Seth bit back a laugh. He knew that Heather was known as the diva of Hollywood and that Jenna would most likely highlight that in her interview. But within seconds, it was obvious that the diva on set was Jenna. Not only had her grip of assistants done her job while she sat back in an out-of-the-way location for the entirety of the morning, but once she’d appeared, it seemed the crew forgot all about Heather and focused every bit of energy on Jenna.
Appropriate, he supposed, seeing how Jenna was their boss. Still, it made him tense, feeling as though his girlfriend had been left to the wolf in pretty clothing.
It only took an hour for Seth to be able to attempt looking relaxed. After ninety minutes, he actually began to feel relaxed. So far, the questions had been fairly routine. Jenna had asked about Heather’s career, starting from her earliest jobs to her more significant works. Perhaps her preparation offset was more essential than Seth first thought. She was laid back with her approach, often stopping between questions to talk to Heather candidly before going back into interviewer mode. With so many breaks, no wonder it took several hours of footage to get a decent fifteen-minute piece.
After two hours, a catering crew arrived to serve lunch. Jenna again disappeared into the guesthouse so Seth and Heather joined Lexie at a table near the pool. Even though everything seemed to be going well, Seth could hardly eat. Jenna hadn’t asked about him yet, and he knew that she was planning to. He noticed Heather barely touched her meal as well.
It was after lunch that the interview really took off. Jenna’s questions became more pointed and direct, less the standard variety. Each new word out of her mouth made his chest tighten and his body go more rigid as she asked Heather about her diva reputation, her ex-boyfriend, Collin and about rumors of other affairs.
Then the conversation turned to Heather’s charity involvements, and Seth stopped breathing altogether.
“You’ve done a lot of work with the Urban Arts Foundation,” Jenna said.
Half of her questions weren’t even really questions, but statements that elicited a response from Heather. It was quite crafty.
“Mostly the 24-Hour Play Events,” Heather said. “But I’ve done a lot of school visits as well.”
“Why this group? What is it about Urban Arts that you’re attracted to?”
Seth leaned forward in the director’s chair that he’d commandeered once filming began. He sat where Heather could look over at him if she needed to, though she’d kept her eyes off him most of the interview. Now her eyes flicked to him and he suddenly realized that Jenna’s question could lead to Heather’s past as easily as it could lead to him.
“Well.” Heather’s eyes returned to her host. “They’re a fantastic organization. Their goal is to keep arts in schools and bring arts to schools that can’t afford it. The people who are involved are the most generous, giving, dedicated people I’ve ever met.”
Seth had to cover his mouth to suppress his sigh. Heather had successfully escaped having to talk about her life growing up. Lexie surely must have given Jenna guidelines about what was and wasn’t off-limits. Not that he’d mind if Heather did talk about her past, but he didn’t think she was ready for that. Not quite.
“Sounds like there might be someone special in the bunch?”
Here it was—the moment when she’d mention him. God, he was almost giddy.
“There is someone special. Seth Rafferty.” She smiled and he melted.
Melted?
Dude, what was going on with him?
Whatever it was, it was pretty fuckin’ perfect.
“Is Seth your…”
“Boyfriend,” Heather finished for her. “We’ve been seeing each other, um, well, since the plays in L.A.” She paused. Then with a deep breath, she sat up straight. “But he’s not the reason I’ve been so dedicated to the foundation.”
The hairs on his arms stood up as he suddenly understood what Heather had planned, why she’d agreed to this interview. It wasn’t for him.
“What is that reason then, Heather?”
It wasn’t for him and that made him damn ecstatic.
“Because those kids—those kids who only survive their poverty because they’ve got something good to look forward to. I get those kids.”
Seth closed his eyes so he could hear her next words without any visual distractions. So he could savor them with her.
“I was one of them.”
Chapter Eighteen
There it was. She’d said it. It was out there for the world to know now.
And it totally felt good.
They’d planned it, of course. Jenna Markham wouldn’t allow an interview without hitting all the hard topics, and Heather knew that going in. But she’d wanted to talk about her past. Was finally
ready.
“Your father,” Jenna said now in that compassionate tone she put on for deep subjects. Man, the way she played the emotions, she could have been an actress herself. “He was a recovering coke addict.”
Heather let out a
pfft
—half sigh, half laugh. “He was never recovering. Recovering implies he was trying to get better. He never tried to get better. Anytime he was clean, it was just because he hadn’t landed the next score yet.”
“And your mother?”
She shrugged. “Drunk usually. Daddy was more functional than her. I don’t know what was worse. At least I knew what to expect from Mama. I didn’t know what version of my father I’d get from one minute until the next.”
Heather hadn’t prepared any of her answers—she’d tried, but thinking about it beforehand made her edgy. Instead, she’d decided to go with the flow. She was surprised at how easily her words came. That wasn’t to say that talking about her family was a picnic. It was more like throwing up—it felt terrible while you were retching, but afterward, you felt kind of good.
“Did he hit you?”
Memories of slaps and shoves ran through her mind in a flash. “Not…um, sometimes. Not on a regular basis. Not like I feel like I was an abused child.” Most of her father’s hits had been when he was jonesing, when he hadn’t had a hit in days. When he was desperate. She just happened to be in the way.
“You didn’t feel abused,” Jenna said, her words slow and drawn out. “Weren’t you, though? Abused and neglected by the people who were supposed to care for you?”
Damn it. Jenna
was
going to make her cry. “Yes, I guess I was.”
“And now? Are you close to your parents now?”
Hell no.
“I’m not.”
“Do you wish you were?”
Hell no
times ten.
