“Because you’ll be disappointed. Your love is conditional. You’ve never loved the bad guy.”
“That’s not true. I love you no matter what,” I say, my voice breaking over the line. “I’m coming. Where are you now?”
“I’m nowhere,” he says, his voice taking on an edge. The only sound I hear is ice clinking into a glass before the line goes dead.
I stare at the phone in my hand, blinking before I register the time. It’s just before daybreak. He’s not sleeping at all. He says he’s not there, but I know damn well my husband is the one that reached out to me. I won’t let him down, I promised I wouldn’t. We’re living in a land of fiction, and it’s up to me to decipher the truths from the lies. He’s imploding. I just hope I can save him before the lies swallow us both whole.
Getting a drink of water, I check my texts and see an incoming message from Nova a few hours prior.
Nova: Lucas just lost his shit on the AD and broke his nose. Wes is doing his best to keep him from pressing charges. It’s a damn mess.
I’m on my way.
Mila
I have to see him, to lay eyes on him. They’re set to wrap in El Paso within the week, but that doesn’t stop me from booking the first available flight. They’re far along in the movie. The desert scenes are close to last in the sequence but some of the most grueling. This part of the storyboard is where Nikki makes a power play for the throne, savagely killing over a dozen men and demanding loyalty from his wife in the most brutal of ways. These scenes are taxing, and I know his stamina is wilting. I need a purpose, a reason to believe all this sacrifice is worth it. It’s the only thing that will reel me back in from breaking at the seams. I’m overwhelmed with the change in L
ucas and completely unsure what I’m up against anymore.
Taking my seat, I buckle my belt and stare out the window cursing Blake. If he were here, he would know just how to deal with Lucas. At this point, I can’t decipher if this is Lucas acting or if he’s using it as an excuse to act bad.
“Mila,” Nova calls out to me from the car she’s standing next to at the terminal. She looks nervous, and I can see the fatigue in her as I approach with my carry-on.
“I’m so glad you came,” she says, hugging me briefly before popping the trunk on the rental car.
“Thanks for picking me up,” I say, tossing my bag in and opening the passenger door. She stands at the driver’s side, and I can hear the guilt in her words while the heat-infused wind whips the hair around her face.
“I should have called you sooner. I’m sorry. Something isn’t right.”
“I know.”
Tears imminent on both our parts, we collectively get in the car and sigh. She’s the first to speak. “He’s nailing it. Really, I’ve never seen him do better. It’s unreal. But instead of being proud of him, I’m almost embarrassed at this point.”
Though Nova and I are friends, I’ve rarely ever abused that friendship to get information…until he took this role.
She looks me over. “How are you?”
“Not good,” I confess honestly.
“Can I be honest with you?”
I frown. “You know you can.”
“He’s on time to set every day, there’s no issue there but…”
“But what?”
“Okay, like normally he stays in character, and I get that, it’s his way, but he’s so, I don’t know. He’s on a rampage. I mean this guy is Nikki fucking Rayo.”
“What is he doing?”
She bites her lip. “He’s not talking to me. He’s not even using me. When I talk to him, it’s like he stares straight through me. He’s drinking, a lot. Partying with the crew at all hours but not saying much. And when he does, he’s constantly pissed off, destructive, and just outright fucking rude to me and to everyone who shows concern.”
“Is he paying you?”
“Yeah, I pay all the bills, so we’re safe there. But honestly, right now, I’m unsure if I even have a job.”
She pulls out of the terminal and sighs. “If he won’t even work with me, what am I here for, you know? Leann is constantly calling because the fucking crew won’t keep their mouth shut about what’s going on. I think it’s purposeful to help promote the movie. He won’t even address the PR shitstorm he’s causing.”