Jessica

The weekend finally came and after an extremely awkward week. Charlie and I had done our best to avoid one another, especially when we weren’t on set. If he was in a room and I walked in, I’d walk right back out and vis-versa. It was for the best.

It really was.

We were on location for the final scene of the day and it was just going to be the two of us again. With Rob’s wife getting closer to her due date, so our scenes were filmed out of order. Most of his scenes were filmed at the beginning of the week so he could have a long weekend to head back home and be with her. He’d been granted a month paternity leave after she had the baby so Charlie and I would be left to carry the workload after that. Hopefully by then it would be easier.

God, how could I have been so stupid to let myself get carried away like that. He was an amazing friend to have and I had to take it one step further.

What the fuck was wrong with me.

“Markers.” Hugh yelled out.

With my hair damp and a towel wrapped around my chest to make me look freshly showered and naked underneath, I took my spot in front of the mirror, my body covered in fake bruises and cuts.

Charlie took his mark outside of the “motel room” door.

“Action!”

I stepped in front of the mirror to finally assess all of the damages. The guys had been kind enough to wrap up my wounds but after a long hot shower I could take a real look at what I was dealing with. My face was beat to shit. One long cut across my temple. A split in my lip. The back of my shoulder had a large gash that would definitely need stitches. My entire body was covered in black and blue bruises.

The door opened and I quickly closed the towel, holding it over myself as I turned to see August walking in with a bag of food.

“Hey.” He said, putting the takeout on the table. “See you’ve showered. How are you feeling?”

“How would anyone feel after this?” I replied, sitting down on the bed. “I’ll need stitches on my back. Are you feeling up for it?”

“Yeah, Mark mentioned that but we didn’t want to do it while you were passed out. Looked like you were in enough pain anyway. Let me see it now that it’s cleaned up.” He nodded his head, shoving his hands into his pocket as he stepped closer to take a look at it.

I turned my back to him and his warm, calloused hands ran over my shoulders to feel around the cut. It hurt and and I winced but his hands also brought a sense of calm to them.

“Well?” I asked, meeting his eyes from the mirror.

“I’ll grab the kit from the car.” He replied, leaving the room to grab the kit from the car.

 
I breathed, waiting for Charlie to come back on his cue. My whole body felt like it was on fire after his hands abandoned me. I’d never had a problem getting and staying in character before. How could I be having this much trouble? This couldn’t be healthy.

The door opened again and August walked back in, motioning for me to sit back on the bed. I sat on the bed and he sat behind me. The heat from his body radiating on mine. He was so close that his breath was giving me goosebumps.

“You want something to bite on?” He asked, taking an alcohol wipe to disinfect the gash.

I winced again at the sudden burn and shook my head. “No. It’s not the first time I’ve had to do this and it’s likely not the last.”

“Tough broad.” He smirked as he began. “Want to tell me how a girl like you ended up in a life like this?”

I laughed bitterly. “I wasn’t kidnapped if that’s what you’re asking. Quite the opposite. I ran.”

“Ran? Why?”

I almost screamed at the pain but his strong arm wrapped around my waist to pull me back against him.

“Hold still.” he ordered.

I rested against him but gave him room to keep working when he held one arm around me.

“I ran because Collin, the concerned husband, was an abusive fuck that tried to kill me every chance he got. He had my family practically eating out of the palm of his hand, all of our friends loved him, everything. I had to get away so I picked up a few things I might need and ran.”

“Was this him catching up to you?”

“Yup. When you saw me, I had just made my escape.” I winced again, squeezing the sheets. “He’s had his goons on my trail ever since. They’d just finally caught up to me. I don’t know how I managed to get away but they’ll find me again. I can’t stay here long.”

“Yeah well, neither can we. You’re welcome to stick around with us as long as you need.”

 
“That’s a wrap!” Hugh called out. “We’ll pick up first thing Monday morning.”

I stood and Charlie did too. He looked like he was going to say something but decided against it and walked away. That had been the extent of our communication.

 

By mid-afternoon the next day,  I was back in Nashville. I called my mom’s name once I got to her house. Leaving my carry-on in the parlor, I walked around to look for her. The place always brought me so much comfort. It was much larger than the studio apartment I’d been raised in. I could still remember the day I brought her the keys. She cried and I cried. I’d never seen her as happy.

