Page 48 of Mastered By Bliss

I nod and squeeze her hand, one of the few parts of her that doesn’t look like it hurts.

“Can you help me sit up?”

“Sure thing.”I support her neck as best I can.The bruise from her seatbelt is ugly and purple, stark against her skin.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?”She brushes her fingertips against the side of my mouth.“You’re frowning and looking at my neck.Is it that bad?”

“I don’t like seeing you hurt.But you’re beautiful even with bruises.You’re beautiful no matter what, Leah.”

She closes her eyes.“It hurts you to look at me.”

“Only because I wasn’t there to prevent this.I should’ve—” I break off, unable to finish the sentence.A deep breath.I swallow past the choking regret.“I should’ve been there for you.And I wasn’t.”

She blinks those amazing blue eyes at me, sympathy shining through them.“You couldn’t have known.Nobody could.”

“Billings did.He tried to tell me.I ignored him.”Because of my issues.My baggage.My trauma.It sounds like a collection of flimsy excuses.

Leah’s stern look reminds me of a prissy schoolteacher.“Did he specifically say Vanessa was coming after you?”

“No.But?—”

The front door slams shut.“Shit.Sorry,” Dmitri mutters.

“I’m awake,” Leah calls.

The sound of a crinkling paper bag precedes him as he comes down the hall.He’s carrying a to-go drink tray, as well.His face relaxes into a smile when he sees Leah sitting up.“How are you doing, baby?”

“I feel great.We should go for a run.Do some weight-lifting.Maybe join a kickboxing class.”She winks.“Thenafterlunch, a triathlon.”

“Brat,” he says fondly.“Be real.How are you feeling?”

“Everything hurts.”

I get a glass of water and a pain pill for her.Dmitri takes a poppyseed muffin from the bag and puts it on a napkin in her lap.

“Wow, what service,” Leah jokes before taking a massive bite of muffin.“Now can I have drugs?”

“Yes.”I hand her the pill and water glass.

Dmitri and I sit on either side of her on the bed, eating our own breakfasts and drinking coffee.Other than the bruised and banged-up state of our girlfriend, this moment feels restful.The juxtaposition of peace with Leah’s bruises on display makes the moment feel more ephemeral, and therefore, more precious.

Clearing my throat, I set down my coffee and the remnants of my muffin.“You both might have questions.About some of the things Vanessa said.And about why I was ignoring you for days.”

“I do.”Leah turns toward me and winces.“But only if you’re ready to share them.She said something about an orgy scene, which sounds bananas, but maybe it isn’t.You can tell me anything, but if you don’t want to…” She trails off and gives me a brief grin.“I’m talking too much.”

“Not at all.”I steel myself.The only person I’ve spoken with about these things is my therapist, and even then, the discussion was broad strokes.I’m ready to get specific, if that’s what Leah needs.“My first season filmingAcademy of Ghostswas incredible.Claudia, Jess, Todd, Nic, Javi, and me—we brought fresh blood into Season Three, and fans were rabid for more.But four of us were underage.I was fourteen when we filmed that season.”

“Pretty risqué stuff they had you do, as a fourteen-year-old,” Leah murmurs.

Dmitri is silent, but I can feel his support along with Leah’s.

“It was,” I agree.“But it wasn’t pushing the boundaries of ethics until we filmed Season Five.I was sixteen, so was Jess.Claudia and Nic were seventeen.Only Todd and Javi were technically adults at eighteen, but they were still teenagers.Billings had this idea for a scene.The characters were going to mishandle a love potion, and the result was going to be, like Vanessa said, an orgy.We were practically naked for the scene.Have you heard of a cock sock?”

Leah looks like she wants to giggle, and Dmitri says, “What the fuck?”

I nod and chuckle.“It’s what it sounds like.A pouch for the male genitalia.They’re worn in sex scenes to keep things from getting too improper.”

Leah and Dmitri nod.

---