Young Adulting - Christina Benjamin Page 0,49

the only reason she might be in danger of failing…was because of me.

I couldn’t let that happen.

And that meant that I needed to stop putting myself first for a change.

I took a deep breath of the cool California air, soaking up the calm this place always brought me. Then, before I could change my mind, I grabbed my phone, pulled up Izzy’s email and replied.

I understand. I’m sorry if pushing Henry on you has made things more difficult.

Please know I’ll do anything I can to make this work.

Knowing Henry the way I do, I can safely say he will do the same.

We’ll get through this, Izzy. I promise.

It’s only the beginning.

Leo.

I pushed send before I could think it through too much. Because yes, I did understand. I hated it but understood why this distance was necessary. For now.

The final pitch meeting was coming up.

I could keep the Leo lie going for a little longer if it meant Izzy got to achieve her dreams. If she won that would secure her position with the studio, which meant she’d be staying in LA. And wasn’t that what I wanted…more time with her? A chance to see this script through with her?

I can do this. I can back off and put her needs first.

I stared at the Hollywood sign, sending up a silent prayer that there was enough glitz left in the old letters to make one more dream come true. Because more than anything, I wanted to see Izzy succeed.

It was a strange feeling, shifting someone else’s happiness above my own. But I rather liked the steady feeling that settled over me.

For once, I knew without a doubt, I was on the right path.

Chapter Sixteen

Izzy

The closer we got to the big pitch, the more toxic my office became.

A tense silence filled the air, only broken by the sound of keyboards clacking as me and the other interns worked away—on grunt work we’d been assigned, and on the scripts we planned to pitch at the final meeting next week after our Thanksgiving break.

Almost two weeks had passed since the tabloid incident, but if I’d thought my situation among my peers might improve, I’d been wrong.

Colin seemed to be over it but word had spread among my competition and I wasn’t oblivious to the whispers and gossip going around the office about me and Henry.

The fact that I hadn’t seen him since then didn’t seem to matter.

Well, not to anyone but me.

I missed him like crazy.

I missed both the guys in my life.

I still exchanged emails with Leo, but it wasn’t the same. We no longer joked around, there were no flirty quips or funny stories to brighten my day. Leo had respected my wishes and was keeping it strictly business.

Henry had respected my wishes, too, and was giving me space.

I’d caught sight of him on the lot a few times, but if he spotted me, he didn’t let on. Twice he’d been talking to Elena and I tried not to be jealous.

Tried and failed, but Fallon assured me I got points for trying when I called her to complain.

The other time I’d spotted Henry, he’d been with some girl. It might have been his assistant but I’d only seen the back of her head. Whoever she was he hadn’t been in the mood to wait for her. He’d been scowling as he’d talked on the phone and she’d been practically jogging to keep up.

I still wondered what he’d been so upset about.

“There she is.” Colin’s voice cut through the heavy silence and all of us lifted our heads to watch him heading toward us.

Toward me.

I tried not to flinch as all eyes moved from Colin to me. It was hard to ignore the glares that were currently aimed in my direction.

Being caught kissing the leading man for my script had been enough to turn the other interns against me, but being Colin’s prized pupil...?

Even Tommy was giving me the cold shoulder these days.

Colin stopped beside my desk, leaning a hip against the edge. “Hey beautiful, you up for lunch today?”

I shifted in my seat, the glares pricking at my skin as I mumbled that I was too busy.

He’d been doing this to me more and more lately. Ever since the tabloid fallout. Asking me to lunch, to stay late for private meetings…

I glanced up and then quickly looked away. It was this expression I hated most about the change in Colin’s behavior. Sure, he’d been friendly before. Maybe even a little inappropriate in