My mama had done everything she could to give me a good life. When I had wanted to become an actress she working three jobs and still found the time to take me to auditions. When the Night before Christmas became a hit, she took the money and set it aside for me to go to college one day. She did the same with the rest of my checks until I turned 18. She’d only use whatever she absolutely needed for groceries or clothes, but she always made it abundantly clear that that money was for me.

Then on my 18th birthday she threw a party with all of my friends and family and I gave her the keys to the house. It was a red brick, country styled home. Six bedrooms, six bathrooms. ten fireplaces, a pool, a spa, a movie theatre, and sat on nine acres of land in Tennessee’s most prestigious neighborhood. It was the first house I’d ever bought and she deserved it. She’d worked her ass off through hell and high water for 18 years taking care of me. She deserved the world and I would always do my best to give that to her.

“Jessica – is that you baby?”

I heard her voice coming from the kitchen. I should’ve known to look there first. She was always in the kitchen.

“Who else would it be mama? Prince William?” I replied, walking into the room to find her frying chicken.

She shouldn’t have been moving. She didn’t have to with all the staff that worked for her but she was to stubborn to give up cooking and I wouldn’t take that away from her too.

“Oh come here you.” Her thin lips curved into a smile as she brushed her hands on her apron and opened her arms to pull me in for a hug.

I hugged her tight but as gentle as possible. Cancer had made her drop so much weight that she looked like she could break at any minute.

“How was your doctor’s appointment?” I asked, letting go of her to grab a water from the fridge.

“It went fine. Same old same old.” She replied.

Leaning against the kitchen island, I gave her a look. “What’d they say?”

“What do they ever say?” She shrugged, going back to cooking. “It’s not progressing further yet but it’s still there.”

“Has the chemo been any help?”

“That’s what they say. But enough about me. You look a little down. What time did you get done filming last night?”

“I’m fine. Just tired is all. We wrapped around midnight.” I answered, taking off my sweatshirt to leave just a tank top on.

“And that boy – what’s his name – Charlie? How are things with him?”

I raised a brow and met her knowing glance before she looked back down at her task. “He’s good.”

“Good? This is the most quiet you’ve ever been about him.”

“Well what do you want me to say, Mama. He’s fine.”

“Mhmm.” She brushed it off skeptically.

I knew she’d push me more on the subject later but at least she’d give me a break for now. Over the course of filming I had talked about Charlie a lot. I told my mother everything, she was my best friend, but this wasn’t something I wanted to share.

I was embarrassed. These types of scandals were always speculated about me with every co-star but they were never real. I never wanted to be known as a homewrecker and that’s exactly what the media would make me out to be. It’d be even worse if it was the actually true.

 

Charlie

Had we let ourselves get carried away? Probably.

Could we have let our characters bleed into our personal lives? It wasn’t unheard of.

But that wasn’t the issue and we both knew it. From the moment we met I knew something clicked and it felt right. I mean, that would explain the jealousy towards Chris and the distance towards Morgana. I felt something for Jess. Something i shouldn’t feel for anyone. Something I had never felt for anyone.

But she was right. It was wrong. I loved my girlfriend. I had plans on marrying her after this movie launched. I was going to take a little time off of filming, hang back at home and be a real couple for a while. It was the right thing to do and it was what Morgana deserved for being by my side and dealing with all my quirks for as long as she had.

Besides, as cool as Jess was, we were different. She was hollywood. A home in LA a penthouse in New York. Assistants, chefs, stylists, a constantly buzzing phone, the whole ordeal. I couldn’t blame her, someone with her busy schedule and her net worth couldn’t be bothered to do most things herself, but I was more into the simpler things in life. Morgana and I had chickens so we had fresh eggs and an organic garden. We grocery shopped at whole foods and lived in a ranch away from the commotion of the city. I stayed off my phone and kept to myself.

We were just too different.

I walked into the laundry room to see Morgana folding the just dried load and I smiled, grabbing a t-shirt to help her. “Got any plans for us today?”

Her eyes lifted to mine and she nodded with her head. “Yup. I’m redecorating the backyard. I’ve been waiting for you so we could go pick out some new pieces. Just give me a few minutes to get ready.”

“You go get ready, I’ll finish this.” I said, placing the folded shirt on top of the pile she’d already done before reaching for another one.

