Page 7 of (Un)Spoken

Little did they know, that was never going to happen.

I’d worked my ass off from the moment I’d crossed the California state line. As I worked all day and night at dead-end jobs, every spare minute was going to auditions and casting calls. As luck would have it, I happened to get a guest spot on an up-and-coming TV show. It didn’t last beyond the first season, but it was enough to get me some attention and led me to Theo. He took me under his wing and showed me what it would take to get the roles I wanted. While I may not have agreed with all his choices, I had no doubt in my mind I couldn’t have gotten to this level without him.

I thumbed through the stack of scripts, waiting until the highlighter marks caught my eye. Tucked close to the bottom was one script I’d read through dozens of times, making notes as I went. Most in the pile weren’t winners, but this one called to me from the moment it arrived. Scanning through the pages, I realized it was the kind of project I had dreamed of: a gritty, dark drama with a morally gray main character. It was a far departure from what I’d done so far, and I could almost imagine slipping into the role.

But just as I started to think about calling Theo, my hand tensed, moments from the past almost knocking me off my feet. Memories of white envelopes and emails with the same subject line, all filled with harrowing words and pictures, snapped of my daily life—pictures that no one should have had access to, images of me at my most vulnerable. My eyes slammed closed, sucked back into those dark months all too easily.

I sighed, trying to push that fear out of my veins. Oversix months later, I still had no answers, barely beginning to pull myself out of that cycle of fear and distrust.

I erased the message to Theo and tucked my phone back in my pocket. No, I wasn’t ready to jump back into that life, not yet. I was just starting to walk around town without looking over my shoulder.

Maybe one day, I’d be Adam Rice, the movie star, again. But until I could look at myself in the mirror without flinching, that was little more than a dream.

FOUR

As I left my cabin, I stretched my arms over my head, letting the lingering summer heat sink into my bones. All the locals said we were lucky; the longer the summer lasted, the more income the tourist-based businesses made. But I couldn’t wait for the summer rush to end, for this town to go back to the sleepy little secret I’d fallen in love with. Until then, I’d don my usual disguise—my trustworthy sunglasses and a New York Rebels hat.

I walked over to the main lodge, a large, rustic building in the front of the Fox Creek Property. While my little cabin had most amenities, I had to venture over to the main property for food unless I wanted to cook. They always had some takeaway available, but there was also a full restaurant on the south side, with a dining room that looked out over the lake. I tended to avoid that, mostly because I could usually expect at least one person to watch me, trying to place my face. While once, being recognized gave me an indescribable thrill, now, it made my skin crawl. So, I kept to myself. Filming last year had brought enough strangers to these shores; I didn’t want to be the cause of any morechaos. One picture or post could be enough to inundate the town with reports and end my respite.

Waving to the cook, Thomas, and the lone waitress, whose name I always forgot, I stepped into the buffet area. The room was between the kitchen and the dining room, and the wafting smells of fresh bread and pastries made my mouth water. But most of the lunchtime options had been picked through, and all that was left were a couple of pastries and some fruit. I glanced at my watch. Cole asked me to go over for dinner tonight, so I needed something to hold me over until then. When I was just about to say fuck it and head into the restaurant, I turned, colliding with a woman who had been trying to reach around me.

She squeaked as she started to fall. Before I could think about my actions, I reached out, pulling her into my arms. Her wide brown eyes stared up at me, shock filling her gaze.

I was equally stunned, taking in the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. How in the hell had I missed her checking in? She must have been new, because there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed her before.

As I placed her back on her feet, I took in more of her features. She had long, slightly wavy dark hair, with a few brighter pieces framing her face. Her lightly glossed lips parted in surprise, and I couldn’t help but stare at the pink hue. She was adorable, almost innocent. But that thought was dashed when I scanned the rest of her, finding luscious curves that could make any man fall to his knees.

“I’m okay,” her voice said as she glanced down at my arm still wrapped around her waist.

“Oh, sorry,” I said quickly, gifting her an apologetic smile. “I was just…”Staring? Distracted by your full lips?“I need coffee.”

She giggled, tucking her chin down to herchest. “Same.” She nodded behind me. “Care to pass me a cup? Don’t want to risk another collision.”

“You got it.”

I grabbed one of the porcelain cups, but she stopped me, placing her hand on my arm. “Actually, I meant one of the to-go cups. I’m heading right back to my cabin.”

“As was I,” I chuckled. “But to make up for almost knocking you over, I’d love to treat you to a real meal.”

Her eyes widened at my offer, her teeth sinking into her plush bottom lip. Shit. Why the hell did that move go straight to my dick? Maybe it was the lack of attention he’d received lately, and now, even the smallest gesture was conjuring dirty images in my mind.

She shook her head, barely suppressing an annoyed chuckle. “Did Cole put you up to this?”

The sound of my best friend’s name on her lips doused all my thoughts. Cocking my head to the side, I stared at her a little more intensely. Why would Cole have asked—oh, fuck.

“Victoria?” I screeched, pulling down my sunglasses to get a good look at her. When Cole asked me to look out for his sister, I never thought about what she’d look like now. In my mind, she was still a skinny teenager with wild hair and a toothy grin.

But the woman in front of me was a goddess.

I cleared my throat, forcing away any inappropriate thoughts before I reached down and pulled her into a hug. “Holy shit, Victoria. I didn’t even recognize you.” I pulled back, searching her face again. Now that I knew it was her, I couldn’t believe it had taken me that long. She looked almost like a clone of her mom. She had the same color eyes as Cole, but unlike his, her color danced with something I couldn’t place. “You look sodifferent.”

She chuckled, taking a step out of my arms. “I hope so. The last time I saw you, I was still rocking jean overalls.”

“It was a good look.”

“You’re sweet,” she said, placing her hand on my arm again. “But we both know that’s a lie.”

It was hard to rectify the picture in my mind with the sight in front of me. In truth, I paid little attention to Victoria Campbell. Our age gap meant we never ran in the same circles or shared the same school. She was always just Cole’s little sister, nothing more.

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