Page 100 of One Last Time
“What took you so long?” she asks hermother.
“I couldn’t get rid of a shirt I really love.” I can hear the smile in Kristin’svoice.
“Huh?” Aubrey sounds confused. “Whatshirt?”
“Nothing, honey. Let’s get youbreakfast.”
“You made me throw away my favorite dress,” Aubrey continues. “Can I keep it,too?”
Kristin’s laughter starts to float away as I try to contain myown.
My phone rings, causing me to jump. I quickly silence it and pray no one heard it as I rush around the side of the house and make it to my car withoutincident.
“What’s up, Sebastian?” I answer when my agent calls for the second time in arow.
“I need you to get on a planetoday.”
“Today?” I ask, looking at Kristin’s frontdoor.
He sighs. “They need you to do a read through for the movie. I know they said a few weeks, but they changed thetimeline.”
My hand grips the steering wheel, and I twist against the leather. “Ican’t.”
“No, you have nochoice.”
“It’s too short of notice,” I tell him. “I’ve got things here that I’m working on. There’s no way I’m leavingnow.”
Kristin and I have a lot of things we need to talk about. I’m not getting on a plane today when last night I told her everything. I’m not a fool; it’ll look like I’m running away. Plus, I haven’t told her about this fucking movie. Six months of filming in France isn’t going to go over well, not when we’re thisnew.
Something makes a loud noise in the background, and I wouldn’t doubt he threw something. I frustrate the fuck out of him. “I hope it’s more than eight million reasons as to why you can’t getthere.”
It’s his job to be the bad guy and to fight forme.
“This is the third project I’ve done with Paul, he knows I don’t dickaround.”
Sebastian forgets that I’ve been a walk in the park until now. I’ve always done what was asked, and I’ve never fought back, but this isdifferent.
“If you think you’re the only actor that can play this part, you’re out of your damn mind. Get on the plane, Noah. Don’t fuck thisup.”
“I’ll call you back,” I say and disconnect thecall.
Staring at Kristin’s house, I debate what to do. I think about everything that happened last night, and how the timing couldn’t be worse, but I know I should listen to my agent. I got a big contract, and that comes with a level ofexpectation.
Me: Sweetheart, I need to head to L.A. for a few days. My agent just called. I wish I could spend the day with you, but I don’t have a choice. Not sure when I’ll be back, but I’ll keep youposted.
A minute later sheresponds.
Kristin: Iunderstand.
Me: I’ll call you when Iland.
I see the curtain move to the side, and she smiles at me through thewindow.
Kristin: Okay . . . I’ll missyou.
Me: I loveyou.
Kristin: I loveyou.