She smiled, leaning up to kiss me before leaving the room.

 

“Charlie! Charlie hey! Smile for the camera!” A paparazzi yelled out as a few of them came over to us.

Morgana walked ahead as she usually did when this happened. She got enough hate from crazy fangirls as it was and preferred not to be on camera.

“Charlie – how’s the production of Highway coming?”

“It’s going good.” I smiled, giving them a wave.

“What’s it like working with Jessica Valentine – does she live up to the hype?”

Damn. Just had to ask about her didn’t they?
Of course they did. Everyone did.

“She’s phenomenal to work with both on and off set. I’ve never been around someone as professional and naturally talented as her. I’m not to proud to say I’m learning a lot from just being near her.” I answered truthfully.

“Charlie – let’s go!” Morgana called out from further ahead.

I waved goodbye to the camera men and jogged over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist to follow her into the boutique.

“Sorry.” I mumbled, pressing a kiss against her temple.

“When we retire, we’re moving to Greenland or something where nobody knows your name.” She said shortly, walking away from me.

I laughed but I knew she was serious. It didn’t sound like all that bad of an idea to be honest, but she could at least put on a brave face for now.

We spent some time looking around the store at the various patio furniture. To be honest, the whole thing bored me to tears. I knew these projects kept her busy when I was away and we both knew my visits would be getting further and further apart once I immersed myself deeper into my role, so it was good for her to keep herself distracted. She picked out a couch and a fire pit then we we were off to another store.

 

By the end of the night, I had gotten in a workout and showered. Morgana had made us dinner and after eating we laid down on the couch to pick a movie. I should’ve known better than to let her pick since she’d always go for the Rom-coms and this one starred Jessica.

It was like I couldn’t catch a break.

“Have you seen this one?” She asked, snuggling up against me.

With my arm wrapped around her, I nodded. “I have. I did a marathon of all her films before taking on the project.”

“It’s still so surreal that you’re working with her, isn’t it?”

“Mhm.” I voiced an agreement.

How was I supposed to act like she didn’t exist when she was mentioned everywhere? I watched as she laughed and twirled in character on the screen, dancing with the lucky man who was acting beside her in that particular film and I felt a knot in my stomach.

For years I’d watched her movies and I was always jealous of the lucky bastards on the other end. They’d chat her up and the media would always try to capture them together and make it out to be something it wasn’t.

But now I was the lucky bastard on the other end and Jessica was right. Rumors were inevitable but I could never forgive myself if someone had seen us that night and Morgana found out.

So all I could do was act. I could let my character fall madly deeply in love with hers and hope that my feelings translated on camera as a way for me to look back on. To others it would seem like an incredible performance, but to me it would be a remembrance of the adoration I felt for her.

 

Jessica

I laid there naked over the satin sheets of my bedroom. Mom had gone to sleep hours ago and Chris had found time to come into town for a visit. His soft fingers ran up and down the inside of my thigh as his sweaty body laid facing me. He pressed kisses along my bare shoulder and his free hand played with wisps of my hair. The spark that once kept me so content with him was missing.

“Where are you?” He asked breaking me from my thoughts with the raspy tone of his voice as he leaned up on one elbow.

Pulling my eyes away from the window, I offered him a smile to ease his nerves. “Right beside you.”

He gave a low laugh but shook his head. “No. Where’s your head at?”

I shook my head, turning my body to face him, my head resting against his firm chest. “Just thinking about my mom.”

I lied.

It wasn’t a whole lie – she was always on my mind – but I wasn’t thinking about her in that moment.

I was thinking about Charlie. I was wondering if he had gone home to visit his girlfriend. If they were laying in bed. If they were making love. I was wondering what it would feel like to be in her place.

But I couldn’t tell Chris that.

I couldn’t tell anyone that.

“She’ll be alright.” He reassured, his hand brushing my hair away from my face. “She’s a fighter and she’s going to fight this too.”

I nodded my head not wanting to go down that road. It was bad enough my mind was preoccupied with Charlie. I’d be up all night if I went deeper into thinking about her too.

“I love you.” Chris whispered, pressing a kiss against my temple. “You know I’m here to listen if you ever decide to talk about it.”

Faking a smile, I lifted my head to kiss him. “I love you too.”