“No.” She paused, deciding how honest she wanted to be. What was that they said about no guts, no glory? Well, she’d already had a lot of glory. Maybe it was time for the guts. “I wish they weren’t around at all. I wish they didn’t know how to find me. I wish they were dead.” She choked on the last word, but didn’t regret it. It was honest. It was real.
“Why is that?”
Heather shook her head, unable to speak.
“Why have you kept your family hidden from the media?”
Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. “Because I was ashamed.” Then the tears were streaming down her cheeks. “I’m ashamed of them. I’m ashamed of me.”
The next several questions were a blur. Heather knew Jenna asked stuff and that she’d said stuff, but the specifics weren’t clear. It didn’t really matter anymore. The point was that her biggest secret was out and she was fine. Better than fine. She no longer had to fear the press finding out. Her father couldn’t swindle money out of her. His threats wouldn’t hold water anymore.
She was finally free.
It was evening before the catering had been cleared and the crew had packed up and left. Then another good part of an hour before Lexie said her goodnights, leaving Seth and Heather alone at last.
Heather stood at the front door after Lexie left for several seconds, her back to Seth. She suddenly felt oddly nervous and needed a moment to gather herself. Actually, she felt like she needed several moments, but with the weight of his eyes on her back she had to take what she could get.
With a deep breath, she spun around, a smile on her face. “What an insane day. I can’t believe it’s finally over.” Why were her hands so sweaty? The interview was done. She should be calm now.
“Thank God.” Seth seemed apprehensive too. He stood several feet away, his hands in his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels.
“I guess it’s not really over though, is it? This is just the beginning. I mean, the interview doesn’t air for almost two weeks. That means no one will even know about any of that stuff until then. Not about my past or my dad. Or us. Unless it gets leaked or they use certain promo clips.” She knew she was babbling. She did that when she got nervous. It was easier than focusing on whatever it was that she was anxious about.
“Heather?”
“Or if someone that was here today talks. I don’t care, really. I just want to be prepared. And if you and I are already hanging out, the press will start talking about us because they’ll see us together.”
“Heather?”
Oh shit, maybe he wanted to wait. “Unless you want to stay on the down-low until the interview releases. I don’t know which is better. What do you think? Because I don’t want to hide anymore, do you?”
“No.” His voice had finality to it. “I don’t want to hide anymore.”
“Then we just go out and about and let it happen then. And my dad—well, I can’t worry about that. But, shit, he’s going to be mad when he sees it.”
“Heather?”
She met his eyes. “What?”
“You were amazing.”
With those three simple words, she understood why she’d been fretting. She hadn’t known what Seth thought about her interview. She hadn’t even asked his opinion about spilling her life beforehand, she just did it. Now she wanted—
needed
—his validation. “Was I really okay?”
“You were. You planned that?”
She nodded weakly, her voice too tight to respond.
“I’m…” He took a step toward her and she could see his Adam’s apple bobble as he swallowed. “Is it patronizing to say I’m proud?”
“No.”
He smiled. “I’m very proud then.”
Goose bumps skidded along her arms. She was naked now, she realized. Not literally, but more naked than she’d ever been before. Without the wall built up around her, he could see right into her. “I did it for you,” she whispered.
“I…I never asked for that.”
“That’s not what I meant.” So much for feeling like he could read her now. Apparently, explanations were still needed. That was fine because she wanted to tell him how she felt. “I meant you gave me the strength to do it and…and the desire to do it. For the first time ever, I wanted to move on. So I could move on with you.”
“Oh, princess.” He took another step toward her then stopped, his face hardening. “We…I need to say something.”
“Okay.” He opened his mouth but she spoke again before he could. “I love you.”
“I…what?”
“I love you.” She couldn’t stop herself. The words ran out of her mouth as though they’d been let out of a cage. The last unspoken phrase between them. “I wanted to tell you before, but I had to let go of everything from the past before I could say anything. I needed to know nothing was holding me back because I want my
I love you
to mean something. I want it to mean we have a chance at something real—maybe the first real thing I’ve ever had. A chance at a future. That’s what my
I love you
means. I love you.”
“Heather…” Seth blinked. “I…”
Even his stammering didn’t bother her. He might not feel the same, but she didn’t regret saying it. “I’m sorry I interrupted. I know you had something else to say and I don’t mean to highjack this conversation or pressure you. You don’t have to say it back. You’ve just been so transparent with me from the beginning and I’ve been anything but. Now I can be as honest as you. And I honestly love you.”
She wiped at the tears that had appeared out of nowhere. Crying again? She was such a baby. Well, she could either let this be awkward or she could move things along. “Now, what were you going to say?”
“I….” His eyes were pinned on hers, searching. Then his features softened. “I was just going to say, I love you too.”
She was in his arms so fast she wasn’t sure who moved to whom. Their mouths found each other instantly, like they were tuned into each other, and their kiss was at once deep and urgent. Though she loved being lip-locked with him, this kiss was meant as a gateway to more fulfilling passions—desires that already pulsed in her lower regions with heavy need.
She moved closer, trying to ease her ache by grinding against the bulge in Seth’s pants. Desperate for him, her mind started plotting a location. The bedroom was too far, the stairs would be uncomfortable. There was a marble column to the side of them—could they fuck there, standing up?
Seth’s passion matched hers. His hands unzipped the back of her dress, then traveled down to her ass where he fondled her thong-bare cheeks. “I need to be inside you.” His voice was husky against her lips, eliciting a pool of want at her core.
She set her eye on the column and tried to press him in that direction. Then without warning, he lifted her and tossed her like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder.