e notice felt

he stuffy office of the Majest

days, Ms

h, sat beside m

wasn't just

Dad's

le

e bad calls before he passed w

e worn screen

Haze." My

save th

ad

her enough money for a b

known film festiv

could get my script

ly at a crowded

rehearsed too many tim

some low-level agent, ba

through the noise,

s this

us T

rcus T

ays in the trades,

arly forties, with ey

flipped a few pages

script, b

spread acro

pt needs

eart

. you have

aned

one bright, beautiful, to be on my arm. You do that for

mpan

mach t

face, the crumbling f

" I wh

jestic

th me," he said, his

al was

moved

, the next I was in a sleek, m

ing art-house cinema I'

p: "The Hayes Classic Cinema

amed

ia. For our l

spread through

ivate island film

amous faces smiling at me

ke I was

fore a major international distribut

be annoyed, to lea

cancelled

side, brought me

nt, Amy," he murmure

called

t just a d

to genui

to fall fo

ldly man, showing

elt

he trades like

clair Returns

. The A-list actress wh

Marcus a

, his eyes

t histo

formed in

t a quiet cafe, trying to

pproached

led, impossib

ia Sin

sume?" she said, her

own witho

ld me... so li

polite smile on her lip

ike an as

hre

toria observed, stirring

likes...

"Marcus ca

ed small, even

ed, a light, t

he *cares*. He cares for

rward, her vo

on. You're a placeholder, a pleasant dist

," I said, tryin

amed. "Let's find out. A

rt ham

us. A little wardrobe malfunction befo

ed, watc

d a minor car accident. Also nothing serious, jus

in my gut. T

ugly part of me

" I wh

ok as I typed out the fake

it at 1

y silent on

ute pas

mach c

ords, his hand on my fo

at me when he dedi

d to

my phone re

h on my other line – a burner pho

e was tr

o worried about my dress. Offered

ve washed

ll you?" Victoria as

I ma

'm sure he's

ne wen

uzzed. A text from Mar

y? In a m

was

felt from him

toria "ran into me"

rcus's hand possess

ed sweet

ng! So good

diculously ornate mo

once, just because I admired a little tiara there.

icked to mi

d film festival? We had such memories ther

as a small,

lt s

few nights later, I

rcus's executives, their

bad for Sinclair. Nev

Europe? Always coincided with her film p

ked into place,

s a

y gala was

nsisted

entatious kisses, his a

Victoria, who watched with

g her he'd moved on, tr

like a

ourse, Victoria pressed h

ured, her voice faint. "My migr

instantly a

home," he sai

at me as he led Vict

ned. P

the fin

artment, my cheeks bu

to UCLA's film program. I'd deferred it

esigned, vintage-style clapp

on it: "O

it into the trash can with

ry. Wha

essentials. My clothes

a, his most precious possession h

he bedroom

ilk robe clinging to her,

here now. In M

o soon, li

the Super 8 camera

perfectly manicured fi

s old. Probabl

led it c

n cold. "Pl

her voice soft bu

king you could ever be more than a temporary amusement.

her's

y eyes. I couldn'

tantly, I san

I'm

rds ch

made a small sound,

ver nothing, he

om her hand, arcin

e two carpeted steps leading into the sunken part

marble floor with

the room, his fa

the steps, clutching her ank

angry I found her packing to sneak away! She atta

n't even l

as a physi

his fingers diggi

teful litt

wn a flight of stairs, to his exp

ved me

hut, the lock clicking w

ess.

. I don't kn

loor, shivering, clutching th

the loc

silhouetted against

uper 8 camera. It

id, his voice flat,

forget thi

a cellar for hours because

actions, no remor

e even considered I

amera, my ha

oldened, bega

arrive

t exclusive Hollywood part

necklace Marcus had gifted *me* weeks ago, claim

was a fresh

my class

, trying to build a wall aroun

a raw, personal piece, t

he festival, m

I saw

ntering the auditorium

in the VI

cquaintances, sycophants who knew

dly, "Marcus, darling! Do you remember that littl

ned to me, t

er voice dripping with false sweetness, loud en

do you k

ly at me. His eyes w

nited front with Victori

ife," he said, his voice carry

Crushed wasn't a s

in. I would not le

ag

was Marcus'

arty at his mansion, the

one-way ticket t

reathe air that wasn't th

be LA, maybe screenwriting

safe, that was th

done. His pa

ng, I pulled

short text

he Majestic is safe, so our arrangeme

it

my phone and walk

my's absence

ease that grew with

uzzed. A te

rea

" "Goo

slammed

ng her. Straig

sperate pani

oring the confused calls of his gue

apartment he'd

mostl

e gone. Her boo

chen trash

erboard. "Our St

to the coffeemaker, sat t

a small,

embled as h

nt more than you know. I hope you f

ords, the quiet dignity, hit

ool, the note clu

nuine, aching tenderness he'd mistaken

ing weight of his own

oyed somethi

broke

, she w