Chapter 7 Watching Me Unravel
The phone vibrated again in my hand and I was caught between answering the call or throwing the phone into a nearby gutter.
I glanced down at it again and the name stared at me boldly.
<< Leah >>
God, I hadn't heard from her in months. Not since I left the industry. Not since I ghosted her, my career, and my life.
But now... now Leah was calling me?
I swallowed hard and swiped the answer button, lifting the phone to my ear with fingers that refused to stay steady.
"Hello." I squeezed out.
"Darling." Her voice came through the speaker so elegantly but always a little dramatic too. "I just saw the news. Oh my goodness I can't believe this. Are you okay?"
Of course she did.
Leaving Derek's house earlier, I expected headlines to be everywhere. The announcement must have gone viral within minutes.
Headlines like...
'Derek Holland finally files for divorce.'
Or
'Annie is back and has been taken off from where she left.'
News like that gained attention and it must have been plastered across every news app, talk shows, and Instagram gossip accounts.
I exhaled, rubbing my temple as if it would help to lessen the exhaustion. "Leah, I..."
"No excuses." Her tone softened, losing her usual polished manager tone. "Are you okay?"
The question hit harder than I expected.
Was I okay??
I glanced back at Ryker's house which I had just stepped out from and everything came flooding back in. The divorce, coming here and now this..accidentally meeting Derek's older brother—one that was described as the feared lone wolf of the Holland family. Someone I should probably stay away from.
"I'm surviving," I said, finally. "Though Surviving feels like a generous word right now."
Leah exhaled on the other end, and I imagined her pacing around in high heels and a Chanel robe, her curly blonde hair piled on top of her head in that messy bun she somehow made chic.
"You know I've always been against your relationship with Derek Holland," she muttered. "Never trust a man with straight teeth, I told you before."
I let out a half-laugh that also sounded like a sob. "God, I missed you, Leah."
"Then why didn't you call me?"
"I didn't want to be anyone's pity project."
"You were never a project, Babe." She scolded me, like always. "You were a star and you still are a star. You just suddenly walked away, disappointing your fans and yourself too."
I looked up at the moon, blinking away the sting in my eyes. It was hard being reminded of what I walked away from.
"I thought everyone had given up on me. I just..." My voice trailed off, my throat clotted.
"Not everyone." Her tone sharpened. "If I have to fly across the country and drag you back into the spotlight myself, I will. Hell, I still have that Vogue contact on my speed dial. I need my star model back."
"I'm not a runway material anymore, Leah. I can't even lift my chin and I've got more baggage than an airport."
"We will adapt and learn from scratch just like before." She hesitated. " But firstly, tell me, are you safe? Where are you?"
"In hell or maybe, close enough."
"Be specific, darling. Are you talking about emotional hell or just a sauna?"
My grip on the luggage tightened slightly. "Both emotional hell and Holland estate."
"Holland? As in Derek Holland?"
"Nope." I sighed for the umpteenth time. "As in Ryker Holland. His brother."
"Holy cow." She shrilled, making me wince. "You always did have a talent for choosing chaos over comfort, Van."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I didn't know he was Derek's brother. Got to find out ten minutes ago or so."
"So what now, you're staying with him?"
My shoulders sank. "Not if I can't help it." I looked down at my pitiful luggage. "I'm actually walking out as we speak."
"Walking to where? If I'm not mistaken, it's probably midnight in Brooklyn. Or you now have the habit of sleeping on your suitcases along roadways??"
I grimaced. "You think it can get that bad?"
"Well, it can.."
Oh fuck. That wasn't Leah's voice.
I spun quickly, only to find Ryker behind me.
Standing there in that whatsoever-charming manner, he looked so cool like a cucumber.
"You eavesdrop on people's conversations now?" I growled, clutching my phone tightly.
"Is that him?" Leah's voice filtered into my ears but I was too locked in on Ryker to respond.
"I didn't eavesdrop. I just happen to hear your conversation." He said flatly. "What are you still waiting for? Thought you already left and probably found a comfy spot under a bridge to pass the night."
"That's none of your business, you don't get to comment."
"Hard not to." His eyes narrowed slightly. "And who are you calling? Derek? Cute."
"It's not Derek."
"Sure." He nodded slowly. "And I'm a nun."
Okay. What if I just commit murder and enjoy the rest of my days in prison instead of enduring the torment of listening to him talk?
He was infuriating. Not in the terrible way. But in a way that made me want to both snap in anger and sigh in resignation.
He chuckled. "Oh, look how flushed you are now, lamb."
"Stop calling me that weird-as-can-be name." I cut in, sharply. "And can you just stop showing up on my face and every damn breath I take? You keep popping up everywhere."
He was like a shadow I couldn't escape from.
But even after my word vomit, he still didn't reply. He just stared at me like I was the storm and he was the eye of it.
Just then, my phone buzzed, reminding me of my call with Leah. Distracted, I quickly checked but realized the call had ended. But there was an incoming text from Annie.
I stepped away from Ryker as I tapped on the message that read;
{ See how easy it was to get rid of you? Because you'll always be unwanted, Van. You'll always come last. strings of laughing emojis }
Screw it.
I turned to Ryker and the words kept tumbling out. "About the contract...I want to see it."