Twist of Fate by Louise, Tia (free ebook reader for ipad .txt) 📗

arms, soft and light, leaning down to inhale the sweet scent of her hair, covering her soft lips with mine, sinking into the warm depths of her tight little body.

I can still taste the salt on my tongue from when I kissed her in the ocean. I can still see her parted lips, the sexy pink flush in her breasts as I made her come. It was fucking hot, and in a moment, I’d glimpsed what might have been if I’d stayed—if we’d made different plans.

But we didn’t.

She had her dreams, and I had mine. We knew it couldn’t last. Still, for a little while, it was pretty damn golden.

Opening my phone, I touch the familiar digits and wait as it rings. I hate doing this with every cell in my body, but I’ve put it off as long as I could.

“I guess I should’ve expected this.” The stern male voice is not happy to hear from me.

“Hey, Dad. How’s it going?”

“What do you want, Scout? Money?”

Shame burns in my chest, but I force a light laugh. “Can I at least ask how everyone’s doing first?”

“I don’t know what you mean by everyone. Your brother’s the same. His boy’s getting bigger.”

“His boy Jesse? Your grandson?”

“I prefer being called Pop.”

“Oh, sure.” God, this man. I clench my teeth and do not make a crack about getting older. “Anything else new in town?”

“No. Even three thousand miles away, you still manage to dominate the conversation in Fireside.”

“Is that so?” My voice is casual, but I close my eyes and say a silent prayer it’s not what I think. “Why’s everybody talking about me?”

“Do you really need me to tell you?” He exhales heavily. “I expected you to go to Hollywood and bomb out. I never expected you to sell out. Gay porn? Could you humiliate your family any worse?”

“About that, Dad. It wasn’t my fault. You see—”

“Save it. As hard as I’ve tried, I can’t find a single reason I’d take off my clothes and pose naked with a football if not for a pornographic magazine. Was the gay part a little extra fuck you to the old man?”

“No, Dad.” It’s hard to explain the headshot situation to people who don’t understand. Hell, even people who do understand want to know why I was naked.

It’s best just to let it go. “I got off to a pretty good start, but lately it’s been hard finding a job… with those pictures floating around.”

“If you’re calling to ask me for money, you can save your breath.”

“Actually, I was thinking… But I guess I shouldn’t come back home for a little while.”

“I wouldn’t.”

Now I’m wondering why I even called, other than being in Fireside seemed cheaper than trying to wait out the scandal here. “Well, thanks anyway. Tell J.R. I said hey.”

“I’m not telling anyone I spoke to you.”

The line goes dead, and my phone returns to the picture of Daisy and me.

Her sunny smile hits me right in the stomach. A dry ache is at the base of my throat. She believed in me so much. She’s the only person who believed in me.

I can’t bear to think I might have let her down.

Staring at the empty bottle, I wish I had a drink. I want to get good and drunk again like I’ve done for the past three nights. Then I think about my roommate’s advice, adjusting my energy.

Looking at the ceiling, I think as positively as possible, if I could just get one small part, one little toe in the door, perhaps it’s possible, however small the chance, I might be able to climb out of this toilet bowl.

Taking a deep breath, I inhale slowly for five counts. I exhale for six and imagine pulling with all my strength on the side of a giant-sized toilet bowl. With my chin lifted, I close my eyes and think about my mom. She always said I could be anything I wanted to be. I look down at my phone and see Daisy’s smiling face, her pretty brown eyes, and those cute little curls.

I’m about to touch the face when it lights up in my hand. The screen goes black and Lorraine’s name appears at the top. My heart jumps in my chest. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gotten an unsolicited call from my agent.

“Hello?”

“Scout?” Lorraine shouts in my ear. “Are you sitting down?”

“That’s about all I’ve been doing for the last month.”

“Well, get ready to stand up. I found a job for you, but don’t get excited. It’s very small.”

I would expect nothing less, Universe. “I’ll take it.”

“Good, I’ll let them know.” She exhales loudly in my ear. “But just so you know, you’ve got no lines, and it might even get cut in the final edits.”

“I’ll still get paid, though, right?”

“You’ll get paid scale for every day you’re there. Even better, if you show up and work hard, you might catch some casting director’s eye who’ll take pity on you.”

“When do I start?”

Seventeen

Scout

Four Years Later

“I knew you’d get past that silly scandal.” Gran’s tone is over-protective scolding as we stand together at the kitchen sink washing our few breakfast dishes.

I don’t bother correcting her it was more than a silly scandal. It was pretty fucking devastating. It took years to blow over, but I stayed in the ring. I survived it. Hell, surviving that “silly scandal” made me feel like I could survive pretty much anything.

It’s been a roller-coaster getting back on my feet. The climb out of the toilet was slow but steady. Bit part after bit part led to a small role in a legal thriller where I had one line. It was enough to get my SAG card, and once that happened, more small parts started coming in until I got a real supporting role in the new Chris Nolan film—before the year that won’t be named.

With things getting back to normal, Crenshaw decided to move to Santa Cruz, and I decided not to keep the apartment.

“My