Chapter 10
TEN
CAITLIN ARRIVED TO SET THAT morning to find her trailer had been parked right next to Gemma’s.
It made sense, of course, but for some reason, it had still caught her off guard.
They desperately needed to talk, even if Gemma kept shutting her down.
Caitlin wasn’t going to give up. After their last interaction at the table read, she knew that at the minimum, Gemma would at least be friendly to her at work.
Caitlin knocked on her neighbor’s door and waited until she got permission to enter. When a voice sounded from the other side, Caitlin turned the handle and walked up the steps.
Gemma stood in front of the small square mirror hanging on the wall of the cramped trailer, holding her script.
Based on the unhappy look on her face, Caitlin knew that she was probably not the person Gemma had been expecting.
Gemma hadn’t told her to go to hell, though, so Caitlin took that as a win and stepped further into the lounge.
“I just wanted to... um, come say hi. Before we got started today.” Caitlin stumbled over her words, hearing the distant rumble of generators and the crew shouting through the thin walls.
Caitlin thought back to when they had started hanging out together during their sophomore year of high school.
Gemma tugged her out of the safe little box she had been living in.
Flirting with friends, collapsing into tickle fights, and dancing barefoot in the basement hadn’t been part of Caitlin’s usual rhythm.
She had rarely spent one-on-one time with anyone besides Troy.
But with Gemma, everything had felt different.
Each moment was a first, reshaping how Caitlin had seen the world and herself.
Now, angrily standing in front of her, Gemma’s voice yanked Caitlin back from those bittersweet memories. “You really don’t need to do this. We can act just like everyone else without history. Show up, do our scenes, and go home.”
Caitlin crossed her arms at her chest, needing the comfort. “I get it. You aren’t thrilled about me being here.”
“That’s an understatement,” Gemma mumbled under her breath.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” It seemed that the nicer Caitlin tried to be, the harsher Gemma’s words became, and it was beginning to aggravate her.
“I really hoped to never see you again.”
The sting of Gemma’s words coursed through Caitlin, and this time, she couldn’t subdue the anger bubbling inside of her.
“Listen, this film is a big opportunity for me. This could be my shot at an Oscar nomination with McKenzie Ryan. So we need to get on the same page here because I’m not going to let you ruin this for me.”
Gemma scoffed. “It’s nice to see you haven’t changed one bit.
Always looking out for Caitlin.” She dropped the script on the small desk, barely controlling her rage, and moved closer to Caitlin.
“Did it ever occur to you that maybe this means something to me, too? That this movie could get me off of network television and away from the misogynistic piece of shit that makes my life a living hell? This isn’t just a big opportunity for you, Caitlin. This could make or break me.”
The air sat heavy between them, thick with the scent of hairspray and a decade-old resentment.
Caitlin squeezed her arms tighter around her body.
At the mention of a man mistreating Gemma, fury surged through Caitlin.
She felt an overwhelming impulse to scream and hunt down anyone who had ever hurt Gemma.
But then the deeper truth hit. Caitlin herself hadn’t been kind.
She had never stopped to consider what this role might mean to Gemma.
That realization cracked her open, and a dozen feelings rushed in at once.
She was suddenly drowning in the guilt, the regret, and the love that she still felt toward the woman seething in front of her.
Gemma narrowed her eyes at Caitlin, waiting for a retort that never came. She didn’t have any anger left.
“Well, we’re here now, whether we like it or not. So what is the page that you would like us to get on?” Gemma asked.
Caitlin could feel the pressure building with every moment they stood in this confined trailer. She needed to resolve this matter before the time bomb exploded.
“I want you to be able to be in my presence without looking like you want to throw up.” Caitlin softened, uncrossing her arms. “I don’t want it to show up on the screen.”
Gemma placed her hands on her hips. “Thanks, but I don’t need advice from you. You’ve always been so good at focusing on yourself, so I suggest you do that now.”
