“Hang on there, Gavin.” Bryce watched as everyone filed out of the room, not one word uttered between them. From the looks on Michael and Jenna’s faces, they were reassessing some shit after Kaiti’s grand speech.

She’d given them some hard truths that they both needed to hear. She’d been a mirror for them as she had for me.

Good.

Skylar looked ready to hurl as she scurried out, cutting between Michael and the door frame and bumping her shoulder as she did. She was scared, practically pissing herself as she contemplated what Kaiti might say in that interview.

Also, good.

Bryce, however, had shrugged off the commentary and was now acting like he was ready to throttle me. Not that I cared.

“Close the door,” he said, his jaw clenched and his posture rigid in anger.

I glanced back at it and gave him a pointed look. “Maybe we should leave it open.”

He just glared and crossed his arms.

“I mean, it still kind of stinks in here and I’m a little worried about toxic fumes from that hard drive Kaiti fried.” He remained impassive so I tried for humor. “Also, if you plan to take me out, an open door and the possibility of witnesses might keep me alive.”

“Close. The. Goddamn. Door.” His eyes bore into mine as he ground out each word.

Okay, not in the mood for friendly banter. Noted.

I reached back and swung the door shut, resigned to whatever price I was about to pay for my actions. Instead of lingering on the other side of the room, I marched over and dropped into the chair directly in front of where he lounged against the corner of his desk. “Fine, let me have it. But I’m telling you now, don’t expect an apology because you won’t be getting one.”

“I wasn’t holding my breath.” He glared down at me, which I knew gave him a lot of satisfaction. “What were you thinking?”

“Kaiti asked the same thing.”

He threw his hands in the air. “Of course, she did! Because despite being a little insane, even she knows what you did was reckless as fuck. You came dangerously close to crossing a line legally, one that I couldn’t bail you out from even if I wanted to—and I’m not saying I’d even try. You put your whole career in jeopardy. Put the show in jeopardy. And for what? Like Kaiti pointed out, that video was bound to surface eventually.”

“Not the point.”

He moved to the seat beside me and pulled it around so we were face to face. “Then explain the point to me, please, because I don’t see how costing yourself your job helps anyone, especially Kaiti.”

I had no immediate answer for that.

He narrowed his eyes on me. “Were you trying to get fired?”

I looked at the floor beside his chair, anywhere but at him.

“Son of a bitch. You wanted to get fired. What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know what that would mean for your future in the business? No one would touch you. You’d be labeled as a bad risk—black-balled.”

“I know what it would mean, Bryce. I’ve been doing this shit for over fifteen years. I’m not naive.”

He threaded his hands behind his neck and stared at the ceiling. “Is she worth all this?”

I bristled, eyes snapping to his face. “Fuck yes, she is. But it’s not just about her. It’s about me. It’s about not having anything to believe in anymore, about watching my so-called friends take turns stabbing each other—and me—in the back in the name of fame. It’s about wanting to change things, shake things up, do something different with my life.”

He met my gaze. “You think you’ll be content to do normal with Kaiti, just walk away from it all and settle down? Because that’s not going to happen, Gav. I’m telling you this as your friend—whether you think I am or not. You’ve made too much of a name for yourself. Even if you quit acting right now, you’d never be able to walk the streets or grocery shop or take your kids to the beach without being recognized, hounded, followed and photographed. This is your life whether you want it or not. So, things are stale, I get that. You’re frustrated and disillusioned. Fine. Reinvent the parts of your life you’re not happy with, don’t throw them away.”

I watched him for a minute, wondering how we ended up so far from the people we’d been in the beginning, from the friends we once were. It had been small things at first, comments I didn’t agree with, choices I thought were selfish, and I’d distanced myself from him because of it.

Distanced myself from all of them, from the industry as a whole.

“I’d like to help you if you’ll let me.” His expression mirrored my own. I wondered if he was remembering how it had once been between us and whether it made him sad too.

I shook my head, though I offered a weak smile as I did. “No. I need to do this myself. Assuming I’m not slated to be fired by the end of the day.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up in a wry smile. “I think I know someone who might be able to smooth everything over, provided you agree not to go off half-cocked like that again.”

I raised my hand and gave him the Boy Scout salute. “I’ll maintain a fully-cocked status from here on out.”

He nodded and moved behind the desk. “I’ve got some calls to make but I’ll see you out there for Kaiti’s interview.”

I raised a brow at his calm demeanor. “Aren’t you worried about what she’ll say?”

“Nope. She’s earned the right to say whatever the fuck she wants. If it starts another shit storm, so be it. I’ve already got my umbrella out from yours anyway.”

“Thanks, Bryce.” I gave him a genuine smile, thinking for the first time in a while that we might be able to salvage this friendship.

“Bite me, Lane,” he smirked.

I started out the door and he stopped me.

“Hey, by the way…”

I turned and gave him an expectant look. “Yeah?”

“Off the record, what you did for her—the risk you took to defend her—I’m proud of you. And I’m happy you found each other.”

