Marissa #3
A few days after we got back to LA, I called Riley, my publicist, and filled her in on my plans to start a production company with Pooja. I also voiced my concerns about backlash from Rocky.
“I know exactly who you need to bring onto the team,” Riley had told me.
“Chloe has a reputation for dealing with … shall we say, difficult celebrities? She’s kept even the most wayward Bachelor contestants in line, and she’s incredible at helping people grow their personal brand on social media.
If you’re going to do this, you’re going to need to reintroduce yourself to the public, show them your authentic self.
And there’s no one better to help you with that than Chloe.
” She’d paused and I could practically hear her blush over the phone.
“She’s also my girlfriend, which I hope isn’t a conflict of interest. I promise you; she really is the best of the best.”
I hired Chloe that day and haven’t looked back.
After a brainstorming phone call, she encouraged me to start sharing my favorite books on social media, with the goal of starting my own virtual book club.
The perfect lead-in to our end goal of adapting more novels into film.
So far, the public response has been overwhelming. And I know it’s just the beginning.
I level my gaze at him. “The bottom line is, I don’t need to threaten you.
I know I can trust you to do the right thing.
Because you may have been a shit husband, but you love our kids.
And the last thing you want to do is hurt them by dragging their mother across the internet.
We both prioritize our children’s happiness, and I know you’d never do anything to jeopardize it.
But from here on out, things are going to change. ”
Rocky raises a skeptical eyebrow. “Change how?”
I hold up one finger. “First, you are going to respect me. Not just as a caretaker, but as an equal. And that means communication. Any important decisions involving our kids need to be made with me. From here on out, I refuse to be the last to know something important. Which brings me to two.”
I hold up another finger. “No more surprises. We might not be romantic partners, but we are partners in parenting and that means keeping me in the loop. Got it?”
Rocky looks slightly stunned but manages to nod.
“And three. I’m going back to work, and that means the kids will be spending more time with you than usual. It might also mean that you’re going to have to make the occasional professional sacrifice so that we are both able to pursue opportunities that matter to us.”
Rocky is quiet for a long moment before he responds. When he finally speaks, the fight has gone out of his voice and now he just sounds tired.
“Look, I want you to do this movie. But why does it matter so much to you if I direct it? Is the idea of working together that offensive?”
“Because this is my time,” I reply. “This movie is important to me. Telling this story and uplifting this underrepresented voice is important to me. I can’t allow it to be overshadowed by tabloid drama.
You know perfectly well how much chaos working together would bring.
The way the press would spin it into some kind of love triangle between you, me, and Rayna.
It would completely overshadow everything we are trying to accomplish. ”
Rocky stares at me but doesn’t argue. Whether he’s willing to admit it out loud or not, he knows that I’m right.
“I care about autism representation too,” he says after a beat.
“I know that I screwed up in the past with that whole People magazine thing. But I got to spend a lot of time with Levi on our trip, and I gained a new appreciation for the way he navigates the world. I know I wasn’t around a lot when the kids were younger, but I want to change that.
I want to be more present. And I want to be a better advocate for him.
I want to facilitate more education and representation. ”
I give him a tiny smile, and this time, it’s genuine. “I know. I want that too. And that’s why the best thing you can do for this movie is to walk away.”
Rocky’s jaw twitches and he nods once.
“Okay,” he says softly. “You win. I will walk away. And I will meet every other one of your conditions.”
He meets my eyes again and they are soft now, reminiscent of the man I once loved.
It makes my heart ache, because as much as I appreciate Rocky’s support, he’s not the man I want sitting here with me.
Worse, the memory of what we once shared only highlights the grim reality that I didn’t know what true love was until Jesse.
I love that man and I think I always will.
Even if that love story has come to an end, it’s left me permanently altered.
Still, I am battered but not broken. I have finally learned my lesson. I’m ready to take the next step forward, and I’m never going to let love be a reason to compromise any part of myself again. Onward and upward.
I nod toward the house.
“Want to come inside?” I ask. “Stay for a family dinner?”
Rocky’s features melt into genuine relief.
“I’d like that.”