Caitlin realized that, in this moment, there was no explanation, no apology that would satisfy Gemma. The years of silence between them had hardened into something immovable. Not knowing what else to do, Caitlin retreated from the trailer, each step heavy with regret.
The remainder of the afternoon went peacefully following Caitlin’s earlier departure from Gemma’s trailer. Her scenes that day were all filmed with her on-screen husband, allowing her to keep a safe distance from Gemma. Tomorrow would be a different story, though.
The University of Pennsylvania theater classes hadn’t exactly prepared her for this situation, believe it or not.
But for everyone’s sake, Caitlin really hoped that the two of them could keep it together.
She knew she couldn’t place all the blame on Gemma.
They had been forced back into each other’s lives after not seeing or speaking to one another since they were nineteen.
There was no playbook for moments like this, no script to follow, no easy fix.
But Caitlin knew with an aching clarity that if they didn’t face the past, they would stay trapped in it indefinitely.
When Caitlin got back to her hotel room that night, she called her best friend.
“Hey girl!” Caitlin immediately felt better hearing Maddie’s voice. “How’s the Big Apple?”
“Ugh.” Caitlin groaned into the phone.
“Damn, that bad?”
“Gemma is just making this so difficult. And I get it, I gave her the reason not to like me in the first place. But I had thought that since it’s been so long, maybe she would be over it by now.” Caitlin sighed.
“I mean, Cait, seriously? I’m not defending her, but you broke up with her and then literally ghosted her.
How’d you think she was going to react? Even if she’s over you by now, that doesn’t mean she’s not still angry.
Cut her some slack—and maybe yourself, while you’re at it. This is a messy situation.”
Caitlin appreciated that Maddie was always so brutally honest with her. She needed a friend who would stand by her no matter what. But she also needed to be told the truth, even when it wasn’t easy to hear.
“Yeah, I guess. I just don’t know how to give Gemma space while also working so closely together.”
“Just give it some time, you guys will figure it out. In the meantime, just try to stay away when you’re not filming with her. It might take a while, but eventually you’ll both be in the right headspace to talk.”
Caitlin couldn’t fight that logic.
“How’s life in LA? Miss me yet?”
“Obviously, I miss your ass. Things are good, just enjoying my time off while I have it.” Maddie paused briefly before a light seemed to switch on in her brain.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe I almost forgot.
I went to Kim’s the other day, and Michelle was there.
Based on the questions she was asking me about you and the movie, I’m assuming you haven’t told her about Gemma yet, have you? ”
“Not exactly. You didn’t say anything, did you?”
“Come on, Cait. You know I covered for you, but I got the impression that she’s been feeling a little off about the two of you.
I know you’re dealing with a lot over there, but for me, could you please just be honest with Michelle about Gemma?
I really like Kim, and I don’t want to get caught lying to either of them. ”
“Okay, okay, I’ll give her a call.” Things were clearly getting serious between Maddie and Kim, which Caitlin didn’t want to ruin.
After they were both entirely up to date on each other’s lives, Caitlin left her hotel room and walked to a nearby bar.
She was exhausted and craving the comfort of bed, yet the hotel’s walls felt confining, making her restless and unraveling.
She needed some fresh air. Hopefully, dinner and a glass of scotch would offer enough of a distraction to quiet the thoughts swirling between Gemma and Michelle, giving Caitlin a chance at some real rest tonight.
Entering the building, Caitlin took the elevator up to the eighth floor.
She headed left, opting for the lounge rather than a table in the main restaurant.
The vibrant space, aglow with the city lights flickering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, buzzed with customers.
Caitlin could understand the appeal. The view of New York City was breathtaking.
She took a seat in one of the empty hunter green velvet couches that faced the windows. Caitlin took a deep, steadying breath, sinking into the cushions just as a waitress appeared to take her order.
As Caitlin waited for her drink to arrive, she admired the elegantly dressed people around the room. Friends sharing a drink after work, a few couples on dates—the night hummed with possibility.
