Stargazing (The Walker Family Book 2) (7 page)

Her eyes were damp and her hair equally as messed as Bethany’s was.

“I was worried. I’m so sorry. I got him all worked up,” she said as she pulled Bethany to her in an embrace that had Bethany gasping for air. “You were upset and out of sorts today. You didn’t come home. I didn’t know what to think.”

“I’m fine,” she finally replied and let her arms wrap around Susan, as Susan wasn’t letting go any time soon it seemed.

When she did pull back she looked her over. “I’m going to worry about you. It’s inevitable. You’re my family now too.”

“I appreciate that. I’m sorry I got upset.”

“It’s okay. You were at Pearl’s?”

Bethany nodded. “I needed my sister.” It felt good to say that and when she did it seemed like her burdens lifted a bit. “It was a long shot, but it worked out.”

“Good. Good,” Susan repeated as she stepped back and wiped her eyes. “I don’t mean to treat you like a lost teenager. But, it would kill me if something happened to you.”

“Nothing will happen. I can take care of myself,” she promised and felt as that her tone conveyed it. She’d been doing it most of her life. Nothing in Georgia could ruin her if Hollywood hadn’t.

Susan nodded and turned to go back into the house. Bethany followed, but was stopped when Eric moved himself in front of her.

“You didn’t answer your phone.”

“It died. I stayed up all night reading and I forgot to charge it.”

“Douglas Brant might be in jail, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some other lunatic out there.”

“I understand,” she said clearly and began to feel the chocolate in her stomach settle. “I’m okay.”

“I’m your family too,” Eric said as she tried to pass him. “I’m here. If you ever need me, I’m here.”

She smiled. “You’ve been the best family I could ask for too. I promise to let you know where I am at all times.”

He nodded as if that was a good enough answer.

It was a promise she would
try
to keep, but she wasn’t used to people giving a damn about what was going on in her life.

She realized it wasn’t fair to them, her attitude. After all, she’d come in search of family and she got it. Family worried. Family cared. Family loved.

Bethany made her way up the steps and to her room before the rejection of the chocolate finally presented itself.

She hurried to the bathroom and hunched over the toilet.

Family, she thought as she rested her head against the bathroom wall. Family would save her.

She jolted from her position when she heard the knocking on her bedroom door. This certainly wasn’t where she wanted anyone to see her.

Quickly she flushed the toilet, so that it would make a noise and ran a towel over her face.

When she pulled open the door, Susan was standing there. She studied Bethany for a moment.

“Are you okay? You don’t look well.”

“I’m just super tired from staying up so late. I think I’ll call it an early night.”

Susan nodded. “Sounds good. Lydia invited us to join them for dinner tomorrow. Would you like to go?”

It didn’t take but a moment to decide that she did want to go. She wanted to surround herself with family and friends. “I would.”

“We’ll talk about that tomorrow. Here,” she said holding out Kent Black’s book to her. “He gave this to Lydia. It’s for you.”

“Me? Why?”

Susan shrugged. “I don’t know. He was looking for you to give it to you, I guess. Lydia said he seemed sad that you’d left.”

Bethany took the book with a shake of her head. “He’ll forget me by tomorrow,” she said flipping through the pages. “He rambles.”

“So you said.” Susan smiled. “Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Bethany shut her bedroom door and carried the book to her bed.

She turned the book over and looked at the man on the back cover. Now that she’d met him, she didn’t think the picture did him justice. There was an easy feel to him, the picture was stiff. His hair didn’t quite comb back the way it did in the photo, no, it looked as though he always had his hands in it. There was no sparkle in his eyes either and in person there was. The dimple in his chin was cute though and that thought had her setting down the book.

