Chapter 20 Nova
Nova
While Lainey and Porsha are playing in her bedroom, I stand at the top of the stairs and shamelessly listen to the interview happening downstairs.
“We’re sorry for your loss, Easton,” the reporter says, his tone professional.
Easton clears his throat before he replies, “Thank you, Mark.”
“Do you plan to take some time off?”
“Yes. I’m sure my fans will understand that I need to spend time with my niece,” Easton answers.
“I’m certain you’ve been too busy to hear about the rumors, but you’ve been seen with a certain redhead, and everyone’s wondering who she is.”
Oh God.
I lower my face into my palm.
“Her name is Nova Allen. She’s a close family friend and Lainey’s godmother.”
“Oh. Do you share custody of Lainey?” the man asks.
“Yes, we’ve decided to coparent her.” A moment later, Easton mutters, “No more questions about my niece, or this interview ends right now.”
“I apologize, Easton.” A few seconds pass, then he asks, “Are you working on any movies your fans can look forward to?”
“Not at the moment.”
“I think we got everything,” the reporter says, not sounding very happy. “Thank you for your time, Easton.”
I listen to everyone moving around downstairs, and just as I’m about to head to Lainey’s bedroom to check on the girls, I hear Sylvia say, “I get that you’re going through a hard time, but you could’ve smiled more.”
“Next time you arrange an interview, make it clear that I won’t tolerate questions about Lainey,” he snaps angrily. “She’s off-limits!”
Instinctively, my body tenses.
Sylvia’s voice is much more demure when she replies, “I understand. At least it’s over and done with.” I hear papers rustle, then she says, “I’ve made an appointment with Regina Davis for Nova on Thursday morning at nine. And here are the scripts. Please look at them.”
“Okay.”
“There’s also a Dior ad for you to consider. It’s shirtless.”
Easton makes a noncommittal sound, and I don’t hear anything else for a while.
I slowly creep down the stairs, and when I see him standing by the island looking at a stack of papers that’s piled on the marble top, I quickly glance at the living room and foyer.
“Can I come down?” I ask, my tone filled with caution.
His head snaps in my direction. “Yes.”
Keeping my distance, I ask, “Are you okay?”
He nods, then lets out an annoyed huff. “I hate interviews.”
My need to soothe him beats the apprehension I feel because of his anger, and I slowly move closer until I’m able to place my hand on his back. “I’m sorry you have to deal with all of this.”
He opens one of the scripts and looks at the sticky note that’s stuck to the page.
Kate Phillips has been cast in the lead role.
“Fuck no,” he snaps, anger tightening his voice once more.
My body jerks, and I quickly pull away from him.
Easton grabs the script and furiously throws the pile of papers into the trash, making me wrap my arms around myself, my head ducking low.
A fine layer of sweat beads over my skin, and fear floods my veins. My breaths burst over my lips, and they’re so loud it’s all I can hear while my vision blurs.
Every muscle in my body locks up, and my feet refuse to move.
“You expect me to eat this shit?” Trent shouts as he throws the grilled cheese sandwiches in the trash. “You fucking lazy bitch! Is it that hard to make a decent plate of food?”
It’s all I could afford to buy with the last money I had.
I don’t bother defending myself and keep my lips pressed together while staring down at the floor.
“You’re fucking pathetic!” Trent’s fist connects with my cheek, sending me falling to my side. Before I can catch my bearings, his foot connects with my stomach, and all I can do is gag through the intense pain. “You will make a decent dinner!” he roars before kicking me again.
A soothing voice breaks through the panic, and I desperately latch onto it.
“No one’s going to hurt you. You’re safe. Christ, Nova! I’m so fucking sorry.”
I manage to suck in a full breath of air, but a second later, I’m hit with a wave of destructive emotions, and I can’t stop from bursting out in tears.
A cool palm cradles my cheek, and I hear Easton say, “Open your eyes, baby. Look at me.”
It takes a while for the wave of emotions to begin lessening, and I begin to feel a little calmer. When I open my eyes, it’s to see Easton’s features drawn tight with worry.
“I’m so sorry,” he groans before he presses a kiss to my forehead. “I didn’t mean to trigger you.”
It feels like there’s an elephant parked on my chest, but with every breath, the pressure eases. When I realize I’m sitting on Easton’s lap, I lower my gaze, feeling super self-conscious. I quickly move off to sit beside him and wipe the tears from my face.
Crap, I just had one hell of a panic attack in front of Easton.
Feeling miserable, my voice quivers as I whisper, “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to apologize about,” he says, his tone gentle. When he lifts his arm, I flinch, and it has him slowing his movements as he brushes his hand over my hair.
“I will never hurt you, Nova,” he whispers.
I nod, and still not able to look at him, I reply, “I know.” Wanting to direct the attention away from me, I ask, “Why did you throw that script away?”
“I refuse to work with Kate Phillips,” he explains.
“Oh?”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders and tenderly pulls me into his side. “She once spread rumors that I made a sex tape with her.”
“That’s awful.” I suck in a deep breath of his woodsy cologne, the scent soothing my nerves.
“Yeah, so she’s on my shitlist for life.”
“Now she’s on mine too,” I mutter.
Easton lets out a burst of laughter. “Yeah? You have a shitlist?”
