Chapter 32
Lana
“We’ll pack a bag, and you come live with me for a while, okay?” Holland stated, already knowing that I wouldn’t want to stay at Callan’s house. Not right now. “My apartment’s small and the neighbors smell like weed all day, but you won’t be alone.”
“Okay.”
She wrapped an arm around my waist and guided me up the driveway.
My legs felt unreliable, as if they would snap in half with the next step I took.
I let Holland handle the front door because my hands were shaking too much, and when she stepped inside, she looked around the hallway like she expected people to be there.
I hated how relieved I felt that Callan wasn’t standing there.
“Come on,” she said quietly. We walked toward the stairs, and my mind kept pushing that one thought. Did he know? The question felt like a storm in my head, and I couldn’t make sense of anything.
When we reached the landing, his voice came from down the hall, and I froze.
“Lana?”
Holland immediately turned to face him. When he appeared, I caught a glimpse of the smile on his face that quickly turned into a frown. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
He didn’t have to ask to know we had been out. He saw our outfits, but his attention was locked on my face. He studied every detail, trying to piece together what happened.
“Lana, what the fuck happened?” His voice was rough and full of concern now. And the hardest part of it was, I didn’t know if I could trust him.
“Don’t,” Holland snapped. Her arm came up in front of me like a barrier. “Don’t come any closer.”
He stopped right away. His body went still, and his eyes widened with panic. He looked past Holland, searching for me again.
“Lana, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
His voice sounded desperate now. It made my throat tighten, and I desperately wanted to answer, but the words didn’t come. I stepped back instead, unconsciously protecting myself, and Holland shifted with me, blocking him more.
“Answer me,” he said, softer this time. “Please.”
“Your two little actress friends showed Lana a video,” Holland said, her tone tight and cold. “A video they filmed of you two having sex. They uploaded it without her knowing. It’s online. On a porn site.”
The change in Callan’s face hit hard. Shock came first. Then, there was anger that tightened every line of his body.
And, lastly, there was a crushing guilt that twisted his expression in a way I couldn’t handle.
I looked away because it hurt to see him like that, and it hurt even more knowing I was the reason for it.
“Don’t fuck with me.”
“Why the fuck would I fuck about something like that?” Holland shot back, her voice high-pitched and filled with anger. “God, you’re a dick.”
“Whoa, whoa, stop!” He took another step closer, but Holland straightened up and stopped him.
“I swear to God, Callan, if you had something to do with this, you better fix it or I will ruin your life.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” His eyes snapped to me, and as he opened his mouth to speak, his expression suddenly changed.
He noticed the look in my eyes. Saw that in this very moment, I had no trust in him.
And despite it hurting, I couldn’t make sense of anything I was feeling or thinking.
“No. No, no, no, Lana. I had nothing to do with this.”
“I give you one night to make that video disappear,” Holland cut in. “If it’s still up in the morning, I will ruin. Your. Life.” She emphasized the last three words, making her threat real and honest. “Until then, I’m taking her to my place.”
Callan’s head snapped toward her. “No. No, she’s not leaving. This is her home.”
Holland let out a bitter laugh. “Her home? You think she feels safe here right now? You think she’s going to sleep in this house while that video is everywhere and the people who filmed it were probably walking around here just today?”
Callan flinched. His jaw locked tight. He turned back to me, trying to reach me without moving closer.
“Please don’t go,” he said. “I’ll fix this, I promise. I’ll have it taken down. But please don’t leave.”
My whole body trembled. I didn’t know what to say or do. I wanted him. I wanted to trust him, but the pain was just too much to make sense of anything.
“Lana,” he pleaded as he took a few slow steps back. “I promise, I’ll fix this. Don’t leave. I’ll be back.” And with that, he stormed down the stairs.
“One chance,” Holland spat. “If he messes up, I will tie him to a pole and cut off his dick, then his balls, and then his nipples.”
It was an attempt to lighten the mood and maybe see things with a bit more hope. But I had none. My heart would only settle if that video were deleted. But even then, I wasn’t sure I could recover from this.
Holland started packing my bag the second we stepped into my bedroom.
