phone rings. The special chime informs me it’s Rock calling, but I’m not really in the mood to talk to him. I glance around the set, and notice everyone on their phones. Whatever they’re looking at must be shocking, judging by the looks on their faces.
My phone continues to ring. Rock is clearly on a mission. My throat tightens. Maybe I better answer. Perhaps he’s in some kind of trouble.
I pull my phone from my back pocket, and as I slide my finger across the screen, I note the way Tyler’s watching me, his heavy-lidded eyes locked on mine, worry all over his face.
“Hey Rock, what’s up.”
“Are you kidding me?” he fires back. “You don’t know?”
Okay, I’m not sure what’s going on, but Rock had a deep voice. Never in my life have I heard this kind of high-pitched hysteria coming from him. I sink down onto the closest bench, and that’s when I spot Jonah coming my way, his steps fast, purposeful. I have no idea what is going on. I only know it has something to do with me and it’s really, really bad.
“I’ve been working all day. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“I’ll send you a link. You need to check it out, but make sure you’re sitting down first.”
My heart jumps into my throat and air is almost impossible to get as I click on the link and pictures of Tyler and me, in a very compromising position on the dock, come into view.
“Oh, God, no,” I say and bend forward, as my stomach twists and turns. That night after our swim, I heard noises. Tyler reassured me everything was fine, but nothing was fine. Some reporter must have been in the woods, taking pictures of us. As the world fades to black around me, Jonah drops down onto the bench next to me. His worried eyes are narrowed, agitated. No doubt he’s worried I’ve fucked up this shoot.
He shakes his head at me. “Jesus Christ, Haven. What have you done? After everything, I thought you’d be more careful not to bring trouble to the set. Now this. I warned you.”
I put the phone back to my ear and hear my brother say, “Wait, is that…Tyler Owens you’re with. Jesus, Haven, you’re with Tyler.”
“Rock, I’ll call you back.” I end the call before he can say anything, and take a couple fast breaths.
“We were careful. No one should have known how to get to that place. Not without directions.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean it’s in the middle of the woods, down a road that doesn’t even look like a road. Tyler assured me we could never be followed and how no one could find the place without a map, especially if they didn’t live around here.”
“You know what that means, then?”
My head jerks his way and I wrap my hands around my stomach. From the corner of my eye I catch Tyler and Carter talking to the director. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but it’s obviously a very serious conversation about me, judging by the way their glances keep landing on Jonah and me.
“No, I don’t,” I say, my thoughts coming in fragmented bursts as tears threaten. My God, is this going to ruin my career, this movie. How the hell did this happen?
“Tyler is obviously the one behind it,” he says.
“He would never do that,” I blurt out, instantly defending the man I love.
“Really now. Come on, use your brain, Haven. Your brother stole his title. They’re mortal enemies. What better way to get back at Rock than to ruin his sister? Plus, it probably put a big chunk of change in his pocket.”
Air evacuates my lungs in a fast whoosh as his words ping around my brain. “He wouldn’t do that,” I say. “He wouldn’t.”
“Did he need money for something?”
“Yeah, but…” I begin, my words falling off as I think about the gym he wants to build and the hefty price of the equipment.
“No buts, he obviously did this. Two birds, one stone. Or should I say one Rock.”
I turn to see Tyler, who’s talking on his phone, and a big stupid hiccupping sob catches in my throat as old insecurities come rushing back, cutting off my air supply like I’m in one of Rock’s choke holds. Could Jonah be right? Could he be the one who set this up? I mean, he and my brother are enemies, and he did suggest it might be an enemy of Rock’s who was