Seriously, she didn’t need to think about the man at all. She’d met him. He gave her a book—that was very nice of him. But she didn’t want to think about him in any other way than a static photo on the back of some book she’d decided to read. He’d be moving on from Georgia and heading out to his next thing. She’d still be there trying to piece her normal life together. They were going to make a movie of his book and she was going to consider giving up auditions for good. Maybe she’d seriously consider floral decoration. Susan had mentioned that she was good at it and it would come in handy for the catering business. Pearl might have a use for it too, with bridal bouquets and all.

Staying out of any spotlight seemed like the necessary course if she wanted that
normal
life.

Bethany opened the book and looked down at what Kent had written.

Bethany, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope that our paths cross again someday. You’re beautiful and intriguing. I’d like to get to know you better. Sincerely, Kent

P.S. Please call me if you’re ever inclined to talk.

He included his phone number and a little smiley face. Softly she ran her hands over the words he’d written. Would it be so bad to be interested in someone, she wondered. She wasn’t deserving of anyone special though. Behind her smile, wild mane of hair, and yoga poses there was just a messed up woman. No one wanted that.

But there had to be more, right? She looked at his name again.
Sincerely, Kent.

Tossing the book to the end of the bed, she fell back onto her pillow. Stick to the path you chose, she reminded herself. Become who you want to be, not who you are, she repeated in her head as she closed her eyes.

Her body was exhausted, but her mind was wandering. She opened the drawer in the nightstand next to her bed and took out a bottle of pills with her mother’s name on them.

She shook them. Thought about a full night sleep. Set them down. Cursed her life. Picked them back up, opened them, and took one. Just one good night sleep was all she was asking for. One night where she didn’t think about the rejection Hollywood had bestowed on her—or the men who promised her the world just to feed their own needs—or the night Douglas Brant put his hands around her neck and she’d almost blacked out.

Bethany swallowed down the pill and it was sharp on her raw throat. She pulled the blanket up around her and closed her eyes. One—night—of—sleep, she repeated until she drifted away.

Chapter Eight

The phone didn’t ring all night. Okay, except for Kent’s sister calling so he could read a bedtime story to his niece. Then his mother called and told him about his grandmother’s cat’s new food. Lydia had called with the address and time for dinner. His father texted him and told him he liked the chapter he’d sent him—but Bethany hadn’t called.

He looked at the list of recent activity on his phone and wondered if she’d gotten the book he’d sent her. She had said it was a good book, meaning she had read it. Maybe it had been a stupid thought to send her a book when obviously she already had one.

There were dark circles under his eyes because he hadn’t slept well. He’d noticed them when he’d looked in the mirror that morning, before his first pot of coffee from room service. She was on his mind and he couldn’t shake it.

He’d even gotten out of bed at one in the morning and searched Netflix for one of her movies just so he could see her. He watched her get killed in two movies before four in the morning.

This was a bad obsession. He had a tendency to do that. He’d meet some nice girl and get all wrapped up in her only to find that she only had been being nice to him, but was seriously not interested. Now what was he doing? He was chasing a woman who didn’t even like to be recognized in public.

Okay, he wasn’t chasing her. She’d simply been where he was. And the part about her having been at a bridal store should have set him a very loud signal. She was probably taken. That, and she didn’t seem to have an interest in him at all. In fact, she looked at him the few times she had talked to him as if she wondered if he were going to stop talking.

God, he even rambled in his own head, he thought as he put down his phone and opened his computer.

He’d put out the DO NOT DISTURB sign so that the housekeeper wouldn’t walk in on him in his boxers. He had another chapter to get written by the end of the day. If he planned on dinner with Lydia and her family, he needed to get it done.

He was just about to introduce a new character and her image was seared into his mind. The redheaded beauty, Princess Carlotta of the Vela Centauri galaxy.

~*~

It was nearly ten o’clock when Bethany stumbled from her bed. She was certainly hung over, but she’d accomplished exactly what she’d wanted to—she’d slept all night without dreaming of anything.