She moved with a frantic, focused energy, pulling clothes from drawers and folding them with angry movements.
I just stood there watching her, unable to move.
I couldn’t think. Every time I blinked, I saw the video playing behind my eyelids.
Even if I had only seen seconds of it, I knew exactly what it looked like.
I had lived it. I didn’t need a video of it to know it happened.
Their laughter echoing in my mind made everything worse, and the unprovoked hate they had aimed at me for no reason at all settled under my skin and refused to leave.
“Okay, that’s enough for a couple of days,” she said, zipping the duffel bag with a violent tug. Then she turned to me, taking me in for a moment before deciding that I needed to change. “Put on your sweatpants and a sweater. It’ll be more comfortable on the ride to my place.”
I nodded, but even changing felt like a challenge. I managed to get out of the skirt and top I was wearing, and into the matching loungewear. Once done, Holland picked up the bag and said, “Let’s go. I don’t want to be in this house a second longer than we have to.”
Reaching for my hand in a firm and reassuring grip, she led me out of the bedroom, and down the stairs. We were almost at the bottom when the front door opened.
I froze, my heart squeezing in my chest. I thought it was Callan, coming back to plead his case, but I didn’t have the strength to face him again. Not yet.
But it wasn’t Callan.
It was Rocco.
He stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. He took one look at us, and his easy-going demeanor vanished. His brow furrowed as his gaze sharpened with concern.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his voice losing its usual playful tone. “Where are you two going with that bag?”
Holland stepped in front of me again. “None of your business, Rocco. We’re leaving.”
“Like hell you are,” he said, his voice firm. “What’s going on?”
I couldn’t answer. But even if I wanted to, Holland did all the talking.
“Just let us go.” Holland’s voice was sharp. She was angry at the man she had been sleeping with these past weeks, and she didn’t bother hiding it. And she proved once again that she stood by me, no matter what.
“Not until someone tells me why Lana looks like she’s just seen a ghost,” Rocco insisted, taking a step forward. He wasn’t aggressive, but he wasn’t going anywhere. “Callan just called me. He was frantic. Said something about a video?”
The mention of Callan’s name made me flinch. Holland’s face hardened, and the grip around my hand tightened. “Crazy that you haven’t seen it already,” she murmured.
“Holland, just explain to me what video everybody’s talking about.”
Everybody was right.
I felt Holland tense, and I knew what she said next bothered her just as much as it bothered me. “Those two stupid blondes uploaded a video of Lana and Callan having sex. It’s all over a porn site.”
Rocco’s jaw tightened as he looked from Holland’s furious face to my broken one. “Motherfucker,” he hissed, running a hand through his brown hair. Then he shook his head with a determined frown between his brows. “No. You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying right there until Callan’s back.”
“Get out of our way, Rocco,” Holland warned.
“No,” he said again, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“You’re both running on adrenaline and shock.
You’re not thinking straight. The last thing either of you needs is to be alone right now.
” He gestured toward the kitchen. “Come on. Both of you. You’re going to sit down, and I’m going to make you something to eat. ”
Holland scoffed. “We’re not hungry.”
“I don’t care.”
“And you can’t even cook,” she added.
Rocco raised a brow at her, amusement flashing in his eyes. “Hey, now. That’s a bit of a bold assumption. How’d you know I can’t cook?”
“Well, you never exactly cooked me a meal after we fucked.”
Their little banter almost put a smile on my face, but the seriousness of the whole situation wouldn’t allow it. I was still too hurt. Too scared that this will turn into something more and get out of control.
“Next time I do, I’ll make sure to cook you a three-course meal. Now, come on.” He held out a hand to me. “Lana. Please.”
I looked at his outstretched hand, then at Holland’s defiant face.
I was so tired. Tired of fighting, tired of running, tired of the tremor in my body.
I took a slow, shaky breath and nodded. Holland saw my surrender and her shoulders slumped in defeat, but she didn’t argue.
She just dropped my bag and led me into the kitchen, her glare promising Rocco a slow death if this was the wrong move.
Rocco made us sit down on the stools at the island and moved around the kitchen with a focus I hadn’t seen from him before.