Two women, specifically, caught her eye.
They sat on stools along the wall of glass windows, a ledge beside them just wide enough for their drinks.
She entertained herself by trying to determine if the two were on a date.
The darker-haired woman, her ponytail swaying as she faced away from Caitlin, hadn’t responded to the other woman’s flirtatious touches.
Yikes. If it was a date, it didn’t seem to be going very well.
The waitress returned, handing Caitlin her glass of scotch as she continued to observe the two strangers.
She felt a twinge of guilt as if she were intruding on a private moment.
But she was alone tonight, and there was little to do besides people-watch.
Her gaze lingered on the woman across the room, still faceless, her long straight ponytail draped over one shoulder.
The woman ran her fingers through it, and something stirred in Caitlin.
Her face flushed with a flicker of recognition.
The gesture was so familiar that it made Caitlin’s heart stutter. She had seen it a thousand times before, bundled up on cold metal bleachers while watching the girl standing at the end of the soccer pitch become bored to tears during Westmore’s offense. Was it just a trick of the light?
Just as she was plotting to move further into the bar to get a better look at the woman’s face, a waitress approached the two women. They turned to order, and that’s when Caitlin saw her.
Gemma.
Emotions flooded Caitlin as she realized she had been watching her ex-girlfriend on a date. This couldn’t be happening. She had to get out of there, fast, before Gemma saw her.
Before the server could set Caitlin’s dinner plate down in front of her, she asked for it to be boxed up to go. In a hurried afterthought, she also requested another glass of scotch to down while she waited to pay her check.
Aimlessly, Caitlin scrolled through her social media, not truly processing the images on the screen, just trying to prevent her eyes from finding Gemma again.
Seeing her out like this, dressed up for another woman, made Caitlin feel hollow.
And yet, sitting there, half hidden in the shadows and unable to look away, she also felt like she had crossed a line somehow.
She traded the waitress her credit card for the glass of dark liquor, and as she took a large swig, she heard a woman nearby squeal.
Caitlin was afraid to look up.
Unable to stop herself from peeking, Caitlin discovered Gemma’s date pointing right at her.
Shit.
Caitlin plastered an artificial smile across her face, attempting to mask her discomfort as the woman now drew near.
“Oh my God, Caitlin Stone! I’m such a huge fan! Do you think we could take a quick selfie together?”
Caitlin’s anxiety started climbing as more and more patrons began to look her way.
She didn’t seem to have much of a choice, seeing the woman already holding her phone out in front of them to snap a picture.
The camera caught Caitlin unprepared, her face likely twisted in discomfort.
Looking past the outstretched phone, she saw Gemma watching them, zeroed in on Caitlin like a hawk.
The irritation on her face was unmistakable.
After the apparent fan had taken a photo, she returned to where she had previously been sitting with Gemma, who was still glaring at Caitlin. She didn’t break eye contact until her date had retaken her seat, at which point she turned her back to Caitlin.
A black leather book holding Caitlin’s paid bill was placed lightly on the table before her, along with her boxed dinner. If only they had come five minutes sooner, she might have escaped with her dignity.
Before Caitlin made a dash for the exit, she finished the contents of her glass and chanced one last glance in Gemma’s direction.
Gemma had moved closer to her date, sliding her stool only inches away from the other woman. Their legs were now stacked together in a row, Gemma’s hand lying across the other woman’s thigh. She checked over her right shoulder, seeming to make sure that Caitlin was still watching.
Caitlin kicked herself for continuing to sit there, knowing that her presence was only egging Gemma on further.
What an absolute disaster the night had turned into.
It was as if Caitlin had been observing a car crash unfold in slow motion right before her eyes, unable to turn away.
She set her empty glass on the table and rushed out of the bar, her heart thudding.
Within a few minutes, Caitlin stood panting as she locked the deadbolt on her hotel door. So much for getting Gemma off her mind before bed.