chapter eighteen: the ugly truth

"The plot thickens, as they say. Why, by the way? Is it a soup metaphor?"

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Chef Vance had made a point to be a particular jerk to Kelsey whenever he could ever since he'd confronted her about catering Becca Lynn's party.

It was mostly little things, like purposely using more utensils than necessary or spilling a can of maraschino cherries just to make Kelsey clean it up.

At around one o'clock on Friday, Kelsey had just come back in from serving lunch and she was shedding her black apron to replace it with her usual white one when Chef Vance came up to her with that sickeningly compassionate expression and said, "Hey, Kel?"

She hated her nickname when he said it. "What?"

"There was an accident in the utility closet—I think it might've been Chef Hendrick. You know how he is. Oil's everywhere."

"Oil?" Kelsey asked. "That'll take forever to clean up!"

He cringed and shrugged one shoulder. "Yeah, I know. I'm really sorry."

"You know what? No." Kelsey refuted. "I'm not a janitor."

"Hey, don't kill the messenger!" He said innocently, lifting his hands.

"I am sick and tired of you bullying me!"

"Miss Harris," a voice said.

Kelsey realized that Chef Romano was there, her arms crossed. At first she assumed she was in trouble, but Kelsey realized she was glaring daggers into Chef Vance behind his back.

After a moment, she turned to Kelsey. "I need another case of eggs from the store. Go get some."

Kelsey nodded. "Yes ma'am."

She gave Chef Vance a hard stare before taking off her apron and heading out.

The store was just outside the movie set and it was actually faster to walk there, considering the traffic went at a snail's pace when she used the car.

As much as she was beginning to hate Chef Vance, Chef Romano was a surprisingly interesting case.

If given a choice between firing Kelsey and simply shouting at her, Kelsey almost thought she'd choose the latter. Which was an improvement. Or perhaps they had formed a subconscious bond over their dislike for Chef Vance.

She made her way out of the movie set and walked down the block to the grocery store. It was bigger than most, but only because it sold bulk items. What it lacked in variety, it made up for in quantity.

Kelsey loaded up on three cases of eggs, figuring that would be enough to carry them through until the delivery truck came next Wednesday.

She pulled her cart into the checkout line. It was busy but seemed to be moving fast.

She glanced at the shelves of gum, candy, and chips.

Then she saw it.

Her muscles froze solid, gluing her feet to the ground.

At first, she couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it.

But there, on a tabloid magazine, in big, ugly, yellow letters were the words; ETHAN GLENN FINDS NEW LOVE: How a one-night stand turned the movie star's life around after devastating breakup.

On the cover was a picture of Kelsey and Ethan walking down one of the sidewalks in L.A.

Kelsey recognized it as the time they'd gone to the ballet, but she didn't recall holding hands. Had they photoshopped that?

Her stomach churned as she reached a shaking hand towards the magazine. She couldn't help but stare at the cover—mortified.

As she flipped to the page number it had indicated, she saw pictures—of everything.

From when they went to Blaine Café, to the ballet, walking together on the street, laughing as they ate pizza at Monte's, sitting so close at the beach, and a picture of Kelsey leaving his house. All those times they were together were laid out there for everyone to see, and twisted to mean something completely different.

The last picture was of them in the pool. Someone, somewhere, had caught them in the two seconds they were kissing.

She pressed a hand to her mouth, shutting her eyes tightly, trying not to lose it in the middle of the store.

"Next," the cashier called.

Kelsey sucked in a rattling breath before shoving the eggs—and the tabloid—towards him.

She didn't even remember paying as she walked out of the store, unable to comprehend what had happened.

She began reading the lies.

A year after actor Ethan Glenn broke up with Althea Stellan—the co-star who exploited him to the media eighteen months ago—it seems that the star has finally moved on. Reportedly, Glenn and his new lover were seen going into his L.A. apartment a few weeks ago. His girlfriend—who we now know to be Kelsey Harris, a culinary intern that works on the same movie set as Glenn—left the next morning. Since then, the couple have been seen at multiple spots around town. Could this finally be a new beginning for the hurting star?