I gave him a nod. “I’m glad you were a douche in that mall and made her want to zap you. I wouldn’t have found her otherwise.”

He smirked, shrugging. “I do what I can.”

“Nah, you’re a natural douche, no effort required,” I quipped, pulling the door closed behind me as he flipped me off.

Joey—God love him—stood guard outside my partially open dressing room door, simultaneously watching over me and making sure everyone kept out until it was time for me to head down to the interview. He was oddly fidgety, shuffling back and forth on his feet and looking down the hall like he expected a stampede or something.

It was kind of adorable.

I knew something was going on with him and Evie, but she was being secretive about it so I didn’t push her for details. I might have to pull Joey aside and see what I could get out of him if she didn’t spill it soon, though. It drove me crazy when she was stingy with information.

“I should have asked Evie to come do my makeup,” I commented to Joey, watching the mirror as his head swiveled in my direction. “I’m sure she’s going to give me hell for going with the minimalist look for a big interview like this.”

“You look great, Kaiti. Beautiful.” He offered a warm smile and then went back to staring down the hallway. Dammit. I had been hoping for more of a reaction than that, maybe a flush in his cheeks at the mention of her name. Something.

Balls.

She’d probably told him not to say anything.

Sneaky little shit.

I finished styling my hair into something presentable and swiped some gloss on my lips before deciding it was as good as it was going to get. My hand closed around my phone, preparing to slip it into the back pocket of my artfully distressed denim capris when I caught motion in the mirror behind me.

“Hey, Kaiti-bear.”

Evie offered me a warm smile and stepped over to pull me into a hug.

“What are you doing here? I thought you had to open the shop this morning,” I spoke into her hair as it fanned around my face.

“I needed to be here.” She sounded near tears and I leaned back, arms still around her as I frowned at her expression.

“What’s wrong? I’m the one who should be freaking out here, not you.”

She tried for a smile and failed. “I’m okay. Long morning and you know how I hate mornings in general, so…”

She wasn’t looking at me, which meant she was hiding something. “Evie?”

Nothing.

“Evangeline Elaine Rivers, talk to me.”

She shook her head, giving me that damn weak smile again. “I will. After your interview.” She cut her eyes to the door where Joey still stood. “I thought you would have already started by now. I didn’t mean to show up and distract you at the last minute.”

“You’re not distracting me, fool. I’m glad you’re here.” I hugged her again.

“They’re ready for you,” Joey cut in.

Evie let go and smoothed my hair, her face ashen as she resumed trying to hide the fact that she was upset. I knew I wouldn’t get anything out of her if she was determined to wait until after the interview, so I pretended I didn’t notice the way her hands shook as she straightened my top and picked at an imaginary speck of lint.

I threaded my arm through hers and steered us toward the door, all smiles though I was nervous as hell and concerned for my friend.

The whole point of today was not letting shit get to me, so I pushed it all aside and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. One step at a time, one problem at a time, one victory at a time.

* * *

We’d almost reached the converted conference room where the interview was to take place when one of the runners hurried over to Joey. “They won’t leave and are insisting on speaking with Miss Oliver.” He cut his eyes in my direction, doing a piss-poor job at being discrete. “Do I have the guard escort them out or did she say to let them in?”

“Let who in?” I asked, watching the runner’s cheeks flame red. Oh, I get it. He’s shy around the cast. Probably gonna need to get over that if he wants to stick around.

Evie and Joey shared a look and my anxiety ratcheted up in the span of a heartbeat.

“Hello? Can someone please tell me what—” I quirked a brow in the runner’s direction and his eyes darted to the floor as he supplied his name.

“Chip.”

I nodded. “Can someone please tell me what Chip is talking about?”

No one spoke, so I turned my attention to the person most likely to crack first. I narrowed my eyes at him and watched as he shrank back a little. “Chip? You seem to know what’s going on. Let’s hear it.”

His eyes darted to Evie and Joey in panic, but they offered no help. Eventually, he lowered his head and shook it so infinitesimally that I wouldn’t have noticed it at all had the three little sprigs of hair hanging in his face not swayed ever so slightly.

“So, you’re not saying?”

Another tiny head shake.

I blew out a breath and glared at him, not that he could see it, staring at my feet like he was. I looked at Evie and pointed his way. “This. This right here is why my first instinct is to taser new people.”

His head whipped up and his eyes were wide as saucers, but even my implied threat didn’t loosen his tongue.

Dammit. “Someone start talking or so help me God…”

Joey just kept staring at Evie, who eventually turned her ghostly white face in my direction. “We were trying to wait until after the interview to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” I was getting irritated which I preferred to being afraid, though the look on my best friend’s face still had me shaking.

Joey muttered something about telling the interviewer there was a delay, then he and Chip bolted down the hallway like their asses were on fire.

Not a good sign.

When we were alone, Evie gripped my shoulder and steered us to one of the empty offices—well, mostly empty. It appeared to be used for storage—boxes and dusty set pieces were stacked everywhere. She clicked the door closed behind us and stood with her back to me, her shoulders tense as she took several deep breaths.

