Twisted Reality (Blind Reality #2) (8 page)

I
thought I wouldn’t have any issues finding stuff to do while Josh was on set, but that’s a giant lie. My life is boring and I often find myself staring out my hotel bedroom window waiting for an alligator to pop out of the water and scare some unsuspecting tourists. Sadly, it never happens, or if it does it’s when I’m sitting here wallowing in self-pity.

I’m a supportive wife, I am. I love that he loves his job and I love him for it, but this shit is for the birds. I miss my friends, the comfort of home, and freedom. Not that I’ve been hounded by anyone, but that hasn’t stopped me from looking over my shoulder or making sure I’m wearing a ball cap and sunglasses when I step outside to go shopping. I almost wish someone would take my photo so I would have something to read online. Browsing the web for set photos has become a chore and seeing Josh with another woman sort of hits home. I know it’s all part of his job, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

My phone rings and I fly across the room to answer it, hoping it’s Josh. When he’s on set, his free time is so limited because of his co-star that he’s unable to call. He’s complained that this is the fastest he’s ever filmed a movie and the director has made some comments about it. Josh knows it’s his fault because he refused to work with Jules, which makes me love him even more.

“Hey, Joey.”

“Millie! Oh my God, how are you?”

I feel like I’ve failed her as a friend. I know she’s been going through a lot and maybe I should’ve set some time aside to chat with her more.

“I’m good, but morning sickness is kicking my ass.”

“I’m sorry, Millie. The baby is doing good though, right?”

She sighs. “Yeah, the baby is fine.”

“And Cole?”

This time there’s a long pause and my heart falls. I thought, out of all of us, that Cole and Millie would be the ones to make it. Hell, at this point I’m not even sure Josh and I will last a year. It’s shitty to think it, but something tells me that I need to always be on my toes where my marriage is concerned.

“He’s—” She doesn’t finish before a sob breaks out. I want to go to her, console her, but I don’t want to leave Josh.

“I’m sorry, Millie. I don’t know what else to say.”

“Do you think Josh could talk to him?”

“Yeah … I mean, I can ask him.” It’s not the answer I want to give, but she’s alone and pregnant. “He’s going to want to know what’s going on, though, and you haven’t exactly told me.”

She sniffles and I can hear tissues rustling in the background. “His mom … she hates me and I don’t know why. I’m a good person, Joey. I am, but she … she’s evil and has made my life a living hell. This past month I’ve done nothing but cry and I finally broke down and told Cole that he needs to decide if he wants to be in my life or if he’s going to let his mother dictate everything for him. He chose her. He told me that the show was a mistake and that he wished he never did it. It’s like she’s brainwashed him against me.”

Wow!
I know at one point in my life I thought this, too, but never said it out loud to anyone. The day I heard Jules laughing in the room was the day I regretted everything. If it weren’t for Bronx, I would’ve run, but he convinced me to go through the media junket during the weeks after the show and to handle mine and Josh’s issues privately. Smartest thing I ever did. Not because it led me back to Josh, but because it didn’t tarnish any reputations.

“Millie, I don’t know what to say.”

“Me neither. I mean, it’s a good thing I can afford to have this baby on my own and I can still work, but I’m going to be regulated to a desk job until after I give birth.”

“Maybe she’s crooked.”

“What?”

“His mother. Maybe she’s up to no good and that’s why she doesn’t like you. Think about it, Millie. You’re a police officer and most mothers would welcome a career woman into their home. Not only that, but Cole loves you and that alone would at least make her warm up to you. But to flat out dis you, and for Cole to take her side is fishy. I’d run a background check on her and see what you find.”

“Have you been watching a lot of television?”

“Yes,” I laugh. “I know what you’re thinking, but just humor me. I’ll still have Josh call Cole, but do this to entertain me. I’d rather think she’s an evil mastermind than to shun her unborn grandchild. As for Cole, she must be holding something over his head for him to choose her over you and the baby. I saw him in the house. Hell, we all did. That man was smitten from the word go, so there has to be something in the background.”

She sniffles and laughs at the same time. “You’re crazy.”

“I know. Plus, I’m bored out of my freaking mind here.”

“Do you stay in the hotel all day?”

Yes, but I don’t tell her that. “Sometimes. We’re near the beach and I go there often to read, but when it comes to exploring I wait for Josh. I want to share it with him. He thought he’d be around more, but his co-star has to go back to school or something so they shoot longer hours to accommodate her schedule.”

“And screw up your honeymoon?”

“Not necessarily. He’s in my arms each night. Exhausted or not, he’s at least holding me until he has to get up and go back to work.”

“Have you been on set? Is it magical?”

I can’t help but laugh and wonder if I should burst her bubble about Hollywood and their fake magic. I decide that under the circumstances she needs to continue to believe it. “Not yet, probably in the next few days.”

“I can’t wait to hear about it. Okay,” she says, sighing, “I’m going to look his mother up and see what she’s about. I can’t believe I’m going to do this.”

