My mouth tugs to the side, stomach roiling at the thought of ever saying those words, at ever officially admitting that we’re done. But I nod, letting her know I hear her.
And then I grab my bag and tell the girls I’ll be back in a bit, disappearing through the hotel lobby doors.
It’s a quiet ride up the elevator, though I can still hear the music thumping on when I make it to our suite. It’s absolutely massive, three bedrooms and a huge sitting area finessed with the finest furniture and interior design. There’s a fireplace and an infinity plunge pool that has the illusion of hanging off the deck and over the ocean below, as well as an expansive balcony, and a stacked minibar that we’ve more than taken advantage of.
I slip my bag off my shoulder, laying a towel out on one of the daybeds on the balcony before I pull up the missed call notifications on my phone. I almost regret setting up international calls and texts with my service provider for this trip, but I wanted to make sure I was available in case my parents needed me.
Or maybe, deep down, I wanted Kip to call.
I sigh at the absolute mess I am before tapping the number on the screen to call it back. I tap the button to put it on speakerphone next, leaning back against the plush pillows and waiting as it rings, my eyes on the last rays of sun touching the beach.
“Where the hell are you?”
The voice that answers is not what I expected. Female, angry, and… and… familiar.
“Who is this?”
“Natalia.”
I snap upright, eyes narrowing. “You have a lot of fucking nerve to call me.”
“Yeah, well, you can tell me how much you hate me later. Right now, I need you to tell me where you fucking are. Actually, I need you to answer Kip and tell him where you are.”
“How about I hang up and you go fuck yourself?”
I’m about to do just that when she screams, “Wait!”
I pause with my finger over the red button that will end the call.
“Just… look. I know you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. Hating you would require that I give a shit about you in some way, and I don’t,” I clarify.
“Fine. But just… please. Please call Kip and talk to him. He’s worried sick about you.”
I swallow. “And you would know this how?”
“Oh, don’t worry — he’s not talking to me anymore than he has to to wrap up the show,” she says with a scoff. “So, you won. If that’s what you’re wondering.”
“I never knew I was in a fight.”
“That’s a lie and you know it.”
“And you’re a bitch and you know it.”
There’s a pause, then a sigh. “Maybe. Or maybe I just know what I want and have learned in my short life that sometimes you’ve got to do some fucked-up things to get what you deserve.”
I shake my head.
“Look, I didn’t call to fight you. I called to… to… I don’t know, try to talk some sense into you, or at least plead to whatever part of you still cares about Kip.”
“Don’t you dare question my feelings for him.”
“Well, he’s fucking sick over you. He’s not eating, barely sleeping, and tonight is the premier and he’s nowhere to be found.”
I blink, my heart stopping dead before kicking back with a violent thump in my chest. “It’s premier night?”
“Yes. And not just for the cast — for everyone. There’s going to be a packed theater. Professors, students, even some well-known indie film producers. It’s a big deal, Skyler, and this series is good enough that Kip should be entering it into film festivals. But he hates it. He hates himself for how he hurt you when he was making it. It’s tainted.”
“Not just by me,” I seethe. “And you know damn well if it’s anyone’s fault, her name starts with an N.”
“I’m just asking you to call him.”
“And I’m telling you that I don’t owe you a single damn thing. You say you did what you thought you needed to do to get what you want? Well, let me tell you this. I saw talent that day you auditioned. I saw a sweet, kind, humble girl who deserved success. But the more I got to know you, the more games you played, the more I realized you’re nothing but a snot-nosed brat too big for her britches, an entitled little girl who thinks she’s owed the world before having to work for it. You will burn more bridges than you can build if you keep this up. So, from one woman to another, drop the games and the manipulation and work for what’s important to you.” I pause. “You already had the gig. You didn’t need to have the man.”
“But the man was a tie to my dreams.”