She couldn't take any more. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

Her body was shaking with anger and panic and humiliation. How many people would read this? How many people would think she was some...some floozy who'd taken advantage of Ethan?

She felt exposed to the world and couldn't even begin to process it. What if her family saw it all the way in Kansas?

Her steps were fast and panicked, as if she was trying to run away to a place that didn't exist.

Kelsey neared building 4A and was about to go inside when she saw him.

Ethan stood outside, texting on his phone. He happened to look up and see Kelsey, offering a wave and a smile.

His charm didn't sway her this time. Shaking with a flood of anger, she walked up and shoved the magazine into his chest. "What have you done?" she spat coldly.

Ethan's mouth opened for a second before he looked down at the tabloid. His face suddenly dawned with understanding. "Oh no," he murmured, flipping to the same page Kelsey had. It only took him a minute to read it before looking back at Kelsey, his face full of desperation. "Kelsey—"

"No. You do not have the right to speak to me," she said, hating the way her rage and embarrassment made her voice sound weak. "Did you know this would happen? That there was a chance this could happen?"

Ethan swallowed hard. "I mean, no—of course not, but this is just what the media does. I'm so, so sorry, but it doesn't mean anything. They're just lies."

"Doesn't mean anything?" Kelsey asked incredulously. "You mean to tell me that everyone—my own family—believing I'm some Hollywood tramp doesn't mean anything?" She gave a harsh laugh. "Maybe you're used to people exploiting you, but I'm not. At least the media thinks you're some brokenhearted hero."

Ethan closed his eyes and sighed. "I should've warned you, I—"

"If you cared about me at all, you would've protected me!" Kelsey cried, her anger bringing hot tears to her eyes.

She grabbed the tabloid from him and pointed at the pictures. "Do you see this? These memories," her voice broke and she blinked rapidly through a trembling breath, speaking quieter than before, "these memories were special, Ethan. These moments were for me and you and no one else. Now everyone, everyone knows, and they think I'm some prostitute who replaced Althea Stellan."

Her eyes searched Ethan's face and her expression crumpled. "I could've fallen so, so madly in love with you," she whispered.

Ethan's features fell. "Kelsey..."

"But this?" She pointed to the magazine again, "This ruins the innocence of what could've been."

"Please," Ethan said softly, reaching out to touch her, but Kelsey stepped back.

"Let me ask you this," she said evenly, finally regaining control of her emotions, "Why? Why wouldn't you warn me that something like this could happen?"

Ethan took in a breath that was almost as shaky as Kelsey's. "Being with you made me feel myself again. Like the cameras and lights didn't exist. And I don't have an excuse. I should've protected you and I'm so sorry." He clenched his jaw. "Kelsey, I mean that more than anything. I was an idiot."

Kelsey tried to swallow back the tears, but they came anyway. "Let me ask you one more thing. Is that the only reason you wanted to be with me? To make you forget about Althea?"

"What? No," Ethan said. "No. I wanted to be with you because you were the one of the best things that's happened to me. You showed up when I needed you the most, and I just wish I could give you back a fraction of what you've done for me. None of this was about Althea. She used to be everything to me, but now she's not. Whenever I think of a smile, or a laugh, or a crappy joke, it's you, Kelsey. It's always you."

Kelsey looked down at her hands for a moment. She couldn't sort out all the thoughts suffocating her brain. After a while, she dared to meet Ethan's eyes. "Fine."

He released a sigh and stepped towards her, but Kelsey backed away and said, "But I need some time. I'm not a movie star. I never, ever wanted my name printed on the pages of a grocery store magazine. And I need to start weighing the cost of being with you. And if I'm going to be brutally honest, after what happened today, the price is way too high."

Ethan flinched at that.

"I would never hurt you, Ethan," she looked down at the magazine, "but I can't live like this."

"I should've never dragged you into all of this," Ethan said.

Kelsey gulped and tried for a weak smile.

She placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder, lifted onto her toes, and kissed his cheek softly.

She offered another shaky smile before walking past him.

The few steps around the building seemed to take a lifetime.

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Welp. This has taken a turn. #MyApologies

~How do you think Kelsey's handling everything?

~What about Ethan?

~Predictions for their relationship?

~General thoughts on the chapter?

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