Chapter 72
Chapter Seventy-Two
A badass doesn’t quit. She pivots and keeps going.
—From Remy’s Affirmations for a Badass
Remy
“Dr. Remington, you’re very persistent. One might say tenacious.” Walter Pennyrose studied her from behind his nondescript desk in a nondescript bungalow on the studio lot.
After a tense but tender FaceTime with Sebastian—who confirmed his frustrating and worrying inability to get in touch with Walt—followed by a fitful night’s sleep, Remy awoke, unable to stop seeing the unease etching Sebastian’s face.
Within three hours, she was on a private plane headed to LA—organized by Benny and carbon footprint be damned.
She’d plant a hundred trees to make up for it. But this was an emergency.
Remy straightened her spine. If she blinked, she could’ve been back in the residency director’s office.
Still seeing his smug face as he mansplained to her how she may not have the physical strength to be an orthopedic surgeon.
She’d been internally—and physically, for that matter—strong enough to prove that director wrong. And then some.
Only, Walter Pennyrose wasn’t a smug surgeon.
Rather, his mien was affable. He may not have been smiling at her, but there was an obvious warmth about him.
His bushy eyebrows were endearing. She could practically hear Sebastian insisting that bushy eyebrows were highly correlated to big brains, and threatening to let his go untamed in old age.
Despite the knot in her belly, Remy cracked a smile. “Yes, sir. I’ve been told that before.”
He steepled his fingers, examining her, not unkindly. “I’m not surprised to see you here.”
“You—you’re not?” Remy regulated her breathing, knowing composure was critical.
Now Walt smiled and shook his head. “Your husband”—one brow lifted—“has been trying valiantly to reach me. But I’m really only interested in speaking with you. As I informed his publicist’s office. Repeatedly.”
She fingered her wedding ring set, drawing calm from its comforting weight. “Melody was informed you wished to speak with me?” That was news. Was Sebastian aware?
“Indeed. I told her myself…well, via my assistant. But he made my wishes clear.”
“I wonder why she didn’t convey that?” Remy wondered aloud.
“That’ll be a conversation for Bash and her later, I expect.”
“Mr. Pennyrose—” she began, summoning her courage and the talking points she’d practiced alone in the plane cabin over the last several hours.
“Walt, please. And may I call you…?”
“Remy is fine,” she nodded, feeling hopeful. “That’s what my friends call me.” She pictured the smiling faces of the Red Wine Supper Club, gathering her in another group hug before they left to go home last night.
“Excellent. Remy, do continue.”
“Mr.—Walt,” she corrected, with a laugh.
“The rumors are both true and false.” She faltered, trying not to let the small frown on his face deter her from her mission.
“When I first met Sebastian, he was very worried about proving to you he was worthy of this role. Of your respect. And he was quite aware his lack of a stable relationship was working against him.”
Walt said nothing, only slightly raising a brow.
She hurried on, forcing herself to still the rocking of her crossed leg. “Sebastian came to me with a plan. He would support a cause that is important to me personally, ensuring its long-term viability. In exchange, I’d marry him,” she finished in a rush.
“I see.” Walt’s face was unreadable.
Remy blew out a breath, lightly gripping her necklace. Give me strength, Etta.
“But what’s being lost in the narrative of the leak is that Sebastian and I fell in love.
Quickly, yes. But—” Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about how much she loved him and how far they’d come.
She would fight for this man, tooth and nail.
“But for real. No artifice. Nothing fake or temporary. Just the most beautiful love I’ve ever experienced.
“Sebastian is kind. He’s hilarious and loves to make people laugh.
He has a knack for reading a room and sensing the emotion hidden under all the layers we have.
He’s put me first, every step of the way.
He sees my ugly scars and doesn’t flinch.
Sebastian loves me in spite of them. Maybe even because of them.
“When we…” She paused and took a quick sip of water, her mouth dry as a bone.
“When we said our vows, both at our wedding, and before that—at the very beginning of us—he was giving me his truth.” She scanned Walt’s face.
Nothing. “You have to understand, sir. This truly is real. And the entire time I’ve been with Sebastian, I’ve lived in fear that one day, all this won’t be enough.
I won’t be enough. This will just be a season for him and he’ll move on. ”
Now Walt frowned and started to say something.
Remy cut him off. “But I couldn’t sleep last night.
You know why? Not because of the horrible things being said about me—and trust me, I have a good sense of the nastiness being hurled around.
But because all the while I was pledging my love for Sebastian, I was undermining him.
Doing exactly what everyone has always done to him.
Dismissing the depth of his feelings. Assuming he’d hurt me.
Treating his love like it was transient instead of the beautiful gift it is. ”
One lone tear slipped out and she dashed it away.
“This role—it touches a deep and special place in his heart. Please don’t take it away from him.
He is an amazing actor, Walt. And an even more amazing person.
Above all, please know that Sebastian and I truly love each other.
Yes, this was initially intended to be a marriage of convenience.
But it never was. Because we became so much more than that intention.
“I love him, Walt. And he loves me.” She inhaled and released a shuddering, freeing breath. “And that’s never going to change.”
Now a warm smile broke across Walt’s face.
He stood up, moving around the desk to sit next to her in one of two nineteen-fifties-era spinning desk chairs Remy got the sense were actually from an old movie set.
“Now that, my dear, is what I’ve been waiting to hear. ” He patted her hand. “Feel better?”
Remy’s head swam in surprise and relief. She lifted her chin. “That depends. Does my husband still have his dream role?”
Now Walt belly laughed. “It’s always been Bash’s role, Remy. I just needed to confirm his heart was in the right place. And that he was focused on the right things.” He narrowed his eyes. “Though I don’t love the fact he was going to fake a marriage.”
“Walt—” she began.
He waved a hand. “As Feste said in Twelfth Night, ‘Journeys end in lovers’ meeting.’ In other words, all that searching and all those struggles were part of the path pulling you both together. Now you can enjoy that new shared journey.”
“Oh, thank God,” she breathed out, then smiled. “That was Sebastian’s first role. It’s special to him.”
“I know.” Walt returned her smile, his eyes crinkling deeply in the corners.
“And it sounds as if you have some things you need to say to your husband, eh?” he added with a friendly wink.
“You’ve had a rough couple days. How about my wife and I host you for dinner.
You can stay in our guest suite, and then we’ll get you on a flight to Nashville tomorrow to see your husband.
In fact, I think I’ll join you. I need to pay a call to the set myself. ”