29. Traitor
TRAITOR
GRAYSON
I have better places to be than here, like at the hospital with my critically injured mom or with Alexia, but here I am, walking into Golden Star, already ten minutes late for the meeting, not that I care. They are lucky I’m even coming to hear this bullshit.
I walk inside the gold mirror elevator, pressing the 22nd floor where everything MorningStar is. I never thought I’d not want to see this floor. The elevator takes me up, and I exit in front of all our albums and records before turning right and seeing the big doors at the end that go to the office of Austin that connects to my father’s. He may be a shareholder of Golden Star, but he insists on having an office on this floor.
I enter Austin's office where everyone is already seated, I’m the only thing out of place. “You’re late,” my dad states.
“I didn’t want to be here,” I respond and take a seat in the leather chair beside Shawn.
“Due to the recent press,” Bridgett says, turning on the pull-down screen that’s beside her. there is an article out about me and Alexia, and the headline is “Famous Rockstar Grayson Archer Leaves Alexia Kirby on beach?” That makes me fume.
“We think you should play this off as true. It would be good press and re-boot you from the Jazzlyn mishap,” my dad says.
“I don’t want to,” I say.
“This could be big for you. You need this,” Bridgett says.
“What does this have to do with me?” Shawn asks.
“We think it’s time you lose Zara. Having her attached to you is losing your views. We could play off like a scandal,” Austin says. That sounds like something my dad would say. Shawn cocks his head at him.
“No,” he states. “Shawn, she is holding you back, plus you left her at the dance yesterday,” Austin says.
“You’re an idiot if you think she’s going anywhere. I left because Beatrix and Gray called and then after going outside, I came back and got her. I would never leave her,” Shawn says.
“Maybe we can play her off, use her. Maybe you can love her differently,” Bridgett tries to bargain.
“Don’t tell me how to love her!” Shawn yells at them. Shawn gets up, fixing his suit jacket. “Now if you excuse me, I must get Zara. We have lunch plans.”
“Nothing is changing with Alexia. I like her and I’m not using her,” I say, standing up.
“Good luck changing the press idea. I heard they are already airing my storyline.” My dad smirks. So this is his payback. Getting rid of her.
“I can try. And if you two insist on backing him up I will talk to Mr. Hayden about replacing you,” I state before leaving.
I have no idea how I will fix this. I can’t change what they put out. It’s about views to them but I can tell Alexia I am not agreeing with what they are saying and try and fix what is happening with Alexia.
ALEXIA
The next morning was not what I expected. I definitely didn’t expect to wake up and find on Hollywood Insider that a segment was going on that Grayson so-called “left” me at the beach, but of course, what did I expect when I got surrounded after he left?
We’re not even together! What the hell is this? But they are making up this story that we were secretly dating, and he broke it off. I tried calling him all morning but got no answer, which only makes me worried that something is actually going on and maybe he’s doing this, but as much as my head is punishing me, I push those thoughts away.
Fez picks me up this morning and takes me to set. Today is the last day of filming, and then I go home the day after tomorrow. Fez pulls up in front of Hayden Productions, and I bid him goodbye before jumping out and running inside, dodging the paparazzi.
“Did you make it here okay?” Emerson crushes me into a hug as I enter.
“Have you been waiting for me to get here?” I ask her.
“Maybe,” she says, pulling away and hooking her arm into mine.
“Look, I know things are crazy,” Emerson tells me, and I nod.
“I want to get this over with,” I tell her, unlocking our arms and heading to wardrobe.
“Well, the best way to get over this is to get to work,” she says positively.
I wish I was that positive. I figured something like this would happen. You just have to love Hollywood. I reluctantly get dressed in my final costume and move onto set.
I’m standing at my filming marker waiting for Garner to call “Action” for me to start and walk into the room, when Garner when me the nod, I start walking through the door and the background actors let the threw and some get in my way as I make it to the door that’s Gray’s characters dorm.
My character is supposed to wreck the place before his character comes back. I take all my anger out by tossing everything around. Banging and clashes rang through the room as I destroy it. My body heats up in a different way this time, it’s with anger. Tears run down my face and I knock over the record player and Gray’s character opens the dorm door and Garner says, “Cut!”
I run off set and make my way outside. I can’t stand to be here. I can’t be this close to him. They are playing the same segment of Hollywood News I woke up to as I run outside, which only makes it worse. “Are you okay?” he asks. Did he follow me?
“I should be.” I shrug. “Why do they think of what’s going on between us?” I ask, referring to the TV.
“They think that because of my dad,” he answers, finally turning around to face him.
“How are you going to stop it?” I ask him. He’s going to stop it, right? Gray looks down, not saying anything.
My stomach drops.
“You’re not stopping them?” My voice wavers.
“I can’t,” he says. He could try.
“You are letting them think that you are using me. Have you even tried to stop it!” Tears start to stream down my face as I notice I’m yelling. Anger and hurt are now becoming apparent in my voice.
“I don’t know how to change it. My dad already has a big handle on this from what he said in the meeting,” Gray says, looking down at the ground.
“Meeting? You talked about me?” He says nothing.
“He’s winning again and you’re letting him.”
There’s silence. Why did I think he was going to be different? Celebrity or not all boys are the same. They don’t care. They are selfish and menacing.
“It’s Hollywood. I can’t change that,” he replies and all the wind was knocked out of me. I feel as if I could crumble right in front of him.
“You’re right,” I say, and turn around holding back the tears going back inside, leaving Grayson behind.
Walking inside Emerson is standing with the crew as everyone is talking and celebrating the last day. “Alexia,” she says, catching my attention.
“Time for the wrap photo,” she tells me. I nod, following her over to where we are all getting bunched up in front of the camera for this picture. Once the picture is taken, I sneak off to my dressing room and pack up to leave. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.
I hate it here. I know I’m about to cry. He’s such a traitor; I can’t believe he did this. How could he do this to me? We weren’t even together, and he broke my heart. This is why I hate feelings. I should have never admitted them. I could have suffered alone, played them off, but no I let myself like him and let him make me feel special.
I really should have thought this threw more before falling in love with him and the thing is I didn’t even know I was falling in love. How do you even fall in love in two weeks? As I exit Hayden Productions, I see my mother standing outside beside the limo, ignoring the cameras around as she runs to me, capturing me in a hug.
“I know, honey. It’s going to be okay,” she says as she rubs my back. I feel her lightly kiss my forehead.
“I can’t believe he did this, Mom,” I sob, hearing my voice break.
“I know Lexi, I know.” She continues to rub my back as we just stand outside. Soon I hear someone else run to me.
“He’s an idiot. You were the best thing to ever happen to him.” Lia pulls me in a hug too. “Fuck off, you camera maniacs! Get a life!” Lia yells at the paparazzi. I slightly laugh at that.
Sometimes, you fall in love with people and don’t realize till it’s too late.