“I could understand their disappointment. What I hated was the way the whole thing turned to my parents.”
“That you were becoming like them?”
“Yeah, and warnings that if I weren’t careful, I’d turn into my dad.”
“Highly unlikely. For one, you were just a teenager, not a grown-ass rock star.”
She rolls her eyes. “Not according to my parents. I never knew when I did something whether it would be construed as behaving like my parents.”
“That’s tough.”
She drinks some more wine. “This will play out the same way, I’m sure.”
“I’m sure they know you’re a responsible adult.”
“I hope so,” she says.
“I’m sorry about your job at the station. I know how much you love it.”
“It’s fine. To be honest, I could have done with a break. Dealing with loss and devastation causes you to burn out. I have a feeling that I wasn’t too far off. It’s just happened in an unexpected way, but I’ll take it.”
I grin, proud of the way she’s dealing with it. She’s surprised me as I was sure that the press finding out about her would break her. She’s taking it in stride, and I’m so fucking proud of her.
Chapter 21
Grace
Every time I take a break from my work and look around, I smile at my surroundings. The sunroom is perfect for painting. The light is unbelievable with the sun casting gold rays into the room. I take a look at the progress I’ve made on the piece I’m working on, and satisfaction settles in me.
My muscles are achy, though, and I stand up to stretch. As I do so, I catch a glimpse of my phone blinking with a message. It has been on silent. I wasn’t expecting any calls or messages from Kyle. He and Chris were going to meet Damon King, the guy that Kyle is playing in his next movie. I’ve heard of him, and so has every firefighter. It’s a sad tale and a reminder of how dangerous our job can get.
It’s already one o’clock, and the beginnings of hunger pangs come over my stomach. I swipe to read the message and smile when I see that it’s from my mom. My smile turns into a frown when I see that it’s not in fact a message but the URL of a website. She has sent me several of them ever since she learned that Jack was Kyle Bryce, and I can’t think of a nice way to tell her to stop. I click on the URL, and it takes me to a celebrity gossip website.
Movie Star dating twins! the headline screams, and it goes on to describe how Kyle was having an affair with identical twins. It’s the most ridiculous story, and I don’t give it a second thought as I return my phone to the stool and head downstairs.
The house is quiet, but as I near the kitchen, the sounds of clinking dishes and running water replace the silence. Maria is in the kitchen, and she smiles at me when I enter.
“I was hoping you would come down for lunch,” she says and opens the oven.
The scent of grilled fish leaves the oven, perfuming the room.
“Thanks for making lunch,” I tell her as I slide onto a stool. Guilt suddenly comes over me. Maria’s job is to look after Kyle, not me. “You don’t have to go to the trouble, though. I could have grabbed a sandwich.”
“It’s no trouble. I cook lunch every day, and I love it. It’s the main part of my job, you know,” she says.
Lunch is a green salad and baked salmon. I fork my salmon, and it flakes. It’s the most perfectly cooked salmon I’ve ever tasted. It’s moist, and it melts in my mouth. Meanwhile, Maria is watching me to see my reaction.
“Perfect. Maria, you ought to be in the kitchen of a five-star hotel.” I’m not flattering her. She’s an awesome cook.
She beams. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it. There’s nothing like cooking for someone who appreciates good food. My husband Carlos doesn’t care what I cook as long as it’s edible.” She shakes her head sadly, and I laugh.
We chat easily as I eat. It’s a hot day and filling my belly with food makes me feel even hotter. Remembering what Kyle said about privacy, I decide to take a swim after lunch. It also helps that only Maria is in the house.
I thank her again and return upstairs to grab a bathing suit. I choose a rather daring hot pink bikini, and minutes later, I’m headed downstairs. There’s a changing room by the pool, and I strip off and change into my bikini. I grab a towel and head to the pool.
The water is as blue as the sky, inviting me to sink my hot body in. I slowly go down the steps that lead into the shallow end, and inch by inch, my body is submerged in the cool water. Heaven. I swim lazily along the pool’s length, and with every stroke, tension leaves my muscles. I could get used to this, I think to myself, as I swim back and forth. My mind is empty of all thought, except for the movement of my hands and feet.