Page 132 of One Time in Paris
God. She had known. She’d known they were recording all those private moments.
And if they had enough footage of Aiden to weave it into the show in a natural way...who knew what the camera had captured? Or when they’d decided to start using this unscripted, raw footage for the show itself?
“It wasn’t meant to be malicious,” Davy said in a quivering voice. “We only kept the cameras on to get some of those natural moments to supplement. But then there was such a good storyline there that Boyd caught it while reviewing dailies. And then Antony loved the idea.”
“Mylifeis not a storyline, Davy.” Her voice cracked on the last word, fury and heartbreak coiling in her throat.
“I know,” she whispered, her voice raw and filled with emotion.
Isla rubbed her temples, a pulse pounding there. “Do you, though? Or was it, once again, just another chance to push your own career forward atmy expense?Because that’s what it feels like. God, this whole time since Tennessee, I’ve been trying to come up with a way to apologize and mend things between us because you’re supposed to be my best friend. No wonder you haven’t bothered to try. You threw away our friendship a long time ago.”
“I didn’t. I swear I didn’t.” Davy gripped Isla’s arm. “I didn’t know how to tell you, and Boyd didn’t let me because he felt like it would ruin the organic feel to the footage we were getting. But Isla, I swear. I never meant it to hurt you. And Antony wanted to take a much more salacious, edgy tone for things, but I fought for you. To show both you and Aiden in the best light possible.”
She didn’t want to know what people were seeing. What version of her and Aiden they’d edited into something palatable. Romantic. It was easier not to look. Not to feel that ache return full force just from the sound of his voice. But not only that.They’d set me up to look like I was cheating on Aiden with Tomas at every turn.The shots whentheywere meant to look in love with each other, and then viewers would see Isla with Aiden.Fuck.
And worst of all, they’d made a story out of the one thing that had felt real. Him. Aiden. Whatever they’d had, however messy or brief—it had belonged to her. Not the audience. Not a production team looking for ratings.
“Oh, and I’m supposed to thank you for that?” Isla shook her head, yanking her arm away. “I don’t care which way you presented me. What you think you did?—”
Kyle was at her side suddenly. “Isla,” he whispered, his mouth beside her ear. “They’re filming this, you know.”
Isla whirled around to find the camera operator pointing his equipment right at her.
Her heart dropped.
Everything she’d done the past two months—from going to Vegas, marrying Aiden, hiding from Callum, working on this show, fighting with Davy—thewhole timeshe’d felt so out of her depth. Like she was fumbling in the dark, trying to find her way, trying to find herself again.
And Davy had turned her life into a plot twist.
Davy, of all people, had suggested she shouldn’t find her sense of self through another person. But that was the thing...when had she ever fit with anyone?Yes, she’d had Callum growing up, and she knew her parents loved her.But I’ve always just felt like the outsider.
The only girl among a group of brothers.
The stranger without a true home in boarding school.
The replaceable actress, not to mention the replaceable girlfriend.Tomas didn’t pine for me when I moved to La Hacienda.
And Aiden, who had told her he loved her and had suggested they stay married? How long had he waited before he’d made a move?And how easily did he walk away from me without a backward glance...without truly fighting for me?
Perhaps that was why he was somewhere else now—free of all this, free of her. The thought made her stomach turn.
She thought the life she’d had made her tougher, somehow.
Isla blinked a tear away, determined not to cry, then turned toward Kyle. “Can you help me grab my things for the airport? I want to go home.”
“Isla, I’m sorry. I really am—” Davy’s voice broke.
Isla couldn’t meet her eye. “It doesn’t matter. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past month, it’s that I hate lying. I hate lying to others, and I hate being lied to. Maybe this is also proof that friends shouldn’t work together.”
Davy gasped at that. She started to speak, but Isla cut her off. “No, you had your chance to speak to me, to be honest with me, Davy, and you chose your career over our friendship. I don’t care if I’m in breach of contract, but today was the last Paris you’ll have with me in it. This was never supposed to be the story, and you know that. Itrustedyou, Davy, but I won’t make that mistake again.”
She turned to go, tears trailing from her eyes as she tore through the garden, not caring if the lilacs hit her as she passed. Kyle hurried to keep up, but she didn’t wait for him.
She just wanted to leave.
God, I’m so stupid.
Maybe she wouldn’t feel so alone in this pain if she hadn’t told Aiden to go away.
