Chapter Thirty-Eight #2
Poor Jayce . Nadia’s words reverberated inside CeCe’s head, loud and punishing. With today’s cancel culture, Jayce stood to lose everything. His status in Hollywood, his career, and his reputation. And what about his screenplay? Had he really come so far only to be blacklisted?
“Are you okay?” Sage placed a gentle hand on CeCe’s shoulder.
CeCe’s eyes stung as she stared at the screen, watching helplessly as Gretchen continued to defame Jayce’s name. “No,” she whispered, unable to meet her friend’s gaze. The friend who had every right to say I told you so .
Lies tend to cause more problems than they solve —those had been Sage’s exact words. And they couldn’t be more true.
“I’m so sorry, CeCe.” Sage wrapped an arm around her shoulders, offering support.
“You heard it here first, in a prerecorded exclusive interview from earlier this morning,” Hair Gel boasted, displaying a little too much glee at Jayce’s professional demise.
“Was La La Land’s leading man caught in a web of lies?
What exactly does the Hollywood Huckster have to say for himself? Let’s find out.”
Suddenly, Jayce appeared on-screen.
CeCe stiffened.
“We reached out to the A-lister for a comment, and he agreed to appear via live stream from an undisclosed location with a special message for our viewers.”
As Jayce addressed Hair Gel with more grace and civility than the man deserved, CeCe tried to place his whereabouts.
He was supposed to be at Logan’s bachelor party.
They’d planned to attend a classic car show with a Four Tops tribute band, then barbecue on the beach.
It was hard to decipher his exact location since he appeared to be video-calling the interviewer from his cell phone, but from the sliver of sunset in the background, she guessed they’d made it to the beach already.
“What I did was wrong,” Jayce acknowledged, his voice steady and sincere.
CeCe’s chest squeezed. It hurt to watch him in the hot seat, exposed for the world to judge and condemn, but she couldn’t look away.
“I made a bad judgment call when I was trying to help a friend,” he admitted. “But the motive behind my actions doesn’t excuse them. I shouldn’t have lied. And I deserve whatever repercussions come my way.”
CeCe wanted to jump into the screen, to stand by his side. Every fiber in her being longed to defend him from the harshness of cancel culture. Yes, he’d lied. They both had. And she wouldn’t argue that they’d done the right thing. But did he really need to lose everything as a result?
“I also owe my fans an apology,” Jayce continued, his words heartfelt.
“Especially my younger fans who look to me as a role model. I value honesty and integrity. And I didn’t exhibit either quality when I chose to fabricate a fake engagement with my best friend.
That’s why I think it’s important to come clean and confess the whole truth. ”
He paused, and CeCe held her breath. What was he going to say?
“When I told the world that I loved and planned to marry CeCe Dupree, I’d only told a partial lie. We weren’t really engaged, but I’ve been in love with her most of my life.”
“Finally! I’ve been saying that for years!” Mia shouted at the screen as if he could hear her.
CeCe blushed as the rest of her friends swooned over his sweet response. Had Jayce just declared his love for her on national TV?
“It took a fake engagement for me to finally confront my true feelings,” Jayce confessed. “CeCe is the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. She’s kind, compassionate, and can bake a killer coconut cake.”
At the unexpected compliment, CeCe laughed along with her friends.
“She’s fun, supportive, and isn’t afraid to give me a kick in the pants when I need it. And trust me, I need it—a lot.” Jayce grinned, and for a moment, CeCe felt as if he were speaking to her alone.
She smiled up at the screen even though he couldn’t see her.
“She’s been my best friend from the time I learned to tie my shoes,” Jayce said. “And as long as she’s in my life, worries like whether or not I’ll have a career tomorrow don’t seem quite as consequential.”
CeCe’s chest swelled with a surge of affection. And also pride that he’d taken ownership of his actions with such maturity. While she hoped and prayed their poor judgment wouldn’t end his career, she admired the way he’d handled himself in the aftermath.
“If there’s a takeaway from my situation,” Jayce told the camera, “I think it’s this: Often, it isn’t enough to merely avoid dishonesty. Sometimes, the hardest, most rewarding thing you can do is to tell the whole truth. Even when you’re afraid.”
When Hair Gel thanked Jayce for the live-streaming exclusive, his tone softened from one of exaggerated accusation to borderline respect.
Jayce politely ended his video call, leaving the man to dissect the conversation and disseminate his overinflated opinion, which CeCe didn’t find all that interesting.
She unplugged her phone from the projector.
“Wow,” Nadia breathed. “That was quite the emotional ride.”
“No kidding,” Sage agreed. “But Jayce handled himself admirably.”
“He was a total prince,” Mia lauded. “And Mr. Spray Tan and Gretchen the Ghoul can kick rocks.”
CeCe smiled. She could always count on Mia to speak her mind. “Is it okay if I step outside to call Jayce for a minute?”
“Of course!” Abby assured her. “Please tell Jayce we support him one hundred percent.”
“And I won’t work for anyone who won’t hire him,” Mia added, which warmed CeCe’s heart. Considering Mia’s foley skills were highly coveted in the industry, her threat would carry some weight.
She thanked them before slipping outside. Jayce answered on the first ring.
“You saw it,” he said in lieu of hello.
“If you mean your impromptu interview, then yes, I did. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Better than fine, actually.”
“I don’t believe you.” His entire career had just imploded. How could he be fine?
“I wouldn’t lie to you. I’m a reformed fibber, remember?” he teased, adding in a more serious tone, “But honestly, I’m okay. Humbled, but okay.”
“What about the movie roles you lost? What if Gretchen was telling the truth about speaking to the directors? How will it affect your screenplay? What if you’re blacklisted and no one in Hollywood will work with you anymore?” The words spilled out of her, unrestrained with worry.
“All valid questions, even if I lost track of them,” he chuckled softly. Instead of answering, he asked, “Where are you right now?”
“Standing outside the theater. Why?”
“I’m a few minutes away. I’ll be right there.”
“What about the bachelor party?”
“The guys will understand. I need to see you.” With his last words, his voice lowered to a thick and throaty murmur.
“I’ll wait here.” She hung up the phone, suddenly flushed.
After a few minutes, he appeared in the lamplight, striding purposely toward her. Her throat went dry. You’re being ridiculous , she chided herself. It’s just Jayce .
Except, there was no such thing as just Jayce anymore. He was her Jayce. Her fiancé. The man she’d soon promise to have and to hold, until death do them part.
He didn’t stop his stride until he’d scooped her into his arms. Holding her close, he whispered, “I can’t believe how hard it is to be apart, even for a second.”
She melted against him. “I know the feeling.”
“Don’t be mad.” He pulled back to meet her gaze. “But I told the guys about us. I know we said we’d wait but—”
She interrupted him with a laugh. “Don’t worry. I couldn’t keep it a secret, either.”
“Phew! I was afraid I’d spend the first few days of our engagement in the doghouse.”
“Not on my account,” she said, then immediately sobered. “But Jayce, I’m really concerned. Do you think it’s as bad as Gretchen makes it sound?”
“Maybe. You never know with Hollywood. Some scandals are career breakers. Others are career makers. Only time will tell. But either way, I’m glad the truth is out there. And there’s at least one person in the industry who’s willing to work with me.”
“Who?”
“Victor Delance. He called right before you did.”
“He’s the producer who wanted to read your script, right?” Her pulse quickened with hope.
“That’s the guy.”
“Don’t leave me in suspense! What did he say?”
“The call lasted all of five seconds, but he said, and I quote: ‘Kid, I like your style. And your script. Let’s make a movie.’”
“Jayce! That’s fantastic!” Her heart swelled with happiness. Maybe things would work out okay after all.
“Thanks. I owe it all to you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not the one who wrote the screenplay.”
“Sure, but I wouldn’t have written it without your tough love.”
Love . A few days ago, hearing that word on Jayce’s lips would’ve carried an entirely different context. But now, she knew it extended far beyond the confines of friendship. And it would only deepen over time.
“So, what’s the next step?” she asked before she got too lost in her daydreams about the future.
“He wants me to meet him at his office Monday morning to go over the details.”
“Oh.” Her euphoric mood instantly plummeted. “You’re going back to LA?”
“I have to. There’s a ton of stuff to sort out.”
“Sure. You’re a bigshot screenwriter now.” She attempted a smile, desperate to be happy for him regardless of what it meant for their fledgling relationship. She knew life wouldn’t be easy, despite their engagement. It wasn’t as if a ring would fix their geographical complications.
“Not a bigshot yet, but thanks for the vote of confidence.” He grinned. “I was referring to all the packing I have to do. Plus, deciding what to do with my place in LA and where I’m going to live next.”
“Wait.” Hope shot through her like a lightning bolt. “Does that mean—?” She didn’t dare finish her thought.
“What do you say, Future Mrs. Hunt? Want to go house shopping with me?”
“Here? In Blessings Bay?” Her heart nearly burst from excitement.
“I can write from anywhere. And there’s no place I’d rather be than right here, with you.” He looped his arms around her waist. “So, is that a yes to the house shopping? Or will Spock and I have to check out places on our own?”
She slid her arms around his neck, a smile on her lips. “It’s a yes, mi dawlin . A million times yes.”
Her sultry accent had the desired effect.
He claimed her mouth with his beneath the glittering marquis lights.
Not a platonic peck. Not playing pretend.
A deep, passionate, toe-curling kiss.
The kind of kiss that let her know, without a doubt, they were definitely, undeniably, irrefutably way more than friends.