Page 28 of Fractured Frets

“You look like an overcooked tart, popping at the seams.” She waved her pointy fingernail at the revealing hipline of my gown. “No underwear? Did Sebastian put you up to wearing this?”

“Slip? No.” I wrapped the chain around my clutch and placed it on the counter. “He has no say in what I wear.”

“Hmph.” Mom grunted, not hiding the fact she didn’t believe me. Her whole attitude toward him had changed since we’d gotten married. And I hadn’t figured out why. “He seems like the type of man who likes girls in skimpy outfits and barely there clothes.”

“He’s not like that.” Well...not all the time. Heat crept into my cheeks. I liked it when I wore something that drove him wild, and he couldn’t keep his hands off me. When he couldn’t wait to get me alone, away from prying eyes. “Didn’t you see some of the clothes I used to wear when I was friends with Georgia? Those dresses and skirts were a lot shorter, tighter, and more revealing than this.”

“I liked Georgia.” Mom folded her arms. “She was a strong, smart, and ambitious girl, determined to succeed in this town.”

Nausea flooded my gut in billowing waves. “Are you failing to remember she was also a bitch?” Georgia had been a close friend for more than twelve years, but success had gone to her head. She’d never hesitated to sleep her way into a good role or with any guy she set eyes on. The information she’d withheld would’ve saved me so much heartache and pain. She’d known about Noah and Jocelyn but said nothing. She’d claimed she didn’t want to interfere and loved seeing me happy.

Who’d let their friend marry a lying, cheating prick?

Georgia!

She’d turned into a manipulative, self-centered, conniving mole and only cared about herself. She’d hurt Sutton and me one too many times. Cutting her out of our lives was one of the best things we’d ever done. I didn’t miss Georgia. Not one little bit.

“Maybe she was.” Mom circled me, eyeing me up and down. “But she never looked like a Pop-Tart stuffed into a string bikini.”

My heart lurched against my ribs. I lifted my chin and stood two inches taller. I wouldn’t let my mother upset me. Not tonight. I could dress exquisitely, like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or as elegantly as Queen Mary of Denmark, and I still wouldn’t get a tick of approval from her. I was no super-skinny model like she’d been years ago. I never would be. “I don’t, Mom. Can’t you say anything nice?”

“Is that a bulge?”

Clearly not!

Mom poked my side above one of the bows. “Have you been eating too many carbs while you’ve been away filming?”

I stepped back from her. “I wish.” I’d been on a strict liquid-only diet for the past couple of days to ensure I had no belly bulge for tonight’s event. My mother should’ve been happy. Just like a catwalk model hitting fashion week, I wanted to ensure I had the flattest of tummies. I didn’t need more stupid rumors about being pregnant hitting the headlines. “I look good, Mom. So please stop.”

“Fine.” She flicked her hand at me and returned to sit on the kitchen stool. “But don’t blame me if you hit the worst-dressed lists.”

“I won’t.” I folded my arms and leaned against the counter. I wouldn’t make those lists. Would I? No. Surely not.

Mom took a long drink of her wine, licked her lips, then tapped her fingernails against the stem. “Is Sebastian home for the weekend?”

“Yes. He should be here any moment.”

She pouted and frowned and rubbed my arm. “Are you sure about him? I’m so worried he’ll break your heart.”

We’d had this conversation more than once over the past month. I loved that she cared, but nothing would change my mind about staying married...for the time being. “Any guy could do that.”

“Yes, but most don’t live like he does. He’s away so much, always drinking, partying, and performing, surrounded by women who are throwing themselves at him. No man can resist temptation for long. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

The cuts in my heart threatened to split open. I’d avoided serious relationships thanks to the heartache Dad and Noah had caused. When they’d cheated on Mom and me, it had been my total blindness that had rattled me the most. Not once had I been suspicious. I was an actress, but even I couldn’t pull off the shit that they had. They’d lied to my face. Betrayed me. Broken my heart. Maybe I’d been young and naïve, and I’d wanted to see the best in people. Maybe some people were just fucking brilliant liars.

I was worried about Slip—especially since Harper was back on the scene. I wanted to trust him explicitly. I just didn’t know how to do that. I had enough of my own concerns about my husband without my mother adding more fuel to my insecurities. “I’m being careful. He’s followed by reporters and fans everywhere. The guys would tell me if he misbehaved.” Hopefully. Yes...they would.

“They’re tight friends, Maddy. They’ll defend each other and will only look out for themselves.”

“You don’t know Slip like I do.” I had to believe him. Trust him. That would come with time.

“I know you care about him.” Mom wrapped her hands around her wineglass. “But he’s the type of guy you have fun with for a while—not the one you spend the rest of your life with. You’ve changed since you started seeing him. It’s not like you to be reckless. He’s distracted you, whisking you away for wild getaways and drunken outings. He’s interfering with your focus on your job and your responsibilities. You should’ve never married him.”

Maybe...but was that what she thought? He wasn’t good enough for me? A bad influence? Was he taking me away from looking after her? No...he’d woken me up to a life I hadn’t been living. We wanted to be together. Somehow, we had to find a happy medium between our reality and our dreams. “Well, I did marry him. When I’m with Slip, everything feels right. He treats me right. He makes me laugh. And...he gets me, Mom. We’re committed to working this out.”

Worry washed through her eyes as she waved her wine toward me. “Don’t give up who you are for him.” Ever since Dad had left, she’d hounded me to remain focused on my career so I could support myself. I’d done that, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be with someone I loved. “You’re cast on an amazing show that has the potential to go on for years. When you were young, I didn’t rush you around to audition after audition, to show after show, from set to set, to have you throw away your career for some good-looking rock star. Don’t let him blind you with some sweet talk and fun between the sheets.”

“He hasn’t.” Oh, I wasn’t blind...but every time he opened his mouth, I was addicted to his dirty talk and sexy jokes, and to his lips on any part of my body. I could listen to his hot, seductive voice all day long. My thighs clenched together in anticipation of seeing him tonight. “I’m not giving up my job for him. I never will. I don’t want a family like you did. So how about supporting us and trusting us to make a life together? Not go off about this being a mistake.” I’d done enough of that myself, and now it was time to move forward and focus on making our marriage work.

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