Page 110 of Her Dark Angel

Travis nods hesitantly and joins the two older men on the bed. My friend looks uncomfortable between them, but he doesn’t say anything as he rests both of his hands on his knees and peers across the room at me.

My body stiffens when Reggie lowers himself to my level, his smelly breath fanning across my face. He looks between me and Travis with a smile I haven’t seen on him before. “Just so you both know, if you tell anyone what happens tonight, no one is going to believe you. We’re powerful men in this industry, okay? Remember that.” His hand once again finds my backside and I have to swallow down a cry when it slips beneath my dress.

What is going on right now? I’m so confused, but I’m frozen in place, unable to move a muscle.

My eyes lock with Travis’s from across the room as Michael begins to unbutton his white shirt while Arthur watches, his fingers fiddling with the buckle on his belt. My best friend’s eyes are filled with fear, and I’m sure mine mirror his.

But there isn’t anything I can do to help him. We’re trapped with no way out, and all I can do is just stand here with my mouth shut and watch it happen.

38

KINSLEY

Present—1989.

My first reaction is to scream. But I can’t. I can’t seem to force my mouth to form a single syllable that could pass as a word through my dry throat. My limbs feel as though they’ve been filled with lead, the heaviness running through my veins and keeping me glued to the spot where I sit.

Memories I have spent far too long suppressing of that godforsaken man come rushing back to me like a tidal wave, nearly knocking me off my feet.

It suddenly feels like I’m drowning, unable to reach the surface to take a breath and fill my lungs with fresh air. An audible gasp escapes my lips as my chest tightens to the point I fear my rib cage is going to snap in on itself and pierce my heart with shards of bone.

I never wanted to feel like I was drowning again. And yet here I am having to relive that immense pain all over again.

All because of that man.

The same man who gave me my first big role in the industry, but also stripped me of my innocence. The same man who helped my family move to Los Angeles without expecting anything in return, but also made me grow up too fast by seeing the horrors of this world. He is the same man who would praise me on my acting skills and tell me I would be the next best actress in Hollywood while simultaneously calling me his good girl in the privacy of my dressing room.

He’s a goddamn monster. I thought I had escaped him for good, but it just goes to show you can never escape the demons nipping at your heels. They will always fucking be there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike.

And that time is now.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I do my best to block out the blood rushing in my ears. I’m painfully aware of my nails digging into the palms of my hands and the droplet of blood rushing down my wrist, but I don’t care. It’s a welcome distraction as I try to find my voice.

I’ve been silenced by that man for far too long, so now is my chance to finally stand up for myself.

“Kin?” Adam prompts after a moment of silence. “Are you still there?”

“Y-yeah.” I clear my throat and swallow thickly. “I’m still here.”

“Okay,” Adam says, continuing as if he can’t sense I’m trying so hard to not start spiraling. Good. I don’t want him to know. “I have spoken with Reggie Black and we’re going to organize a time for you to get together. He anticipates filming will start in the coming months, but he wants to get the cast and crew together to get a jump start on reading through the script and whatnot. Until then, you’ll just have to sit tight until we finalize a date to meet.”

The mention of the cast has my ears perking up and my heart hammering in my chest. “The cast? Do you know if he has contacted Travis Mayers? He was my co-star on the show.”

The shuffling of papers indicates Adam is searching for something. Silence suffocates me as I await his response, settling heavily on my shoulders. If I wasn’t already sitting, I would be struggling to stand.

“Okay, here,” Adam finally replies. “Uh… yes, it does seem that Travis has already been contacted. However, I’m unsure of his response to the reunion as of yet. But as soon as I hear something, you’ll be the first to know.”

My teeth drag my bottom lip between them as I stare at the planks of wood beneath me. My free hand twists the beaded friendship bracelet on my wrist as images of soft blue eyes and blonde curls flash before my eyes.

Travis Mayers.

I can’t remember the last time I spoke with him. It was three months ago at least. Before I agreed to date Nash.

We’re both so busy in our careers that it’s hard to keep in contact. I find it hard enough to make time to see Sadie and Matt, let alone Travis who has a similar schedule to myself.

He’s been my longest friend since we were ten years old. We’ve been through so much together that guilt tends to eat at me when I don’t make the time to call and check in on him because I’m too tired after a long day on set. But I know he feels the same.

Even if we don’t talk all the time, we still have a lot of love for each other and I only want the best for him. I’m his number one supporter and he’s mine. Nothing will change that.

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