chapter twenty-one: heartbreak hotel

"This is bad. Bad for movie stars everywhere."

~Hail, Caesar!

Ethan shut off the coffee pot and picked up a dish towel to wipe off the grinds that had spilled everywhere.

He took another bite of his toast before tossing the rest to Roadkill, who was waiting expectantly at his feet.

His phone was already blowing up with text messages from people on the set.

It was their last day filming "A Summer in Paris", and the cast members were wanting to get together after shooting.

Ever since the tabloid episode two days ago, people had been hounding Ethan to answer questions. It had been easy at first—the only people who'd questioned him about his relationship status were his friends, or other people who were used to the press making up stories about them.

He'd just offer a simple explanation that, no, it wasn't true, and that he and Kelsey had pursued an innocent friendship over the past couple months.

When other media outlets dug up the story, however, Ethan was being asked for exclusive interviews on talk shows.

He'd declined them all, of course, but now he was beginning to wonder if he could somehow set the record straight, but feared he'd expand the story even further by doing so.

He wanted to clear Kelsey's name, but didn't want it to result in more people knowing about it than before.

He'd almost texted her a million times in the last forty-eight hours. To ask if she was doing okay or if she'd ever forgive him.

Then again, what if she did forgive him? What would he do? Drag her back into this world of backstabbing, lies, and status that he'd grown so numb to over the years?

He didn't want that for Kelsey.

She was sunshine and a cup of coffee in the morning and splashes of color across a blank canvas. Her smile demanded a reply and the way she could bring the best out of the worst person was nothing short of a miracle. What had he brought her?

The image of her expression after seeing the tabloid was seared into Ethan's mind. He couldn't protect her from Hollywood, just like he couldn't protect himself. That was why he never sent the texts he'd written addressed to her.

He scrolled through a few more messages before taking the last drink of his coffee, petting Roadkill, and slinging his backpack across one shoulder.

He made his way to the set, noticing that it was already emptier than usual since they were wrapping everything up.

The café scene was removed, and a team was already setting up for something else that would be filmed there.

He parked before hopping on to one of the golf carts that would take him to where he needed to be.

"Morning Jax," he said.

"Good morning, Mr. Glenn,"

"How's the day so far?"

"Just fine, fine."

That was the same conversation they'd had for the past three months, and today it brought a strange sort of comfort to Ethan.

Kelsey was right all those weeks ago when she said that "A Summer in Paris" was a nice set, Ethan had come to realize.

When he arrived at Section Four, where they were shooting a scene with stunt doubles on the green screen.

He found his way to a large tent, where the actors gathered while they waited for their cue.

"Hey guys," he said, ducking under the flap and getting himself a cup of water.

He mingled for a while with some of the cast members, but didn't feel up to his usual shenanigans.

One time, he'd found a five-quart jar full of glitter in one of the dressing rooms and promptly began glitter-bombing everyone on set.

Another time, he'd played a prank on Andrew Garcia—a middle-aged actor who'd been in at least thirty movies—by stuffing his trailer with mothballs. Garcia had smelled like an old closet for the entire filming.

Today wasn't one of those days.

"Hey, hon," a familiar voice said, coming up beside him.

"Hey Becca," he said, giving a half smile. She was in her costume—a pale pink evening gown, with her hair in a pile of curls on top of her head. "You still sad over—what's her name?"

"Kelsey," he replied softly.

"Ah well, she's not worth it. You're better than that, E," she cooed.

"Becca," Ethan snapped.

"Look," she said, "I really am sorry. I hate seeing you walk around like a kicked puppy."

"Mmm," he grunted. "I have a hard time believing that."

"In all honesty, I kinda liked her. She had spunk."

"And so you bullied her?" Ethan countered. He hadn't seen much of Becca ever since Kelsey had catered her party; not because he'd been avoiding her, but because Becca hadn't really been around.

"All I told her was that this," she gestured to Ethan, "wasn't going to work out." She took a sip from her cup. "And look who was right."

Ethan's jaw clenched. "Just shut up, Becca. For once."

Becca pointed at him with a pink fingernail. "Fine. But when it comes to you and relationships, maybe one day you'll learn to listen."

"Listen to what? You manipulating my life? You know it was wrong. What you did at the party."

"What I did?" Becca scoffed. "Honey, if it hadn't been for me, your little girlfriend wannabe would still think you're some perfect dreamboat who's better than the rest of us."

Ethan squinted and searched her face. "Better than the rest of you?"

"Oh, come on. This good-boy act can't last forever."

"It's not an act."

"Please."

Ethan straightened. "You know, Becca, the more I talk to you lately, the more I start thinking that you don't know me at all. I feel more myself than I have in years."

"But you're still in Hollywood," Becca retorted. "You're still famous, you still have to go to parties and drink champagne, and you still have to play the part! Just because you're lost in this stupid love world doesn't mean you get to be normal."

"So because I was happy means that I'm above you?" Ethan gave a shallow laugh. "Because I lost the girl I loved, Becca. I guess we're on the same playing field now."

