Page 6 of Something New

“I’m so glad you could take the time off. I know this is your busy time with football season, and I’m glad your head coach let you off the hook for the week.”

He grinned. “Well, it helped that you had your father call and remind them of his very generous donations over the years. I think they would have offered to let you have the wedding in Memorial Stadium at halftime if you wanted.”

There was a pause in the conversation, and Wyatt waited, not feeling any pressure to fill the silence. He knew how Caroline operated, and he was going to make her come right out and say it.

Finally, she sighed. “You’re just going to make me ask, aren’t you? Fine. I’m trying to shuffle everyone’s schedule to get them here on time, and Anna’s flight is later than expected.”

He jerked straight up, spilling his beer over his hand. He cursed under his breath and sucked at the beer. “No way, Caroline. I’m not picking her up from the airport. Absolutely not.”

“I wasn’t going to ask that, Wyatt, although it would have made my life so much easier. I have so much to coordinate as it stands now.”

He grunted at the guilt trip she was laying on. She had stuck by him, her and Matthew, cajoling him out of his depression, badgering him for physical therapy, stocking his fridge when he didn’t want to eat. They kept him going when everyone else had walked away. He owed her, and the fact that she hadn’t brought it up yet was a testament to her friendship and the pain she knew the week would cause.

“I could pick her up if you need me to,” he grumbled.

“Not necessary,” Caroline replied breezily. “She has a ride to the ferry. I just wanted you both to be on the same ferry so we could make one trip to get you. Matthew said he could leave the car at the ferry for you, and you can drive back to the house. You remember how to get here, right?”

“It’s not a big island, Caroline. I think I can find my way. There’s, like, one road.”

“Perfect.” She paused again and, when she spoke again, her voice was quieter. “Wyatt, I know this week is going to be hard for you. It’s going to be hard for everyone. Thank you for coming. The best gift I could receive for my wedding is all of my friends together again for one last time.”

His shoulders slumped. How could he be mad at her now? “Of course, Caroline. I wouldn’t miss it for the Super Bowl.”

“And Wyatt? I don’t know what’s going on with Anna, but something is off with her. She’s not the same girl we all knew.” Caroline spoke hesitantly, a worried tone entering her voice.

Wyatt steeled his heart against feeling anything, reminding himself that Anna left him, deserved to be left out in the cold. “We’ve all changed and grown up.”

“No, Wyatt. This is something different. She’s harder, colder, more brittle. She’s always been tough on the outside, but now, it’s like an ice-cold shield, and I can’t see the Anna I once knew. I’m afraid Hollywood changed her, and not for the better. I’m hoping we can help her, find the Anna we all knew and loved.”

Wyatt scrubbed a hand over his face. “You can’t save everyone, Caroline. You may have to let this one go.”

“I saved you, and you were in far worse shape. I expect your help with this mission this week, Wyatt. No excuses. You owe me, and I plan on cashing in every chip.”

A chill traveled through his heart. Could he survive his heart being crushed again?

Chapter Three

Anna had exited the plane, collected her baggage, and made it to her driver with no stops. No one noticed her, stopped her, or even asked if she was that bitch from that television show and how could she have broken up poor Charles and Deirdre’s marriage. She didn’t, for the record. It was a television show, and the writers scripted everything down to the fake cheating, the slaps, and the flash of skin. But people got so invested in their shows, and it wouldn’t be the first time someone stopped her, raging about what a horrible puta she was, stealing Charles from Deirdre. Explaining that they weren’t real people, and she wasn’t Bianca, never had any effect.

But, in Texas, it appeared she had left the crazy behind in California and could be anonymous, at least for a while. If she could just make it to Whitby, where it would be hard for the paparazzi to hide and surprise her, then she’d be fine. The trick was not to act like she was hiding. No big glasses, no hat, no scarf around her hair, at least not now. Wearing casual clothes, like her jeans from a regular store, a casual t-shirt and a sweater—nothing that screamed money—and she could slip through the crowds with no one the wiser.

Her driver unloaded the bags onto a cart, and she headed for the ferry and a nice, long vacation. If only she could relax. Instead, she’d be facing her past, the people who knew her best and who would know immediately that something was wrong. She could not tell them about her woes in Hollywood; she couldn’t admit to any of them, especially Wyatt, that she had screwed up big time. Wyatt would probably be thrilled, and the others, well, she couldn’t go back a failure after achieving her dreams. That was not an option.

No, this was not a vacation week for Anna, but rather her chance to play the role of a lifetime—Anna Costado, successful and rising actress.

If only she could fool Wyatt, the one man who always saw through her to the insecure woman beneath. She could never hide from him her stage fright and her vomiting before every play and audition. He was always there for her, no matter what, acting as her rock in the storm of nerves that always buffeted her from all angles. The past five years had been incredibly stressful doing it without him. Countless times, she had found herself heaving over the toilet as she waited for auditions, pacing her tiny apartment that she lived in when she first moved out to Los Angeles as she waited for news on jobs, and every time she had to go out to events as Anna Costado. No one would have guessed that Anna was so nervous about her acting, about appearing in public.

When she first got the role of Bianca St. John and had to attend a casting event, she had been so nervous, she spilled her drink all over one of her costars, which didn’t endear her to the woman playing Deirdre. On screen, they were rivals already, so this only enhanced the rumors of off-screen animosity. It didn’t matter that Anna wasn’t the same type of person who Bianca was. Her fans only saw Bianca and saw Anna as the same person. Her agent, to help Anna be more popular, encouraged the rumors and convinced Anna that appearances were nothing more than an act, another role she played. And the fans, and the paparazzi, ate it up. All too soon, Anna and Bianca were basically the same person, and everything seemed to work.

She wheeled her suitcases to the front of the ferry on the top level, wanting to feel the sea air on her face, the sun beating down on her, warming her when she had felt so cold for so long. She found a quiet bench, put on a pair of sunglasses to protect her eyes from the bright sunlight, and wrapped a scarf around her hair to keep it from whipping around her and tangling. When she got to the island, she needed to look her best. She might have been falling apart inside, but on the outside, she’d appear cool, calm, and collected, the perfect Anna Maria Costado.

No one would know how broken she was.

* * *

Wyatt took a deep breath of the sea air, the salt and brine clearing out his sinuses. He closed his eyes and let the cool sea breeze wash over him, and the tension drained from his body. He leaned against the railing and looked down to see dolphins racing alongside the ferry, leaping in the water. To him, they always looked like they were laughing at the silly humans, always rushing to get somewhere, focused on anything but where they were and worried about everything other than what was really important. Dolphins lived in the moment. They lived for their families, food, and to swim free. They were playful and happy and even helped stranded humans if boaters were to be believed. People could learn a lot from the animals.

Wyatt turned from leaning over the railing and braced his back against it and studied his fellow passengers. It took about an hour to get to Whitby Island from the southern tip of Galveston, and people used this time to walk around the deck and enjoy the beautiful day. Few people took their cars to Whitby, since the island restricted vehicles to maintain a sanctuary state and reduce pollution. As a result, the car part of the ferry was mostly empty.

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