you awake?” She was a lot better at sleeping than I was. I might have to shake her a little if she was out.
“I am. But if I move too much, I get dizzy and feel nauseous. Lying in the dark is the only thing that doesn’t make me feel like crap.” She lifted her arm and peeked at me from underneath it. “What’s up?”
I waved the rolled-up magazine, then used it to hit my thigh. “I have something to tell you, but if you don’t feel well, maybe it should wait. Do you need to go see a doctor? We’ve been putting in some serious hours on the set, and the weather is shit. I’m not surprised you caught a cold.”
Her eyes drifted over the magazine before she dropped her arm back over her face. “I don’t need a doctor. Does that magazine have something to do with Erik cheating on his new wife? If so, that news got out way faster than I thought it would.”
I let the magazine fall from my fingers in surprise. I’d had a mental plan for any reaction she may have had, but indifference was nowhere on my list.
“You already knew? Did Lennon tell you before I could?” That woman really had her finger on the pulse of everything that was going down.
“No, she didn’t say anything. I don’t know if she knows yet. But she’s going to have a field day with what’s left of Erik’s image when she finds out. I heard about it from my former stylist. She called me in tears a couple of days ago because she went through Erik’s phone and found out he wasn’t exactly the guy she married. She was sad and embarrassed. It’s hard to learn you’re the only one in the marriage who took your vows seriously. She’s also pregnant and worried about what it all means for her baby. I’m the only one who’s been through something similar. I’m the only one who could sympathize with her.”
“She screwed you over. She took what was yours without a second thought. She put herself in a position to end up in the exact same situation she created for you. Most people would say she deserves it.” I put a hand on top of hers and laced our fingers together. “And more.”
“No one deserves to be humiliated like that. No one should have something as happy and exciting as their first pregnancy being overshadowed by their husband’s infidelity. It’s a time in life that should be celebrated, but when she looks back on it, she’s only going to remember how much she suffered. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. I feel bad for her, but Erik,” she lifted her arm again and looked me in the eye. Even in the dimly lit room, I could see the malicious glint in her gaze, “that bastard can go straight to hell. When I feel better, I’m going to tell Lennon to let the press eat him alive. If they want a sound bite from me, I’m going to give them one that won’t soon be forgotten.”
I smiled down at her, lifting the hand I held so I could kiss the back of it. “You’re very cute when you’re ruthless.” I lifted my eyebrows when she smiled back at me, but I could tell she was tired, and like Arrow mentioned, she was pale. “Now let’s talk about why you don’t want to go to the doctor and why you didn’t tell me you were sick. You’re supposed to be letting me take care of you. That was the deal we made, remember?”
She made a soft sound and tugged on the hand I was holding. “I didn’t say anything initially because I thought I was just worn out from work. It’s been a while since I was on set. I haven’t had to put in full days in forever. Not to mention how intense the material is. But then I kept feeling a bit off no matter what I did to boost my energy.” She blinked at me, using the hold she had on my hand to pull me down so that I was lying down on the bed next to her. She squeezed my fingers lightly, “I didn’t say anything because the only other time in my life I felt like this… I was pregnant.”
I felt my jaw drop open as I stopped breathing for a few seconds.