Hollywood Princess (Hollywood Royalty 2)

“Oh my God,” the female voice says. “Again, not surprised.” I wait until they walk out of the bathroom. I stand on shaky legs, the toilet flushing as soon as I stand. My hands shake as I reach out and turn the silver knob. When I walk out and look in the mirror, my face is pale as though I’ve seen a ghost. I place my hands on the counter, looking at the sink with little drops of water still in there. I focus on my breathing, and I focus on trying to breathe without the pain in my chest. My body takes over, and I walk out, going through the motions. I walk into my dressing room and see him sitting on the couch with his phone in his hand.

“Can you get out?” I ask him quietly, his head flying up, and he sees me. “I need to focus, and I want everyone out.”

“You look like you are going to faint. Did you eat?” he asks, getting up, and I step back away from him. “I’ll get you a plate of food.”

“I don’t want you to get me anything. If I need something, I can get it myself,” I tell him, my voice soft as I try not to raise it for fear it’s going to crack. I look at him, this man who yesterday couldn’t kiss me but had no problem fucking someone in the hotel gym. “Now please close the door on your way out.”

He doesn’t say anything to me. He just walks out and closes the door. I don’t sit on the couch. I walk to the white makeup chair and sit there. Looking in the mirror, I focus on my face, focus on my eyes that are usually crystal blue but now are clouded over. I push down the lingering hurt. I push everything away, and I get on that stage to become Hollywood’s princess.

Chapter Eighteen

Brian

She hasn’t looked me in the eye since the pub, and it’s killing me. The second she looked up at me and asked me to kiss her, my heart stopped. I couldn’t breathe, the beauty of her surrounded me and captured all of me.

I’m facing her dressing room after she kicked me out. I’m leaning against the white cement block wall. One foot leaned up on it, I’m scrolling Facebook and Instagram, but the only thing I can picture is her face when she walked in after her workout. She looked pale, so pale, and her lips were white. She didn’t make eye contact with me, and when she did, she was guarded, and her shield was up.

I hear footsteps and look up to see Stacey, and I groan inside. I do not have time for this bullshit right now. “Hey, you,” she says, stopping in front of me. She leans in, touching my chest with one hand, and I swear to God if a cock could hide and cover, mine just did that. “I was wondering when I would see you again.” I can imagine she was wondering this since she came on to me in the gym yesterday. If a woman says she wants to suck your cock like a Hoover vacuum, it’s never good, especially since the woman isn’t the woman haunting your dreams.

I nod at her and try to step out of her touch, but seeing as I’m against a brick wall, it’s almost impossible. “Here I am.” After she told me that in the gym, I pushed the speed up on the treadmill and ran until I thought my legs would give out, and then I walked into the room, and this guilt suddenly hit me.

“I was thinking maybe we could have a drink together tonight after the show.” She comes more into my space.

“I’m on the bus as soon as the show is over.” My foot now comes off the wall, and I stand straight and move to the side and then stand in the middle of the hallway.

“Oh, you guys aren’t staying with the rest of us?” she asks with disappointment.

“Sorry,” I tell her, and then I’m not sure if it’s because I’m all over the place with Kellie, but I blurt out, “Listen, just for the record, I don’t date when I’m working or on the job, so …”

A sly smile starts on her face. “Is that so, Brian?” She cocks her hip. “Well, then, I guess this gives us something to look forward to.”

She doesn’t even wait for me to answer before she walks away with a swing in her hips, and I roll my eyes. I don’t have time to think about it because I see Cori walking down the hall, and I walk to her.

“When was the last time Kellie ate?” I know I need to relax my tone, but I can’t.