Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
She smiled, although I saw the anxiety in her eyes. I traced a finger down her cheek. “Everything is going to be fine, Shortcake. Jacob is meeting with the studio shortly. All of us will meet with MJ tomorrow morning. He is sure they’ll let me go. They’ll want zero negativity, and the bottom line is, if they force me to stay, I’ll be such a pain in the ass, they will regret it. This is all going to be over soon.”
“Will it?”
“MJ won’t risk her deceit coming out. She can’t stand to be thought of as anything but the best. She has other clients she wants to keep. She still gets her cut of my earnings for our shared projects.”
“Including this movie? My book?”
“Yes. But it’s worth it to be rid of her.” I sat down, pulling her next to me. “Jacob has already put me in touch with an immigration lawyer. For the first time ever, I’m thrilled my celebrity status can do something. It will help fast-track my immigrating to Canada so we can be together.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“You doubt that, Shortcake?”
She glanced away, and I slid a finger under her chin, making her meet my eyes. Her fingers were fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, and I stilled them. “What?”
“You’re very clearheaded now. Your meds have kicked in.”
I nodded. “Fully. That doctor I saw in Port Albany recommended an additional medication that has really helped with the anxiety. I’m picking up my files for him so I can transfer to his practice. And I’ve spoken to the therapist he put me in touch with. I liked him a lot. We’ve chatted a few times, and I plan to go see him regularly.” I stopped talking as I realized her worry.
“Shortcake, what I feel for you has nothing to do with my disorder, or the fact that I was spiraling toward an episode. I fell for you instantly. Hard. Permanently. Disorder or not. I didn’t make a rash decision based on the emotion of the moment. It was based on the need of a lifetime. I love you, Mila. Then and now. Forever.” I cupped her face in my hands. “You could never be a mistake, baby. I love you. I want a life with you.” I met her eyes so she saw the sincerity in my gaze. “You hear me?”
“Yes.”
“I love you,” I repeated.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“So, we’re clear?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Glad we had this conversation.”
We spent the day doing errands. I visited my doctor and got my files. Picked up a few boxes and headed to my apartment. Mila was surprised as she looked around.
“Not what I expected,” she admitted. It was simple, the furnishings modern, and it looked more like a hotel room than a home.
“I know. I told you, I was never settled. I didn’t want the huge house or the grandiose lifestyle. No point in buying a condo. This was just a place to shut the door and be alone. MJ chose the furniture and filled it while I was away on a shoot. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t care enough to change it. I’m leaving it behind—they can do what they want with it.”
“You rent?”
I nodded. “I was never interested in homeownership. Once it was discovered where I lived, I was surrounded by paps, so I’d have to move. And frankly, I never thought I’d settle down enough to want that. I’ve been here for about two years. A long time for me.” I laughed, looking around. “You wouldn’t know that, would you?”
“No.”
“I have some personal things to pack, and that’s it. The fridge is already empty, and I doubt there is much in the cupboards. I just ate out a lot.”
She looked incredibly sad, and I wrapped her in my arms. “It’s okay, Shortcake. That’s all behind me now. Right?”
She looked up. “Right.”
“I’ll pack up the bedroom if you want to take the few pictures down here and put them in a box.”
“Okay. I’ll look around and see what else should go.”
“We’ll drop them at FedEx and ship them home.”
She beamed at the word home. “Okay.”
I sat on the edge of the bed, relief flowing through me. “Really?” I said into the phone.
Jacob chuckled in my ear. “It’s funny how, as soon as you mention causing mental duress, forging the truth, and tarnishing their reputation, a person can be deemed expendable by a studio. Of course, they insisted the information MJ gave them was different, but they decided to release you from the contract. Papers are being drawn up.”
“What about the franchise?”
“I suggested the next installment could be rewritten at the start with the lead having had an accident and then having facial reconstruction. A new, more handsome, younger lead could easily take your place.”
I laughed at his dry wit. “So, as simple as that? A little threat, a suggestion, and it’s done?”