the last two hundred dollars I had and unpacked all of my five items, toothbrush included. The truth was, the only thing I owned that I actually gave a shit about was my guitar. I took it with me to the dingiest of dive bars and played it in my pink cowboy boots and hat.
“Nobody seemed to really give a shit about my singing voice because admittedly, it sucked. But they complimented my bass skills and after I performed, I made my way over to the bar and that was when I met Brody and Aria. The rest was history,” I finish reading my monologue from my script and wait until the recording light turns off before I remove my headphones and get up from my barstool.
I step out of the recording booth and Brody and Aria wait outside for me, smiles on their faces. They recorded their monologues earlier and insisted they listen to mine. “Isn’t it so weird to relive it?” Aria asks.
I nod, “Yeah, it’s like going back in time.” I have a little disbelief in my voice, but mostly nostalgia. I never once thought back then that this would be where I am now. Making the pit stop in LA was easily the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.
My phone starts buzzing from where I left it on the couch andI walk over to it and flip it over to see who’s calling. I smile when I see it’s Nate. “Hello?” I answer.
“Hello, the love of my life, how are you?” He greets in response, playfulness in his tone.
I shake my head even though he can’t see me, “I’m tired, stressed, and in desperate need of some Nate time.”
“Perfect, because I was calling to tell you to show your face at the club later. I know you need a drink, and I need you,” I can hear the smile in his voice.
I laugh, “Nathaniel, are you flirting with me?” I use his full name.
He chuckles, “Yes. You already know I’m in love with you.” Nate and I may joke and play games, but he isn’t actually in love with me. I almost wish he was because he would be so easy to be with. At the same time though, I just don’t feel that way about him.
I roll my eyes at him, “Send me the details for later?”
“You know it, baby.”
“Alright, talk later. Bye,” I hang up the phone and turn around to find a hard set of eyes piercing through me. The smile immediately falls off my face as Dallas glares at me like he wants to kill me.
I raise a confused brow at him. Why is he staring at me like that? Is he mad because of the attitude I gave him earlier? I didn’t know he was that affected by my mood swing.
I hear Aria’s voice at my back, “Was that Nate?”
I turn away from Dallas, grateful for the excuse, “Yeah. He asked me to hang later.”
