Page 90 of Beyond the Fame

“What was that all about?”

I smile at her tone. It's not concerned or angry but amused. “She co-starred on Metal & Mayhem with Mylan and me. She was horrible and bullied me a lot.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. Mylan actually stepped in the first day when he heard her say something about my weight. He threatened her, but I never told him she kept doing it behind his back.”

“What a fucking bitch,” Lana says the same time Mylan says from behind me, “she did what?”

I turn around and Mylan’s standing with his hands on his hips, jacket unbuttoned. A few escaped curls fall from his slicked back hair and onto his forehead—hair that’s always been curlier than mine.

“Sorry, I never told you. You had your own shit to deal with while filming the first season. Your mom...”

I let my words trail because this isn’t the place to talk about mine or Mylan’s troubled past. He was only sixteen when he became emancipated. His father was an abusive alcoholic who died when Mylan was ten. His death sent his mother into a deep depression and for six years, she neglected him. He finally got control over his own estate and finances, then placed his mother in a psychiatric facility where she stayed for nearly nine years before he re-connected with her during his year-long recovery after filming Tyler’s Team.

Mylan and Lana are being ushered away by event organizers needing them to meet with potential donors. He locks eyes with me before walking off, silently telling me we’re not done discussing this.

The rest of the night was uneventful. Mylan and Lana schmoozed, getting millions of dollars in donations for both their foundations tonight. They were honored with their service awards, gave emotional speeches that had my throat burning with tears. I didn’t cry, but there were plenty of people around me who did. After their moving speeches, we all sat for a steak dinner followed by a sweet, donut-inspired dessert, of course.

Lana, Mylan, and I talked about our trip to Hawaii and Ginger’s wedding with the rest of the guests at our table. People I didn’t recognize but were probably insanely rich.

I wonder what Rebecca is doing.

Eloise isn’t here either. She had a late shoot tonight for some fashion magazine.

Several people stopped by to congratulate Lana and Mylan on their engagement. While the women gushed over Lana’s ring, Mylan turned to me to tell me about how they had to deal with the aftermath of faking a sighting for me.

Mylan posted a picture on Instagram of Lana holding up her engagement ring and it went super viral. Then paparazzi and fans packed the club they said they were celebrating at. Things got out of control at that club and the police had to be called in. Mylan had to issue an apology, basically saying they never made it out the door because they decided to celebrate privately.

It wasn’t until the gala was nearing the end, and the crowd was thinning, when Mylan turned to me. “Ready to talk about it?”

“About Tiffany?”

He rolls his eyes. “I don’t give a fuck about her. Besides, after tonight, I doubt she’ll work in this industry again. I had my lawyers do some digging and there have been other complaints from actors and crew members. It’s why she can’t get jobs anymore. Tomorrow’s article—and you know there will be an article—officially puts her on the blacklist.”

I shake my head at my best friend. “You did all that while making the rounds asking for donations and getting a freaking award?”

He smiles like it’s no big deal.

“Have I ever told you that you’re awesome?”

Mylan barks a laugh. “No. But say it again.”

Lana returns to the table after saying goodbye to someone and sits down next to Mylan, kissing his shoulder and rubbing his arm.

“Is he ready to talk about it yet?”

Okay, clearly, they mean talking about Rebecca. They’re teaming up on me. Despite their insistence, I'm relieved to finally share my thoughts with someone.

“Yeah, yeah. I'm ready.” I sigh and swallow a huge gulp of my iced water. I rub my sweaty palms on my pants and inhale deeply to ease the tension plaguing my body. “I’m in love with her.”

I expect a reaction from them. Anything, really. A gasp of shock, wide-eyed doubt. Instead, I get a blinking stare.

“Right. You both know that.”

“Does Rebecca know you love her?” Lana asks.

I grimace and tell them everything that happened from waking up and seeing her laptop to when she holed up inside her bedroom. I told them how I didn’t want to say ‘I love you’ because I was scared she’d say it back.

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