Chapter 16
Amber felt like a shell of a person after filming today.
She forced her weight against her door to push it open, then flung it closed behind her. Working with zero hours of sleep on a demanding set was a bad idea. Everything from her eyeballs to her forehead was either aching or pulsing. Pair that with the scare of this morning and she was ready to fall over.
Amber drew her curtains, irritated by the light of the setting sun outside. She had a restaurant shift in two hours but would make the most of the measly nap she had planned since her migraine slipped in.
After pulling down her bedcovers and diving face-first into the pillows, Amber closed her eyes, welcoming the cool snugness of the fabric.
Unfortunately, sleep was not coming easily as she tried to ward off all the worries she’d had throughout her day. Her mom’s doubts, personal insecurities, and the fact that the entire planet believed she was some movie star’s mistress.
Mistress. Her cast mates had avoided the topic, but their faces gave away what they hid. Their pondering and wondering. She hadn’t clarified a thing. Was that a good move or a bad one? Navigating a scandal was not her strong suit. So far, Amber hasn’t exactly had to deal with people’s perceptions following the fiasco, but who knew? For all she knew, the paparazzi, angry fans, and public assaults could join her daily woes. The second someone throws a rock at me, I’m moving to Alaska.
All this thinking was pointless. She had spent almost a full day awake so sleep was more than due. She would cast aside her concerns and—
Her phone buzzed under her pillow.
Amber sighed but tucked her hand under and brought the phone to her face.
Elouise. Her friend had sent a photo.
Amber opened their chat and sat up immediately.
Was this her on the bus? The bus she’d taken to her apartment tonight?!
Amber was shocked that the photo came with a post reading, Amber after ruining every Captain Evolution fan’s dream come true . Some stalker snapped her picture. She hadn’t seen anyone photographing her. What was this?
She typed a message to Elouise asking if more unauthorized photos were flying around but the girl wasn’t online. Probably catching z’s too. Amber sighed and massaged her forehead. She didn’t have the energy to deal with this. I should text Levi. He’d been so scared of everything unraveling and now it had. What was his agent’s reaction? Was there a way of handling this?
Just then, she heard a knock at the door. Odd for someone who hardly got visitors.
Amber gulped and took a few steps to her door. With the way things are now, I need to be careful. Some insane person itching for relevancy might have followed her home.
She stood by the door with a hand on her chest, fearful of what waited behind it. Should I ask who it is?
The knock came again, more aggressive this time.
Amber stepped away, terrified that these were her last seconds. Yeah, some Levi superfan is so mad that they hunted me down to kill me. She needed to get out of there. To run away and—
“Amber,” said Levi. “It’s me.”
Amber sighed with relief and went to undo all the locks. She opened the door to let him in, so grateful for his arrival in her time of fear but…he was not alone.
Before Levi could step in, a woman with her hair in a bun sporting a cream-colored suit marched in briskly. Behind her was a tough-looking guy with dark skin, no hair, and a thick black mustache over his lips. Once these strangers barged through her door, Levi came after them, head down like a scolded puppy.
Amber didn’t understand. She closed the door and frowned at Levi. The woman must be his agent and the other guy his caretaker but why had he alluded to being alone? And why am I so angry about it?
“Ms. Amber Sheridan, is it?” asked Rachel after fitting herself between the couch and the kitchen. Her lip twitched after she quickly inspected the space, its size clearly foreign to a woman of her status.
Levi swiped a hand down the back of his head. He found a space next to Amber near the front door. Oscar stood by the coat rack, sizing up the tiny world. On their dates, it seemed like a pocket in time where he and Amber were the last humans on Earth. Having Oscar and Rachel waltz in here felt like a nightmare. Their presence brought a dose of reality to the fantasy he had been cherishing with Amber.
“Yes?” Amber searched Levi’s face for answers. Putting two and two together was easy but she’d prefer to know what sort of repercussions were at play here. Hollywood agents were a different breed. She’d initially feared these as her last moments due to the unhinged nature of Levi’s fans but now she was terrified for other reasons. This woman had no power to ship her off to somewhere far away, right?
Rachel’s hands were behind her. “You fulfilled your purpose after you won a date with my client,” she said. “He got his much needed ratings boost, and you got your fifteen minutes of fame.” Her disappointment was visible in her clenched jaw and subtle frown. “I never imagined I’d have to explain to Levi why it’s a terrible idea to have a partner in Los Angeles while he’s with someone else in the public eye but…here we are. The second I pieced it all together from the rumors of Levi being sighted at that low rated restaurant you call a place of work, to the wining and dining I caught in his penthouse. Your viral video stunt has forced my hand! It’s a steaming hot mess!” She slapped the back of the old sofa and then wiped her hand off on her top.