It had been a few weeks since she’d opened that bottle of pills. It was justified then, she thought as she placed her feet on the floor. Nightmares had consumed her. They’d started after the night Douglas had attacked her. Then it only led to parts of her life she’d rather forget playing out in her sleep. The first time she’d swallowed a pill not to dream was after she’d awakened to her mother’s dead body—just as she’d found her before Christmas.

Bethany squeezed her eyes closed tight. She shouldn’t have touched them. In fact, when her mother died, she should have thrown all the bottles away, but she hadn’t. She wasn’t her mother. There would be no taking too many pills. Bethany had her life under control. One night of rest here and there wasn’t a problem. In fact, she’d throw them away, when she thought of it next.

For now, she was going to go for a run. She needed to work off that chocolate she and Pearl had eaten. She’d only had a few pieces, but that was enough to make her stomach pooch out just a bit, she decided as she stood and looked in the mirror. And if she was dining with family, she’d need quite a few miles and a nice long yoga session.

It was a good day for it. There were no catering events scheduled. She could have a carefree day.

Susan was seated at her computer when Bethany jogged down the stairs.

“Are you just getting back?” Susan asked as she turned to look at her.

“No. I got a really late start. I’m headed out. You want to join me?”

Susan laughed and lifted her coffee mug. “No way. My parents used to take ridiculous ten hour hikes. I think my rebellion as an adult is to not go outside and sweat. But you have a great time.”

“I will.”

“Oh, and dinner tonight is at seven.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Why don’t we just ride together? It’s some new place Lydia invested in, I guess. Pearl wants to check it out to see how the wedding reception venue would be.”

“Funny how this entire family can work anything into a business deal.”

Susan chuckled as she sipped her coffee. “Speaking of which, I have a luncheon in two weeks. A bridal shower. Pearl set me up. Are you interested in doing centerpieces? You’re super talented at it.”

Bethany tightened the ponytail on the back of her head. “You’re buying the supplies?”

“Of course. It would be part of the bid.”

She gave her a nod. “I’d try my hand at it.” She thought about it a little more. That might just be the calm she needed. No acting. No public show. Just her and a table full of flowers. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Few hours? Isn’t a run around the block enough?”

“Not for these thighs,” she hollered back as she headed out the front door, shutting it behind her.

Bethany’s run had been perfect and she followed it up with an hour of yoga. A long soak in the jetted tub in her room, and she was back to normal. There would be no need for sleeping pills tonight, she thought.

On her way home, she’d stopped by the organic grocery store and bought a salad. The thought of eating out was weighing heavy on her mind. She wondered what kind of food they would have. Certainly, they would have salads, but she was such a sucker for a big hunk of meat and dessert if it were presented.

Her willpower was horrible, which was why she was so worried about the meal at all. Would anyone notice if she didn’t go? She’d been very social and really, she deserved to not be. People had hovered over her for the past two months. Would they really think anything about it if she didn’t go to dinner one night?

Then again, she really did want to go. She loved Susan and Lydia. Any time she spent with Pearl was a delight. Of course Eric was more of a big brother than he was a cousin. She didn’t want to miss dinner.

It would also give her a chance to be with Pearl in a social situation and prove to her that the breakdown she had at her store yesterday was a momentary lapse. She was fine. And because of that breakdown, she knew Pearl would have a scrutinizing eye on her. She’d eat her meal, just to prove that she could. Of course she could.

Bethany pulled the towel from her hair and raked her fingers through the wet curls. She’d be just fine.

With another thought, she opened the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and looked at the array of bottles she kept there. Maybe she’d take an appetite suppressant just in case.

~*~

“Does this look better?” Kent did a spin in front of his laptop which was balanced on the bed.

“You look fine. Have you never gone out to dinner with people before?” His sister laughed on the screen, her daughter cradled in her arms, asleep.

“I like it here and people have asked me to be social with them. I want to make a good impression.”

“Who’s the woman you’re trying to impress?”

Kent loosened the tie around his neck. “No woman. Well, I mean I met one. She’s totally not into me.”

“How do you know that?”