Page 70 of Sunrise

"It's not exactly negotiable."

"You're right. It's not. No." I walk into the kitchen.

"Kade, you don't have a choice." Wren sighs.

"Yes, I do. They wanted a family man, someone more stable. I got this job on those merits. But they don't believe I've changed and want to throw me back into that life? Why?"

Wren pours himself a glass of whiskey but doesn't say anything.

"I can tell you why. When Playboy Kade Markson makes headlines for yet another indiscretion, it's free promotion for their movie. I won't do it. They can replace me if they want." I throw some leftovers into the oven to warm up and turn back to him.

"You don't mean that," Wren says.

"Yeah, I do. I'm done with people telling me what I need to do and controlling me. I'm not going. You can tell the studio I said to fuck off, in whatever fancy wording you want. Don't forget. You work for me."

"Kade. I'm on your side. My job is to keep you and the studio happy. Keeping them happy so they cast you in more parts and make us both more money. I’ll talk to them."

Wren doesn't say anything more until we sit at the table, and he's pulling out plates full of Italian food from a mom-and-pop place nearby. The one thing I missed most while at the Sunrise Inn.

"You're different since you been back," Wren says.

"Different how?" I ask.

"Not happy. Grumpy. Angry with everything."

I nod and don't say anything because really, what can I say?

"You were happy in the inn. I heard it in your voice. I hadn't heard you that happy in years."

"What's your point?" I ask.

"I'm saying this as your friend because lord knows as your manager, I'd just tell you to buck up and play your part so we can get paid. But people change. Priorities change. If you aren't happy here anymore, there is a reason, and maybe it's time to figure it out," Wren says.

My mind plays over his words as he finishes eating and heads out. I have changed. Lin changed me, Hummingbird Island changed me, and every one of the locals changed me.

I try to push the thoughts from my head and go over my lines for tomorrow. No matter what I feel, I still have a job to do.

It's barely lunchtime. We have been filming for about four hours, and I can't stop comparing everyone and how fake they are to how real the people were in Seaview, how real Lin and Brynn were.

"Kade! We heard you weren't coming to the club tonight, but that can't be true. You never miss a chance to go and have fun and scope out that night prize, right?" This bubbly blonde attaches herself to my arm.

She is exactly the type of girl I'd have gone for in my playboy days, but now all I can think about is how her lips have been injected with something, and her tits are fake.

Her touching me makes my skin crawl, but most of all, how after a year and all the press, still no one thinks I've changed. I don't know what else I could do to prove it.

I wasn't lying when I said I was thinking of asking Lin to marry me. If I could find a way to make it work, I'd ask her in a heartbeat. Then Wren's words flash through my mind.

If you aren't happy here anymore, there is a reason, and maybe it's time to figure it out.

I know I'm miserable because Lin isn't here. She believed in me and saw me for me, not a meal ticket or a good time. When was the last time someone saw me like her? My parents? Has it really been that long?

"Kade, my man." One of the PAs approaches me. "We are doing a photo shoot for promotional material later today in the press room."

I nod, and he walks off. I take a deep breath and get back on set, but all I can think about is Lin. How I wish she was standing in the shadows watching. How I want to show her off and give her a tour of the studio.

It's so bad I mess up almost every single line, get cursed out by not only my costar but my director before they call it to go do the photo shoot.

I think about calling Lin and checking in, seeing how things are going, just to hear her voice, but somehow, I think hearing her voice would make things worse, make me crave her, need her more.

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