Levi blew air out of his nose. “Rachel, we were being careful—”
“Quiet! No, you were not!” Rachel held a hand to his face. Amber’s eyes widened. “And young lady, I don’t know what you were thinking, knowing full well he was in a public relationship and still agreeing to this ridiculous scheme.” Her face contorted into a mask of disdain. “What about your career?”
Amber had shrunk since the start of her lecture. “I-I don’t know. We just…” She turned to Levi, whose lips were sealed tight. “Look.” If he was too afraid to placate his agent, Amber would. “Scolding me and Levi like we’re a couple of mischievous toddlers is not going to change what’s happened, okay?”
Rachel scratched the middle of her bun with a single nail. “I’m quite aware—”
“Good, so let’s move forward. It may be an insane move, but I think what should happen now is we tell the truth.” Amber smiled; arms open wide. “I’m sure tons of people realized the whole Fiona-Levi thing was just a stunt to bring more buzz to the movie, so explain that and tell everyone that me and Levi have actual feelings for each other. Fake girlfriend vs. real girlfriend.” She faced the caretaker for approval. “Right?”
Oscar’s muscly arms stayed folded. “That’s a horrible idea.”
“Thank you.” Rachel sighed, exasperated, and shook her head. “No one is going to trust Levi ever again. I admit that, at first, the masses didn’t believe in Liona but as time went on, they grew invested. Everyone loves when co-stars date. Even before the movie drops.” She laughed sardonically. “You have only proposed that idea because you know the benefits that will come your way through publicly dating Levi.” She jerked a thumb to him.
Amber’s mouth popped open. “What? No, no, this isn’t about personal gain.” How dare she? “I just think that this catastrophe is evidence that the truth should come out. It’s not like Levi and I can just break up.” She looked at him, silently hoping he’d speak up.
Rachel hummed a tune from Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. “Well…”
Amber’s body grew numb. She turned to Levi. “Levi?”
Levi took sudden interest in the creaking floorboards. “We’re not breaking up,” he said. “That will not help anything, Rachel.”
She got that at least. Amber was relieved that he had said something. The bare minimum. Facing his agent with little to no backup was proving to be a tough task. “Exactly. People will still see Levi as a cheater if we do.”
“Not if you break up and put out a statement,” Rachel said to Amber. “You’re going to tell the world that you were not at that apartment complex to visit Levi and deny that you’re dating him. I don’t care how you feel about it. A statement needs to come out because this needs to be resolved now.”
Amber clenched her cold fingers into a fist, her throat tightening. “Well, if I wasn’t there for Levi, then why was I there?” She spoke with a quivering voice.
Levi listened with his heart in his throat. Was Amber crying?
“Don’t worry. We will come up with that for you.” Rachel walked back and forth, speaking in a hushed voice to herself. She eventually slowed down and raised her finger. “I’m beginning to see that removing Levi from this equation may not be an option.”
Amber tried to hide the tears that spilled out. “Right. Because he is very much part of it.” She glared at him.
Levi couldn’t stand by while she wept. Yeah, get a grip, Marks. “For Chris sakes, at some point, Amber and I have got to come out.” He’d known that much from the start. “If it’s what she still wants.” He hadn’t hidden from her the risks involved with seeing him publicly. My life isn’t even real.
Amber had gone over all the cons already. “I’m the last person who wants to be known as just a big-shot actor’s girlfriend, but I just think it’s silly to keep lying to people. They’re not stupid.” This was so uncalled for right now. I just wanted to take a nap. She rubbed her eyes, her body screaming for rest.
“Okay, okay, relax.” Oscar had sensed the rise in tension from Amber. He cut between her and Rachel to offer his two cents. “We can just say she formed a genuine friendship with Levi after that one date. Amber went over to ask for tips on acting, okay? We explain the trench coat by saying it was part of a costume for their session,” he said evenly. “No need to get too far-fetched with the story. We really can’t let this escalate or allow it to come out, so this is how we handle it.”
Rachel clapped over her head. “Brilliant. Now hand over your phone.” She flapped her hand at Amber.
“Why?” Amber went to get it. She’d left it in bed.
Levi swayed with pocketed hands, unsatisfied with this outcome. Rachel now held Amber’s phone and used it to access a barren Instagram account. Amber sat on the arm of the couch. Both Rachel and Oscar worked to construct the perfect statement. I should say something. He went to Amber.
