Page 20 of Faking It

My arms go lax, falling to my sides. An electric sensation runs up and down my spine, leaving me rigid and wide-eyed. Carter’s words confirm what I’ve feared all along.He knows.

Jesus.

He fricking knows.

It feels like the air is being sucked out of the room, making me hyperventilate in a panicked attempt to keep from passing out. Gideon’s smirk fades, and worry fills his face. “Are you okay?”

He moves toward me, reaching for my shoulder. I flinch, swatting his hand away. “Don’t touch me!” I shriek.

Shock flits across Carter’s features. He raises his hand while backing off. “My apologies.”

Still hyperventilating, I take in the disturbed faces in the room. It feels like I’m about to be sick. “Excuse me. I need a minute,” I mutter, dashing through the door before anyone responds. I walk briskly down the hallway, heading to god-knows-where, my only focus on getting some distance between me and Carter. Coming here, I knew he had my future in the palm of his hand. It took those twelve words to realize how much. He could break me. Ruin me. I don’t trust that my secret will be safe with him much longer. I know how this industry works, how guys like Carter work. He’s going to use this information to his advantage, whatever that might be.

What choice do I have? This is a huge opportunity. Offers like this only comes around once in a lifetime. I don’t want to serve at a restaurant forever. That’s not my destiny. Being a superstar, that’s been my dream for as long as I can remember.

Spotting a sign for the ladies’ restroom, I hurry inside and use a damp napkin to cool my face down. The ornate-framed mirror throws my reflection back at me. I see the fear in my eyes, but there’s also a fierce determination. There’s no throwing in the towel. I don’t know what Carter plans to do with the information he has on me, but I can’t let it stop me.

After a deep breath and a careful adjustment of my outfit, I head back to the casting room to find a concerned-looking Carter and three executives with unreadable expressions. Jared’s, however, tells me everything I need to know.

I fucked up.

“I don’t understand what’s happening here, Miss Kent, and I don’t care,” Cheryl’s voice cuts through my panicked thoughts. “I’m concerned. Your on-screen chemistry with James is remarkable, but I’m sensing a negative energy around you two.”

“There’s no negative energy, Aunt Cheryl,” Carter mumbles, tearing his gaze away from me. “Only a simple misunderstanding.”

She waves his comment away. “The other members of my team will deliberate on whether we should hire you. We’ll let your agent know when we decide.”

A heavy lump in my throat makes me swallow as I nod, already knowing what the answer will be. It’s right there in Cheryl’s eyes.

Her expression simmers. “I meant it when I mentioned how remarkable you are. If you’re not chosen, I’ll certainly contact you for another future project.”

It would be unwise to argue any further, so I force a smile. “I appreciate it. Thank you for your time.”

I barely spare Carter a glance before walking out with my head high, shoulders straight, eyes unblinking. The tears are right at the brim. Disappointment forms another solid lump in my throat. I swallow it down, and another one forms. My eyes sting from the unshed tears.

But as the elevator doors close behind me, I break down, sobbing all the way to the ground floor. This is all Carter’s fault. We had a remarkable reading, and I would’ve been hired if he hadn’t opened his mouth.

Anger twists at my insides as the elevator lands on the ground floor, and I wipe my face before the doors open. I stomp across the lobby, almost missing the receptionist’s wave. Forcing a smile, I wave back. What was he trying to prove by pushing the issue? Couldn’t he just leave it alone?

“Fuck!” I scream, marching down the sidewalk. I’m not sure if I want to cry some more or punch the goddamn wall. Better yet, punch that asshole Carter. He’s up there sitting cushy and safe with his confirmed spot, while I’m back on the waiting list—

Holy fuck.

I brake to an abrupt stop as a harrowing thought occurs. What if that was his endgame, after all? What if his behavior back there was an attempt to get rid of me? He knows what I’ve done. What if he doesn’t want to work with someone like me?

My palm crushes my chest as I suck in a deep breath, then let it out. There’s no need to search my mind for any other answers. There it is. It took six years, but my past is finally catching up to me.

Pulling the cell phone from my bag, I see five missed calls from Frank. Apparently, my supervisor forgot to log that I’ll be out for the rest of the day. Now I’m on the verge of losing two jobs in one day.

Oh, Universe. You are the gift that keeps giving.

I send Frank a text message to let him know I’ll finish my shift tonight, then I order a cab. Logan should be back by now. For once, I hope my not-boyfriend will have some good news for me. I won’t say no to one of his rare cuddles, either. For the next two hours, I want to shut out the world until it’s time to clock in for my night shift.

Getting into my apartment, I make a rain check for that cuddle. Logan isn’t back, nor is he answering my calls. Convinced this day won’t get any worse, I grab a shower and curl up under the covers, hoping to take my mind off what a disaster today was.

My cell phone rings when I’m almost drifting off to sleep, and I wince when I see Frank’s name on the screen. My boss only calls when there’s an emergency. This is not good news. I can feel it.

“Hey, Frank,” I greet wearily, bracing for what’s to come.

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