Page 93 of Act Three

The wind whipped around us as I pulled the plane ticket out of my bag, keeping a firm grip on it so it didn’t blow away.

“The guys bought me this.”

April bent down to read it with wide eyes.

“No way! Hollywood!”

“Yep.”

“Why don’t you sound thrilled?” She stood back up and gawked at me. “That’s a dream come true!”

“It’syourdream come true,” I said. “I’m starting to think you should have this instead of me.

“No way. You earned this.” April’s ponytail was tossing around in the wind and she grabbed it impatiently, holding it down. “This isn’tmybig break — it’s yours. Go to Hollywood, find an agent, and I’ll come over and ride your coat tails once you’re famous.” She gave me a huge grin. “You’ll get me auditions, right?”

“Of course.” I laughed.

“Just because it’s my dream, doesn’t mean it can’t be yours, too.” April turned to look over her shoulder at the three men who were making their way through the party to the glass doors. “And if I took your place, I think these guys would have something to say about it.”

I tucked the ticket back in my bag before I could lose my grip on it. Dean slid the door open and April gave me a knowing smile and moved back into another group of extras who were sharing a vape and laughing.

“Aren’t you cold?” He wrapped his arms around me and I relaxed into his embrace. His warmth made me realize how cool my skin had become while I’d been standing out here in the wind.

“Not anymore,” I said, and kissed him.

The next few hours passed in a blur of food, drinks, and people congratulating us on the movie. We left the party at three in the morning when it became clear that everyone else was going to keep partying until the morning, went upstairs, undressed, and tumbled into the king-sized bed together.

As I drifted to sleep with my head on Isaac’s chest and my ass pressed against Dean’s cock, I tried to imagine how the finalmovie might look, but all I could see in my mind was the blooper reel.

44

KYLA

Iwoke early the next morning, with the first rays of sunshine coaxing my eyelids open. The guys were still asleep around me, all of them naked. Wyatt’s legs were tangled in the sheets, Isaac was snoring softly and Dean’s arm was over my waist.

A good few hours of sleep had given me a new sense of clarity, and my decision now seemed like a no-brainer.

Option one: I could go to Hollywood, live with the guys, and audition for movies. If it didn’t work out, I could always come home.

Option two: I could stay at home forever waiting for another opportunity like this, live with a gaping three man-sized hole in my heart, and always wonder,what if?

All the same, it wouldn’t be easy to say goodbye to the place that had been home since I was a child. I climbed out of bed, careful not to wake the sleeping men, and tiptoed across the plush carpet to where I’d left my dress. I pulled it on carefully and zipped it as high as I could reach behind my back, which happened to be between my shoulder blades. My hair was a mess of blonde fuzz and my eye makeup had streaked from where I’d squashed my face against the pillow.

Dictionaries could use a picture of my current look to define “walk of shame”, but I didn’t care. I ran some gloss over my lips, tied my hair back, and found my shoes where I’d left them in the doorway.

If I was going to fly to Hollywood tomorrow, there were a few things I wanted to do here first. First on the list: one last shift at the cafe so I could say goodbye properly.

I called Bob from the taxi that I flagged down to take me to a hire car business. Now that the movie was finished, and I was no longer terrified of losing my advance, I figured it was safe to use some of the money fromPushing Daisyto hire a hatchback to drive home.

“Kyla!” Bob answered the phone, sounding as jovial as ever. “How’s it all going?”

“Great,” I answered honestly. “I know this is late notice, but would it be alright if I came in for a shift this afternoon? You don’t even have to pay me.”

“Of course.” Bob was quiet for a moment amid the sounds of the cappuccino machine squealing and I imagined him opening his diary and checking to see who he’d already penciled in. “We’re fully staffed, but I’ll make an exception. Everyone misses you.”

I smiled and tried not to let tears form in my eyes. It felt nice to know that I’d been missed, and it made me wonder whether I was making the right choice. What if I arrived in Hollywood and the people weren’t as nice as they were here? It wasn’t somewhere that seemed like it was full of lovely people.

Exhibit A: Brooke.

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