Page 75 of To the Moon and Back

She opened her mouth and closed it again, looking around thecourtroom in emotional unravel. “Killed my child,” she mumbled.

“What did you say?”

“Victor killed my child and he’s not getting away with it.” Laurenlet the angry tears fall.

“And…cut.” Rick moved toward her and leaned over the witnessstand. “I think that one was it. Let me check the picture and we’ll see ifwe’ve got it.”

“Sounds great,” Lauren said, accepting a tissue from a productionassistant and hoping her makeup wasn’t a screaming mess, which, of course,production might have preferred. “Thank you.” She dabbed her eyes and stood,waiting on word.

“And we’re good,” Rick said. “That was our martini shot. Thanks,everyone. That’s a wrap for Lauren Prescott.” The cast and crew on set immediatelybroke into applause for the work she’d done.

She high-fived Ben, the sound guy she’d nicknamed Benjamin Buttonbecause he was forty-four but looked thirty. Once she was clear of the set, shelocated her phone and anxiously checked her messages, looking for one name inparticular. She’d texted Carly the night before to see how she was doing. Ithad taken everything in her not to text earlier, but she wanted the ball to bein Carly’s court. Unfortunately, the ball remained there, as she’d heard nothingfrom her in the three days since she’d checked into the hotel, which left hersurprised and hurt. Lauren wasn’t sleeping or eating very much, and the filmshoot had been a lot of tedious waiting around, which was hard on someone whothrived on action.

“You okay?” Cal Parks, who played the prosecutor, asked as hepassed. “You look like someone just stole your puppy.”

She forced herself to brighten. “Nothing that awful. Just hangingon to my character a bit too tightly.” He laughed and headed out. Alone, herspirits plummeted. She missed her dog. She missed Trip. Above all, she missedCarly more than words could ever do justice. None of this Hollywood stuffmattered under the personal circumstances of her life. How dissatisfying it wasto be given so much, only to realize that the one thing you wanted was the onething you couldn’t have. Life didn’t mess around in its masterful delivery ofmixed messages, elevating her professional life while trashing her personalone.

Her time on the film had originally been scheduled for five days,which had turned into seven, scattered over a two-week period due to theschedules of other actors. When the job ended, she’d planned to stick around,pick up Rocky IV, and see where the Los Angeles journey took her. The events ofthe last week weighed heavy on her plans.

She fired off another text to Carly.Hey, you. If you’re dodging my messages, just say so.I’m a big girl, Carly. Just talk to me one way or another.

That night as she sat cross-legged in her hotel room watchingThe Subdivisionfor abit of research on the part she’d committed to, she kept one eye on her phone.She knew Carly was in a rough spot, so she cut her a certain amount of slack.It had been too long, though. Deciding to be the bigger person, she placed a call,waiting patiently as it rang and rang. When Carly’s recorded voice came on theline, Lauren closed her eyes, absorbing the familiar sound. “Okay, so I guessyou’re too busy to pick up. Or if I’m being realistic, you’re choosing not to,which speaks volumes. Have a nice night.” A pause. “I miss you.”

* * *

Carly could barely hear the message above the loud music. “I missyou.” She lowered the phone, her heart tugging. She missed Lauren, too.

It was just before midnight, and Carly only paused her dancing fora quick drink. It felt good to get out of the house, which had been eating heralive. She needed an escape, a reset button, a lifeline. Dancing her ass off,while keeping her alcohol level to a minimum so as not to get too crazy, wasdoing the trick.

“From the guy down the bar,” the blond bartender with the spikyhair said and pointed at a gentleman who nodded in her direction.

“Thank you, but no,” she mouthed and slid the shot back. She hadzero plans to get sloppy drunk and show up on TMZ all over again.The Hollywood Reporterarticlethat afternoon had been enough.

You’re gonnawant to see this, the text from Fallon had said earlier that day.But remember, it’ll be in people’strash folders by tomorrow so don’t get hung up.

When she opened the short article and read the headline, “Danielbested for Hennessy role by McAllister co-star,” her first reaction was an eyeroll. After all, it had only been a matter of time before Lauren showed up ontheir radar, and her connection to Carly only sweetened the appeal. The mediadid their research and seemed to have sources everywhere these days. She justwasn’t expecting it to be so soon. “Really?” she asked her empty kitchen. “Haveyou not put us through enough?” And she did include Lauren in that becauseshe’d been unfairly punished in all this. Carly was working on putting thingsright, but she hadn’t yet found the words that would absolve and explain herunattractive behavior. She certainly wasn’t proud of it and was doing what shecould to learn about her own weaknesses, and how they manifested and affectedothers. She owed Lauren a sit-down conversation, and they would get themselvesback on track.

The article had saddened her, though, and she’d decided enough wasenough. It was time. She needed to take control of her own life before she losteverything, including Lauren. She refused to consider the possibility that shealready had. She would face that problem tomorrow. It was a new day and wouldbe a new leaf. For now, letting loose felt like a cool glass of water on a hotday. The music infiltrated her system, fueling her. The dim lighting and theconstantly moving strobes offered a much needed feeling of anonymity thatallowed Carly to escape. The aerobic exercise released her endorphins. Sheheaded back to the dance floor where she danced with anyone and everyone.

She could not, would not be stopped.

* * *

Lauren squinted at the clock in the darkness of her hotel room.The angry green numbers told her it was after two and she’d yet to fall asleep.She fell back against the pillow with a petulant sigh. Her brain wouldn’t stoprunning through all the possible options. She touched the lonely pillow next tohers. She’d met success in Hollywood, yes, but she hadn’t found happiness.She’d been infinitely happier back home, and never so happy as when she’d hadCarly with her.

Just the thought of her made Lauren’s heart hurt. Understandingthat sleep was outside of her grasp, she sat up in bed and took out her phone.Because she was apparently a glutton for punishment, she googled Carly’s name,partially because she wanted to see her face, and also because she wondered ifthere’d been any casting news.

When she saw an article onTheHollywood Reporter’s website about her taking the Hennessy job fromCarly, she went still. Scanning the short piece left her hands shaking and herstomach nauseous. It was bad enough that Carly didn’t get the role she’d sobadly hoped for—it was worse that she’d lost it to Lauren, and exponentiallyunfair to have her nose shoved in it by the press. She wanted nothing more thanto talk to Carly, but she’d been shut out. She shook her head and scrolled,pausing on a photo of Carly posted by a fan to Instagram. Lauren squinted andclicked on the photo, blowing it up larger, only to see Carly dancing that verynight at a club in West Hollywood.

She fell back against the pillow, trying to understand.

That’s when she got it. The resentment, the unreturned messages,the late night excursion. It was what she’d feared all along.

Carly was more important to her than she was to Carly.

She’d simply refused to accept it until now.

Lauren stared into the quiet of her hotel room and focused on thelights of LA just outside her window. What was she doing here? Chasing an olddream from when she was too young to know any better? Whatever gratificationshe got from her recent successes wouldn’t last and shattered in the face ofwhat she’d lost in Carly.

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