She shrugged. “He was very…fit. Vegan, if I remember correctly.”
“Let’s not talk about your ex-boyfriends,” I suggested.
She laughed. “Don’t worry. None of them ever got serious. Most of the time, they found out I was a believer and startedforgettingto call.”
“I’d say I’m sorry…but I’m really not.” I couldn’t imagine not wanting to be with her. And I was relieved to hear that she’d maintained her faith, even out in Hollywood. “Is it hard? To be a Christian and an actress,” I clarified, turning my head to watch her answer.
She nodded. She spoke to the sky as she replied. “Yeah. There’s so much pressure to do whatever it takes to succeed… So many people are trying to take advantage. A few of my friends started doing adult films, and I–” She shook her head. “I couldn’t talk them out of it.”
I grimaced. “Yikes.”
She took a deep breath. “I just kept praying God would open the right doors for me. I always wanted to work on things that were encouraging, you know? For a long time, I thought I would never get the chance. Then Faithmark really took off, and people really showed that there is an audience for movies and shows and books that have Christian messages. I finally felt like I was doing things I was supposed to. And even sharing the gospel through my acting, which was so much bigger than I ever imagined. Now, I just don’t know.” She turned to look at me. “I don’t know if I’m even supposed to go back. Maybe I should just stay here and do the virtual assistant thing full-time.”
I squeezed her hand, unsure how to respond. If she was thinking of staying here, I wanted to jump up and down and tell her “Yes, stay!” But she sounded so sad as she explained her feelings.
“That’s a tough call. But I always believe God will give us wisdom if we ask for it.”
She nodded and looked back up at the sky, so I did the same.
We definitely needed wisdom from God. Because spending time with Krystal like this felt exactly like I always imagined our future. And if it wasn’t going to look like this, then I needed to let my heart know. Before it was too late.
* * *
KRYSTAL
I buried my face in my pillow, groping for my phone to make the obnoxious ringing stop. I squinted at the clock and then winced at the bright light of the phone to see who was calling at five in the morning.
I answered groggily. “Priscilla? Why?”
There were more words in that sentence, but I couldn’t get them out.
Priscilla yelled into the phone. “I’ve got amazing news, Krystal! You’re going to love me.”
I winced at her volume and the shrill sing-song tone of her voice. “Have you been drinking? Isn’t it like two in the morning there?”
She laughed. “It certainly is! You’ll never guess what happened though. Remember Jessica Prize, the Magic Channel starlet? She’s just been admitted into a six-month drug rehab program! Isn’t that great news?”
I sat up straighter and tried to process. “That’s awful, actually. Is she okay?”
“Apparently, Little Miss Magic has a little heroin problem.” Priscilla’s laughter continued, and I recoiled against her exuberance.
“Priscilla, stop it! That’s someone’s life you’re talking about.” This was a side of my agent I’d never seen before, and it made me sick to my stomach. “I’m glad she’s getting help. But why does this warrant a call to me at five in the morning?”
“Without Jessica to film, and obviously such a troubled soul, Faithmark wants you. How fast can you get out here?”
I shook my head to clear the fog. “They want me?”
Priscilla cackled. “You’re the lead, Krystal. Ronny called me for a late-night meeting after the news about Jessica broke. You’re their first choice.”
Guilt and excitement warred for first billing in my head as I processed her words.
“And it gets better. Jessica was slated for back-to-back filming–twomovies in the first round. And that doesn’t even include the opportunities for the second session. You could wind up being the lead on four new Faithmark movies this year!”
I pressed a hand to my hair, smoothing the itchy place where my head had rested on my pillow. “This is unbelievable,” I said absently.
A squeal from my agent made me pull the phone away from my ear. “I know!”
My thoughts moved a million miles per hour. Bryce. Mom. The auction.