Lie
© 2016 Mayra Statham
All rights reserved
Chapter One - One Month later
Marcus Wright
He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath of air that smelled of fresh rain and dirt. He was sure he’d never smelled anything better. It’s what he needed to clear his mind: the fresh air and this place. It reminded him life wasn’t as complicated as he usually thought it was.
Marcus tried to go to his Montana home at least three times a year. Especially when it felt Hollywood and every pair of eyes were dead set on him and everything he did. It was only April, and he’d been there four separate weekends. That was how out of hand his life felt lately.
Every single wall felt like it’d been quickly closing in around him.
But here he could breathe. Exhaling, he watched the sun start to rise over the horizon. He sat on the Redwood deck of the main house of his sprawling property, his feet kicked up against the stark white railing. He sipped his coffee as he looked toward the majestic beauty of a new day rising and felt the stress of the tabloids and paparazzi running wild with his and Hollywood's ‘Good Girl’ Katie Wells’ breakup as well as the mess with ‘Russy’ start to wear off. The tension at his temples and shoulders loosened up.
Donald ‘Donnie’ Bosco, his childhood friend and manager, sat next to him, handing him a book. "What's this?" he asked without looking at his friend, his eyes still taking in the light of the new day painting the land.
"This, buddy, is IT." Marcus didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about.
"What?"
"What we have been waiting on," Don clarified. Marcus scowled as he looked down at the cover of what seemed to be a romance novel.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" he asked, finally glancing at his friend.
"Your directorial debut for our new production company," Donnie explained, a cheesy fucking grin on his face, which caught Marcus' attention. Don knew how important this was to him. Shit, it was just as important to Don. Sitting up, he looked at the back of the book, the small blurb on the back catching his attention.
"How'd you find this?" he asked.
“Grandma.” Marcus couldn’t help shut his eyes tightly. What the fuck was Donnie’s problem? Out of everyone in his life, Don was the only one who knew exactly how stressed out he’d been lately. Don should definitely know he was not in the mood to fuck around.
“Nicola?”
“Do we have another one?” Though they weren’t blood, Donnie was his brother nonetheless, having grown up in the Wright family fold. “I know it sounds crazy, but listen to me, okay?”
“Okay.” Marcus fought from rolling his eyes. He was supposed to be relaxing and winding down, not listening to a story about their crazy-ass grandma. He loved Nicola, but she was a character and a half.
“She overheard us talking the other day and then made me read this. I thought she was nuts,” Don chuckled, “but this time she was not wrong. No joke, Marc, she’s on the money with this.”
“I don’t know, man…A romance novel? I mean, who even published this?”
“That's the best part, Marc, it’s independently published, which means…”
“Less red tape,” he murmured, taking in the bright colors of the paperback.
“Exactly.” Donnie smiled and pointed at the book in Marc’s hands. “This story… Marc, this is it! This is the movie we are going to start our production company with. This is what's going to give you an Oscar nod for directing at the very least." Donnie’s overconfidence could have been annoying if Marc hadn’t known him as well as he did.
Don had always been a man of few words, making each one count, and his excitement and confidence on this made something in Marc start to perk up. “Read it,” Donnie pushed again, pointing at the book.
“Right now?” he asked, suddenly feeling all the weight of the last couple of weeks right back on his shoulders. All he wanted was a couple of days alone at his ranch in peace.
“Right-freaking-now, man,” he said enthusiastically, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he sighed.
“Fine.” He opened the book then felt Donnie move and turned, “What? Are you going to watch me read?”
“Yes, asshole. Just fucking read it!” Don shook his head, a sly grin on his face. “Trust me. Shit.”
Marcus opened it and read the dedication.
Lexi-bell: everything I do, I do for you.
He scowled, and his expectations dropped incredibly.
They had talked extensively about the type of movie Marc and Don wanted to be their first. They had been buying time and saving money, all so that they could one day do something more. He knew he had to trust his best friend. Don knew what was at stake.
Diving into the book, he had no clue, none whatsoever, not even an inkling, that this moment would be the catalyst that would change the course of the rest of his life.