Page 45 of Something New

She jumped up, intending to run from the room. How could he have done that? The one man she thought she could trust with anything instead, he had betrayed her like so many others. Oh, he probably didn’t know what he had done, but that was the point. No one realized how seductive and insidious betrayal was. Wyatt probably didn’t realize that anyone he talked to would betray her, but they would, for the right amount of money. Everyone had a price. Everyone.

He grabbed her arm before she could escape, pulling her around. “Anna, I did what I thought was right to help you, like Ethan helped me. I never mentioned your name. Karen would never sell your story to anyone. And she’s the only one who would know I was talking about you.”

She laughed, a horrible, bitter sound. “You’re so naïve, Wyatt. Maybe Karen wouldn’t, but would one of the kids or their parents or someone else in the cast, if they had overheard it? Maybe one of the trustees? And at UT, someone would connect the dots and bam, my cover’s blown.” She stepped back, out of his reach. “I know you meant well, Wyatt. You thought you were helping. But you actually did the complete opposite. I’m sorry. I need to be alone right now. Need to figure out my next steps.”

And she walked out of the room, feeling more alone than she ever had before.

Chapter Twenty-One

Wyatt stared after Anna, shocked and furious. How could she throw his help in his face as if it meant nothing? He understood pride, God knew that. He had pride in spades, and when UT had called, he had turned them down, refusing to accept charity from his friends, or their influence. But better sense and a persuasive mentor convinced him it was not all about connections and influence, that they truly wanted him and his skills.

No one would hire Anna on his word. He didn’t have that kind of clout. Anna would get hired on her own merit and she had plenty of it. She had a decent resume, and he had seen her with the kids. She could teach and coach them. After last night and their discussion on reframing her career, how could she throw his offer of help in his face?

He sat there for what seemed like an eternity until a voice spoke from the doorway.

“Wyatt? Are you okay?” Caroline stood there, a worried look on her face.

He pasted on a reassuring smile and stood. “I’m fine, Caroline. Just thinking about the upcoming game.”

She gave him a chiding look. “You have an entire week and a half to prepare for that, and I know you can handle them. No, that look has Anna written all over it. What’s happened?”

She walked into the room and took his hand, settling him on the couch next to her. He sat and folded his hands in front of him, staring at them blankly, not sure where to start. He didn’t want to compound his earlier mistake by sharing Anna’s news with anyone else, although how Caroline could be a threat was beyond him. But apparently Anna believed she was, everyone was. Paranoid much?

“Is this about Anna’s role on the show?” He glanced at her in surprise, and she nodded. “We talked briefly, and I suspected as much. So, it’s true; they’re not renewing her contract. Poor Anna. She must be so confused and unsure where she’s going next. What happened?”

“I don’t see what I did as so wrong? I simply suggested maybe she try looking for other options, maybe the Playhouse or UT. She could work in the indie film industry. There are so many options. But she is fixated on her path, as if nothing else matters.” The words flowed out of him in a rush.

Caroline nodded slowly, lips pursed as she thought for a long moment. “Have you thought about it from her perspective? She’s had a few days, if that, to come to terms with the death of her dreams. Remember when your career ended? How long did you mope on Ethan’s vineyard?”

“Guys don’t mope,” he muttered, “we brood. But I get your point. She could at least consider her options, not dismiss them out of hand. I thought women were supposed to be the more reasonable gender. Besides, her dreams aren’t over. Just her show.”

Caroline laughed. “An enlightened man. I love it. She’s still dealing with the end of a show. That’s a death. She’s going to need time.”

He stared at her, understanding dawning. “And I tried to rush it.”

Caroline looked sad. “I think you did more than that, Wyatt. Anna has serious trust issues around her career. She swears no one betrayed her when she got out there, and maybe they didn’t, but she must have seen a big betrayal to learn that lesson hard. She believes everyone is out to get her, to get dirt on her. And, to be blunt, they probably are because dirt is money. No one wants the feel-good story. And you just handed them the jackpot.”

“Shit.” Wyatt’s curse rang out in the room. What he had done was only now sinking in and he realized how big he had fucked up. But how could he fix it without fucking it up further?

Caroline stood and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You’re good for her, Wyatt. You always were. Prove yourself worthy of that trust and win her back. For all our sakes. I want my friend back, and I think you’re the key.”

He nodded, barely noticing when she left the room.

* * *

Anna curled up under the covers of her bed, the French doors open so she could hear the waves in the distance. The sound soothed her ragged spirit, calming her tears after several minutes. She wrapped her arms around a pillow, knowing she should call her agent, give her a heads up on what Wyatt had done in case there was fallout, but she just didn’t have the energy or desire. For the first time, her first thought wasn’t to consult her agent for her guidance. She would like to have blamed her agent and her guidance for the state of her career, but honestly, Anna had asked for it, agreed to it, and could have said no at any time. She had to take responsibility for her actions and there was no time like the present for that.

Wyatt was right about one thing. She had created her image, with the help of her agent and a host of carefully crafted PR appearances. She could do it again. Only, did she have the energy for the fake setups, the pretend dates, the appearances at the “in” places? She was tired just thinking about it. No, she had needed a change for a long time, part of her discomfort withBlazing Passionscarrying over into her daily life. She had started to hate Bianca St. John, the storylines, the dialogue, even the character herself, even knowing that Bianca was the reason Anna was on the map. Bianca had always been intended as a means to an end, not the end game. Somehow, she had become Anna, and Anna hated herself.

She sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. No, this was a good thing, if not good timing. She would prefer to leave on her own terms, but she would never have left on her own, comfortable with the money, the safety of the role. She just needed to figure out her next steps.

Her other regret was how she treated Wyatt. He didn’t know what he had done was risky for her career. He was just trying to help, and she had jumped down his throat, accusing him of sabotaging her. She buried her face in her hands. Oh God, had she lost him? Had she driven him away for good that time?

A knock at the door made her jerk her head up, hope flaring in her heart.

“Anna? Are you still awake?” Wyatt’s voice was low and apologetic.

She dashed the tears from her eyes and swallowed hard. “Yes, it’s open.”

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