He washed his hands, opened the fridge, and started pulling things out without asking what we wanted.
He grabbed steaks and broccoli, then a box of couscous from the cupboard next to the fridge before he started to cook.
Holland sat beside me, her focus always on me, making sure I was okay. I kept my eyes on the counter, trying to stop my hands from shaking.
“Lana,” she whispered, reaching for my hands and giving them a gentle squeeze. “Breathe, okay? I’m right here.”
I glanced at her and gave her a nod. “Thank you.”
She smiled and gave my hands another squeeze, then her gaze went to Rocco, staring at his back while he cut the broccoli into small pieces.
He was silent for a while, and after taking a deep breath and letting out a heavy sigh he told us, “I never liked those two. They were always loud about things that weren’t their business.”
Holland scoffed. “I thought you all had each other’s backs in this industry.”
He looked at us over his shoulder, a brow raised up high. “No. Never trusted them. Not once.”
“And you still fucked them.” It wasn’t a question, and Rocco wasn’t giving a spoken answer to Holland’s question. His expression said enough, and to me, it looked like he truly regretted it.
Did Callan regret it too, now that they’ve done this to me? I didn’t know how much I truly mattered to him. My feelings for him were clear, but he never showed me his. Not that I had opened up about mine, but I couldn’t read him.
“That doesn’t matter anymore,” Rocco told Holland, giving her a serious look before he turned back to the counter.
I cleared my throat, wanting to ask him a question. But I needed another moment before I could use my voice. “Do you…do you think Callan had something to do with this? Did he know?”
He shook his head immediately and turned around to face me. “No. Never. If he had known anything like that was happening, he would’ve said something. And Callan wouldn’t have let them near you.”
I just stared at him, unable to form more words.
His face changed again, showing me exactly how honest he was being. “Listen. I know tonight was hell. I know you feel exposed. But I need you to hear this. Callan didn’t have anything to do with it. He wouldn’t do that to you. He wouldn’t risk you like that.”
Risk me.
Even with Rocco saying it, I still couldn’t believe it right away.
Holland stiffened. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because he’s my best friend. And because I’ve worked with him for years,” Rocco said. “He’s careless with himself, not with other people. Especially not with someone he cares about.” Rocco looked at me with an earnest expression. “He’ll fix it.”
I suddenly felt a small sense of hope. Rocco wouldn’t say any of this unless he meant it. I kept my eyes on him as he continued to reassure me.
“Those two didn’t do this because of Callan. They did it because they hate anyone who gets more attention than they do. They could never stand new girls working with Callan and taking their spotlight, and you were a direct threat to them.”
Holland leaned forward, resting her elbows on the island. “Jealousy is a fucking disease,” she murmured, shaking her head.
“They won’t step foot in this house ever again. I’m sure of it.” Rocco looked at me again with a promising expression. “Don’t worry, Lana.”
I gave him a tight smile and tried to see things more positively. Of course, I couldn’t just ignore everything that happened in the last two hours, but I had to tell myself that I was safe right now, with them by my side.
After he finished cooking, Rocco plated everything and set the food in front of us.
“Eat,” he said. “It’ll help.”
I took in the food and appreciated the effort he had put in. “Thank you, Rocco.”
“Don’t thank me.” He grabbed glasses out of the cupboard and filled them with water. “Just tell me what you’d rate the food. I’m a pretty damn good cook, and I usually get high ratings.”
Holland raised a brow at him, probably wondering how many women he had cooked for before, and Rocco winked at her with a smug grin. “Eat, baby.”
We started eating, cutting into the steak cooked to a perfect medium-rare. It only took one bite for us to agree with him. He truly was a great cook.
“It’s delicious,” I told him.
“I know.” He grinned wider, then raised his brows at Holland. “What do you think, beautiful? Good enough to open a restaurant?”
Holland snorted, but the small smile tugging at her lips gave her away. “Sure.”
“She loves it,” Rocco told me with a wink. “And she’s totally into me.”
“God, you’re insufferable.”
I laughed softly, their little back and forth lighting up my mood just enough to stop me from worrying for a few minutes.