I nod, my cheek brushing against his shirt. “It’s short and only reserved for the worst people.”
“Do I know anyone on the list?”
The corner of my mouth lifts slightly. “Kate.”
“Let’s get something to drink.”
We get up, and as we walk to the kitchen, I pat my hand over my hair to make sure there aren’t any strands sticking up.
Easton grabs two bottles of water from the fridge and hands one to me before asking, “Who else is on your shitlist?”
I shrug while I admit, “My mother, my grandfather, and the idiots I’ve dated.”
“Idiots? Plural?” A frown forms on his forehead. “How many have there been?”
I hold up two fingers.
His frown darkens. “And both were abusive.”
Shame washes over me, and I lower my head again. “They weren’t in the beginning. If I had known they’d hurt me, I wouldn’t have dated them.” I try to defend my stupid actions of the past that put me in harm’s way.
Easton takes hold of my arm and leans down in an attempt to get me to look at him, but I keep my gaze lowered.
“I’m not blaming you.” He rubs his palm up and down my arm. “It just fucking sucks that the two relationships you’ve had were with bastards who hurt you.”
I gather my courage and lift my head while trying to force a smile to my face. “It’s in the past.”
“I don’t think so,” he disagrees. “You have an appointment with Regina Davis on Thursday at nine a.m. I really hope she’ll be able to help you.”
I nod before taking a sip of water.
Easton inhales deeply before asking, “Are you comfortable with me?”
My head bobs up and down. “Yes. I know you won’t hurt me.”
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Good. It’s important to me that you feel safe with me.”
I tilt my head and hesitate for a moment before I admit, “You’re the only man I feel safe with. I’ve known you for over twenty years, and you’ve never done anything to hurt me.” I hesitate again before I take the only chance I might ever have to say the words to him. “I love you for it.”
I almost let out a massive sigh of relief for finally getting to express in some way how much he means to me, but I manage to suppress it.
He pulls me to his chest and hugs me tight. “It makes me happy to hear you say that.”
I take a deep breath of his addictive scent while a sense of peace settles in my heart.
Yeah, I’ll be happy with just having Easton as a friend. It’s so much more than I ever could’ve wished for.
He pulls back, then says, “While we’re tackling serious topics, we need to discuss finances.”
“Oh. Yeah, sure.” I take a step backward and fidget with the bottle in my hands. “It’s probably time for me to get a job.”
He shakes his head. “I’d prefer it if you stayed at home to take care of Lainey. I don’t want her routine changing too much.”
“Okay.” I give him a confused look because I’m not sure I’m following.
He pulls his wallet out of his pocket, and after removing a credit card, he places it on the island. “This is for you.”
“What?” I gasp, my gaze flicking between the black card and Easton’s face.
“The credit card is yours to use for anything you and Lainey need.” When I keep staring at him, he gives me a pleading look. “Please let me take care of you.”
Oh my God.
“Easton,” I breathe his name like a prayer. “I can’t let you do that. What will people think?”
“I don’t give a shit about what other people think. I promised Rachel I would take care of you, and I have every intention of keeping that promise.”
My heartbeat speeds up as I move closer to the island, and when I see the name Easton Rowe printed on it, my stomach flutters.
“Please, Nova.” Placing his hand on my lower back, he leans down to catch my eyes. “Take the card.” I reach for the credit card, and when I pick it up, he presses a kiss to the side of my head and murmurs, “Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should say thank you,” I mutter. “You already do so much for me.”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “You can thank me by actually using the card. There’s no limit on it.”
My forehead wrinkles with a frown. “I need a limit.”
“Let’s make it twenty thousand. Once you get used to it, we can up it.”
My eyes widen again, and I almost choke on a random drop of spit. “That’s too much!”
He shakes his head. “You’re Lainey’s guardian, and soon, everyone will know you’re living with me. I understand it’s going to take some time for you to adjust to this new life, but trust me when I say twenty thousand is nothing in my world.”
Holy crap. I’ll never be able to spend so much money in a month.
My cheeks grow warm, and I struggle not to smile because never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d live in the same house as Easton and have him take care of me. It feels like we’re becoming a family.
Giving him a grateful look, I stand on my tiptoes and press a kiss to his jaw before saying, “Thank you so much, Easton. I have no words to describe how much I appreciate everything you do for me.”
“It’s just money, Nova. You do so much more for us.” He shrugs, and a sad expression creeps into his eyes. “Besides, Rachel was right, you deserve the world.”
My heart clenches painfully in my chest, and a wave of sorrow rolls over me.
Lainey and Porsha come flying down the stairs wearing their swimsuits. “We’re going to swim.”
The girls don’t even stop and run out of the house, and the next second, we hear splashes as they jump into the pool.
“I’ll keep an eye on them,” I say.
“You can’t swim, so you won’t be of much help to them.” Easton chuckles, then adds, “Let’s sit outside. It’s a nice day, and I can do with a relaxing afternoon after the interview.”
When we take a seat on the lounge chairs, I watch as the girls pretend they’re mermaids.
My thoughts turn to the past month and how my life has completely changed.
I’m too scared to believe that things will stay like this forever. Rachel’s death has taught me that life can flip on you at the drop of a hat.
But right now, I have Easton and Lainey, and until things change, I’m going to appreciate every day I have with them.