When she finally turned, she held my eye, and said words I never in my life thought I’d hear. Ever.

“Your parents are here.”

* * *

“I’m sorry, what?” I stammered after what felt like an eternity of staring open-mouthed at her, my eyes darting to the door like they might bust in at any minute.

Evie’s face contorted into a painful attempt at a sympathetic smile. “I guess they picked up on your name being all over the net and those stupid celebrity news shows.”

I sat on the edge of a stack of boxes. “What did they say? Are you sure it’s them?”

“It’s them,” she confirmed, face scrunching up like it pained her to say the words. “They say they want to talk to you, but I have no idea what they want beyond that.”

“You talked to them?” Why was my voice so uneven and small sounding? And why did the idea of them talking to Evie make me feel a little sick to my stomach?

She nodded. “Joey called me when they showed up and I came right over. Apparently, they’ve emailed and posted on your fan page but no one took them seriously—thought they were attention seekers or scam artists—until they showed up this morning and camped out in front of the building. Joey says they’ve been to your apartment too, but Gavin already had security tightened there after all the press over the video, so they didn’t get into the building.”

“Wait…” I stopped, sorted my questions into a manageable list, and started with the mundane, working my way up. “I have a fan page? And if I do, who the hell is reading the emails I’m getting?” I didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Since when is there security at my apartment and why am I the last to know? How did they even find my address? Why didn’t Joey fucking tell me they were here before he called you? And why is everyone so hell bent on jumping into the fray for me before even giving me the chance to ask for help? Fuck!”

I went to rub my hands over my face and stopped. I was already enough of a hot mess without smearing lip gloss all the way to my fucking forehead two minutes before going on camera.

Evie came over, threw an arm around me, and squeezed me to her side. “You done chattering or should I start taking notes?”

I pinched her side and she yelped, laughing.

I laughed too, surprisingly enough. I laughed at how she rubbed her side and gave me the stink eye. I laughed at how that poor runner had nearly pissed himself when I stared him down and how he and Joey had scurried away because they knew shit was about to hit the fan. I laughed because it finally hit me that I’d forced my boss to stand idly by while I literally nuked his hard drive—after dressing down the entire cast like Dr. Phil on a rampage.

Tap, tap, tap.

I laughed because they were outside and if I didn’t laugh I’d fucking cry, and I refused to shed another tear over those twin piles of abandoning shit.

Not one.

My stomach growled because I’d been too nervous to eat before work, but the sound took me to a place I never wanted to venture to again. Hungry, scared, ten-year-old Kaiti.

My gums started to sting like there were fresh cuts from the jagged, uncooked pasta, and my mind flashed to that worn, tear-soaked photo of the three of us when we were still a family.

Tap, tap…

My fists clenched in my lap.

No. I’m not doing this. I’m not going back to that. I walked in here this morning on a fucking mission, and I’m not letting anyone or anything stop me from completing it. No more distractions from people and things that didn’t deserve my attention.

I stood, brushed the layer of dust off my ass, linked my arm with Evie’s, and headed for the door. “Screw the answers. I don’t even want to know. None of it matters anyway. Let’s get this interview started. I’ve got asses to kick and a life to start living.”

“See?” Evie said, leaning her head against my shoulder as we walked. “This. This right here is why I love the hell out of you, even if you sometimes want to taser me right along with everyone else.”

I smiled, resting my cheek on her head. “And you know I love you right back because, after all these years, I’ve never zapped you once.”

As we reached the room where the interview was to take place, my smile grew impossibly wide. Gavin stood there by the door, waiting for me with a single pink rose. He’d been holding pink roses the day we met—dozens of them—but that lone rose in his hand meant so much more, just as he’d known it would.

I lowered my voice as Evie and I approached, “Stick close to him while I’m in there and don’t under any circumstances let him go outside.”

“No problem,” she whispered. “I can be scary too, when necessary.”

“Too? You think I’m scary?” I didn’t know whether I was insulted or flattered.

“A little. But only like one percent of the time. The other ninety-nine, you’re fierce and fucking awesome. Now, go kiss your man and get this interview over with so you can turn the page on all this shit.” She slapped my butt, chuckling. “Maybe we can all sneak off to the beach later. Let the drama roll out with the tide.”

I smirked at Gavin at the mention of the beach and he gave me a curious look. I raised my voice enough so he could hear. “You’ve never seen hot till you get Gavin-fucking-Lane all wet and covered in sand.”

He winked, handing me the rose and dropping a soft kiss on my cheek.

Evie groaned and pulled away. “I’m gonna get a cavity standing this close to the two of you.”

Gavin and I chuckled. He pulled me close for a moment before pressing his forehead to mine. “You ready for this?”

He didn’t really need an answer but I nodded anyway and handed him the rose to hold for me until I was done.

He stepped aside. “Then hurry up. I like this beach idea you two were whispering about. If we’re lucky, we can dodge Bryce and be halfway there before he realizes we’re gone.”

I turned at the last minute and mouthed the words I love you to both Gavin and Evie.

They each smiled and mouthed them right back.

My family.

The only family I’d ever need.