"You don't get it," Becca snapped. "You just don't, okay? I don't care what you do with your life, but I do want you to know that the country girl you're wanting to be with will never get used to the spotlight. Trust me."

She tossed a curl over her shoulder before turning away, smiling at someone who'd come up to chat with her.

Ethan crushed his water cup and threw it into the trash, trying not to glare daggers into her back.

~~~~~~~

Kelsey was jolted awake by Jacob banging a pot outside her room, shouting like a maniac.

"What the—Jacob!" she yelled, growling angrily and throwing her pillow at him.

"Hey, I made you breakfast!" he replied, retreating downstairs, still making enough noise to shift the tectonic plates of the earth.

She pulled her hair into a bun and meandered tiredly into the kitchen, where a bowl of cereal waited for her on the counter. "Wow, you really went all out," she mumbled.

"Only the finest," Jacob replied, brandishing a jug of milk and pouring it over the corn flakes, splashing most of it everywhere. "Bon appetite!"

Kelsey was munching on her cereal alongside Jacob when he gave a nervous rap on the counter with his knuckles. "So, uh, dad's coming home in an hour."

Kelsey sat up. "Really?"

At first, she was excited, then dread knotted her stomach. How could she pretend like everything was normal? Despite the fact he'd gone a little off the deep end, her heart ached about what he'd had to go through. Neither of her parents were without guilt, but still...her dad had received a harsh blow.

She finished her cereal and went up to her room to change.

She'd just finished when she heard a car door shut. She put her things away and hesitantly walked downstairs.

"You lie, sir," Jacob was saying pompously. "There's no way your fish was that big."

"Well, maybe it was Dan's fish I was talking about,"

Her dad's voice made Kelsey smile. "Why am I not surprised to hear you didn't catch anything?" She called.

"And thus our bro team is gloriously shattered," her dad said. He stood in a faded Columbia shirt and shorts, his salt-and-pepper hair was tousled just like Jacob's was. Since his skin was naturally brown, he wasn't sunburned, but Kelsey could tell he'd still drank in a few rays.

She hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're here," she said.

Her dad sighed deeply. "Me too."

Kelsey pulled away and smiled. "We've got a lot of catching up to do."

A pained expression crossed his features for a split second. "Yeah, we do. How long are you staying?"

Kelsey licked her lips. "Uh, three days, I think."

Jacob gave her a smirk. "She's got unfinished business back in L.A."

She smiled. "Anyway, I can't wait to hear about your trip."

~~~~~~

For three whole hours, it was almost like it used to be. Kelsey sat on the far corner of the couch, Jacob on the other corner, and their dad in the big armchair.

Kelsey tried not to look at the other empty chair across from him. Tried not to think about how her mom should've been there.

Kelsey decided to focus on the happy things that had happened in L.A.

She told her dad about Ethan...but not about the tabloid or the fact that they may or may not be in love with each other. She told him about Roadkill and all their misadventures, about Chef Romano and her softening edges, about the beaches and the sunsets, about the greasy pizza and quirky characters on the street, and about how the world moved so slowly there. It was strange how L.A. was its own bubble that cultivated its own environment. It was an eternal summer there...which could sometimes be a good thing.

When twelve o'clock rolled around, Jacob announced that he'd ordered Chinese from downtown and took the car to pick it up.

That left Kelsey and her dad in a silent house.

There was an immediate thickness to the air—both of them having the same thing on their mind, but refusing to say it.

Finally, her dad rubbed his hands together, a sure sign that he was about to embark on a tough subject. "I'm sorry, Kel. This is my fault."

Kelsey tilted her head to the side. She hadn't expected that. "Why?"

Her dad ground his teeth, not daring to meet her eye. "I just, if I'd been a better father, maybe this wouldn't have happened, you know? I just realized how selfish I've been as a parent, and I wish, I so wish I could make it right. I keep thinking that it'll go back to the way it was, but it won't. I have to find some way to make amends in this new life, but I don't know how."

Kelsey got up and sat where Jacob had been. She took her dad's rough hand in hers. "I've seen a lot in L.A.," she said quietly, "and one thing I know for a fact is that everyone gets a second chance to start over."

"But what about your mom?" Her dad asked, his voice hoarse. He finally met Kelsey's gaze and she saw the deep pain etched into his eyes. "I don't want to start over without her."

Kelsey swallowed hard, tears springing to her eyes. After all this time, she'd been so angry at her mom...all she'd seen were the fights, the arguments, the nasty insults...the affair.

Kelsey had never stopped to think that her dad still loved her after everything she'd done. She was speechless.

"How do you move on from someone who makes up part of who you are?" He mused. "It's like waking up to a sunrise every morning and then, suddenly, it's not there anymore."

Kelsey bit her lip.

"But," he shrugged, spreading out his hands and giving a weak smile, "we'll figure it out.  Right?"

Kelsey gulped and nodded. She reached over and hugged her dad tightly. "Yeah. We will."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello everyone! Thanks for reading!

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