I clap my hands with excitement. “I’ll be waiting. Call me as soon as you find something! And when I see Josh tonight, I’ll ask him to call Cole.”

“Love you, Joey.”

“Love you, too, Millie. It’ll work out. I have a good feeling.”

We hang up and I fight the wave of emotions that are trying to sneak up on me. I can’t compare their relationship to Josh’s and mine. We aren’t pregnant, nor do we have parental involvement hanging over our heads. His parents probably don’t even know he’s married, while mine are eagerly planning a massive reception for when he’s done filming. The difference in our parents is night and day.

Only minutes after I hang up with Millie, I hear the door open. I sit up with my heart racing, waiting to see if I’m about to be mugged or if by chance my husband is home early.

“Did you get fired?” I ask, as I run across the room and jump into his arms. He catches me effortlessly, letting the door slam shut behind him.

“No, although sometimes I wish. My scenes are done for the day. Once I did my last cut, I hightailed it out of there so fast I don’t think they realize I’m gone.”

“And you came right home to me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” He looks confused by my statement—as he should be. He sets us down on the couch, but situates us so that I’m sitting on his lap.

“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. Of course you came right home. You know my mind, it gets carried away sometimes and considering I just got off the phone with Millie … well, let’s just say I don’t want to go through what she is going through right now.”

“Their problems aren’t ours, Joey.” Josh nestles into my neck and pulls me close.

He’s right. I shouldn’t let their problems become ours, but she’s my friend and my heart hurts for her.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” he murmurs, kissing my shoulder. “What do you say we go out to dinner, maybe do a little dancing?”

I lean my head into him and think that a nap would be just as nice, but getting out of here and being with my husband would be a welcome reprieve.

“I’d love that.”

He kisses me again and tells me to get dressed. As I stand, he swats me on my rear before he stands and follows me into the bedroom.

“Josh, this place is amazing.”

He somehow found this small little beachside restaurant that has the most perfect ambiance. We’re sitting at a table for two outside, under white lights with some music playing in the background.

Once our order is placed, he pours us some wine before taking my hand in his. “Have you thought about a date?” he asks me mid-sip.

I swallow quickly and shake my head. “I haven’t. I figured it would need to be around your filming schedule.”

“I have another movie after this one, then I’m taking a break. We can have a destination wedding. We can go somewhere like Greece, France, or even Australia. You can invite whomever you want. I’ll cover all the expenses. I just want to marry you in front of our friends and family.”

I lean forward and push his hair back, away from his eyes. “Josh, we’re already married. We can have a reception and eat cake.”

Smiling, he meets me the rest of the way to give me a kiss. “I like your cake, Joey. But I want to do this the right way. You need your dream wedding. You deserve the chance to be on that show about picking the right wedding dress. I want to see the excitement in your face when you find the perfect flowers and console you when the band you want isn’t available to play. I want you to yell at me when I haven’t picked my groomsmen and be there when we test wedding cake.”

“Really, you want all of this?”

“I do. I never thought I did, but being with you makes me want to experience the things I’ve shut myself off to for all these years.”

“Why the change, Josh?”

Pulling me to standing, he brings me into his arms. We sway to the music and the waves crashing into the shore. “You’ve changed me and I can’t even try to explain it. All day I find myself thinking about you, wondering what you’re doing and getting angry that I’m working and you’re not with me. I’ve already sent Matt a list of demands for the next movie, guaranteed breaks and whatnot so I can talk to you during the day because I miss you. And all of this should scare me because I imagine my parents were like this at one time in their lives, but it all changed. We have to promise each other that when we start sensing that change, we stop what we’re doing and make it out first priority to fix it.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?” he asks.

“Okay for everything. We’ll set a date. We’ll pick a color scheme and location. We’ll ask our best friends to be in our wedding, but I draw the line at another television show.”

Laughing, Josh pulls me closer. “You know, Barry has been hounding me about doing a show with us. He wants to follow us around.”

“I’m boring. I spend most of my days in the hotel room.”

“He’s a producer, he’d incite drama into our lives and have us fighting over the thread count on our sheets.”

“That’s stupid.”

“It’s TV and people at home eat that shit up because it makes us look normal.”

“We are normal,” I remind him as we continue to sway to the music.

“He’d pay us.”

“It’s intrusive. We have nothing to show them. Besides, you’re working and if I’m not allowed on set, they wouldn’t be either so it would be me on the camera all the time. I already did that once in my life.”

Josh spins me around, causing me to laugh. “I told him we’d think about it after we got back to Los Angeles.”

I look at him questioningly. “What’s the difference?”

“We’ll have a house. Our lives will be more normal than they are now. And that gives you time to think about it.”

Before I can answer, our dinner arrives and we head back to our table. Even as I take the first bite, my stomach rolls. I don’t want to do another show, but Josh seems eager to do it and that scares me. The last thing I want is for a crew to follow me around while I’m trying to plan a wedding and find my footing in the Hollywood crowd. I’d rather fail when no one is watching.