She remained disconnected. Her migraine had reached its climax. With no ideas for remedies, she just sat there, using her fingertips to stroke her forehead.
“Amber.”
It hurt to move her eyes, but Amber looked at Levi. That puppy dog aura hadn’t left. He seemed remorseful. “Yeah?”
Levi held the side of her face. “Are you okay?” He wanted to apologize once again for practically shoving her into the closet but most of all for this entire situation. She meant so much to him but as things stood now, this was just how it was.
“Not really. I’m so tired.” Amber looked at her feet. They were bare as her shoes had been kicked off for sleep.
“Oh. When’s your shift?” Levi worried about her health. Could she work when she was this tired?
“In a couple of hours.” Amber watched Levi’s people crowd her phone in her narrow kitchen. Oscar could barely fit between her counter and table. She’d be embarrassed but this was just a temporary arrangement. She intended on upgrading when her career kicked off.
“Maybe you should call in sick.”
“Now that’s an idea.” She moved her leg from the armrest of the couch to the cushions. Eventually, her body fell sideways to lie there, casting aside the crisis in her living space.
Levi sat on the center table and reached for her shoulder. He caressed it softly. “If you don’t call in sick then I’ll do it for you.”
Amber smiled into the seat. She opened one eye. “And risk more rumors and tarnishing your good image?”
“So, you’re mad we’re still hiding.” Could he blame her?
“Yes…no… I don’t know, Levi.” Amber avoided his striking blue eyes to investigate the striped pattern on her sofa. The stitching left an itch on her cheek. “I want to be as independent in my career as possible. Then there’s also the risk of attacks from your fans. This is definitely for the best but at the same time…” She had to face him head-on.
Levi gulped when those soft brown eyes made contact with his. “At the same time what?”
“Running around and hiding like criminals is crazy.” Amber giggled. “I don’t know, Levi. Maybe Rachel is right after all, and we shouldn’t date—”
“Hey, hey, no. Amber, please. Rachel wants us to break up, but I’m fighting for us,” he whispered with a burning throat. Sobs crept around it, fighting to pour out, but he fought harder.
Amber resisted the urge to scoff at him.
“Are you?” She found that hard to believe. “You seem so scared of her. You were so scared that you kept quiet while she accused me of using you to get ahead,” she snapped, her migraine worsening her mood.
Levi bit the inside of his cheek. “I…I’m sorry.”
Amber closed her eyes. “I wasn’t going to say we should stop dating forever.” The pain intensified behind her eyelids. It was almost unbearable. “I just meant we should take a break. You know, like damage control. How funny.” She spoke into her couch. “It’s the life everyone wants but is somehow so restricting. We both have our reasons why it is better to hide this.”
Levi stayed silent.
Amber went quiet too; a shallow sleep had taken over her.
Levi got up. He rummaged through his pocket for his phone and contacted a door dasher.
“Alrighty.” Rachel and Oscar were through in the kitchen. His agent put Amber’s phone on her center table then frowned at her sleeping form. “Did she pass out?”
“She’s exhausted.” Levi replied. He picked up her phone and called the restaurant manager.
Rachel didn’t understand. “What are you doing?”
“Yeah, hi, Amber can’t come in today. She’s ill… Oh, I’m her neighbor. She called me over to help out. She can’t do much for herself… Yeah, thanks.” Levi hung up the call and put her phone back on the table. “I think I’ll stay here with Amber till she feels better.”
“Yeah, very funny. You’ve already been missing from the set for too long. There are some scenes you need to complete.” Rachel fanned her hands towards the door. “Now let’s get moving. You can call her in the morning. The longer we stay here the higher the likelihood that we get caught. And we don’t want that , do we?” She spun him to the door. “Now off you go.” Rachel carefully avoided the small table while pushing Levi. The space between the couch and table was not ample for walking. She made it through regardless.
Levi stopped at the door when Oscar opened it. Amber had left the locks undone. He looked at her while his agent and caretaker stepped out, considering this “break.” “Can’t even be there when she’s sick.”
Rachel had started a call in the hallway. She turned her back to Levi and Oscar.
Levi sighed as Oscar emerged beside him. “I did tell you it was a bad idea,” said Oscar. “But you went and got that poor girl wrapped up in this.” With that, he walked off ahead.
Levi tried to place himself in her shoes. What was best here? He knew how she felt. Take a break from dating.
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