A Slow Burning Fire Read online

  ****

  Bryce picked up a picture and put it into a box without looking at it again. Now that he was no longer alone, the process felt smoother, easier. “You know, I'm surprised at how much I don't miss her,” he confessed.

  She glanced at him briefly as she picked up some smaller things of his and started to put them in the box as well. “You don't? But you were together for so long.”

  “Together, but not together, if you know what I mean. The past couple of years I barely saw her outside of work. Being on set here isn't exactly good quality time. Between her projects and mine, we didn't do a whole lot. I talked to you more on the phone and through webcam than I did her. Like I said before, we grew apart. And while she hasn't given me a straight-out answer as to why she did it, I think that's what it was. The reason I mean. I feel a loss, but I also feel relief, too. Is that weird?” He lifted his gaze and met her startling blue eyes. There was so much caring in her expression. She was actually listening to him.

  Slowly, Arial shook her head. “It's not weird. Perhaps you're just seeing how you're not as meant to be as you once thought. To be honest, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. You two were total opposites. I know, I know, opposites attract, but you couldn't agree on anything, it seemed. She wanted to party; you wanted to stay at home. There's a lot of stuff you've given up for her. Family, marriage, I know you want those things someday.”

  “Yes,” he whispered and left it at that. There was so much more he could say to defend himself and why he had stayed for so long, even though he knew he shouldn't have. He didn't want to give excuses. It had been his decision to stick things out with Katie, to keep loving her, despite their differences. She wanted to live like she was forever going to be twenty-one. He, on the other hand, knew he was twenty-eight and not getting any younger.

  Family had always been one of the most important things in his life. They'd been through so much together. Without his dad, brother, even his stepmother and stepsisters, Bryce would have been lost long ago in the sea of fame and probably would have drowned. Katie hadn't shared those sentiments. In fact, she didn't believe there was a point in having family, period. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before things ended after all. Why hadn't he seen it before, when it was so obvious to outsiders? He would have saved himself a lot of pain from holding onto a false hope that he could change her through his love and patience, when she never cared about the same things he had.

  Bryce gazed down at a different photograph, this one of him, Arial, and another co-worker of theirs. It was one of his favorite pictures. He couldn't help but smile. “Remember this? When we went to that random county fair with Lisa?”

  Arial walked over, leaning over him, her body so close to his own. He swallowed, shifting a bit as he moved the picture closer to her so she could see it better. A small laugh escaped her lips.

  “I do remember! Goodness, look at those awful bug sunglasses of ours. I'm surprised nobody recognized us that day. Especially because we looked like such dorks. And I can't believe we rode the Tilt-A-Whirl so many times Lisa puked. Did you ever burn that plaid shirt of yours?”

  “No! I would never do something so horrible,” he protested.

  “Neon green, brown, and yellow don't exactly go well together.”

  “You'd think they would.” He shrugged and put the picture into the box. “I can't get rid of a shirt that's given me such a good time. Pretty sure that makes it lucky. That day was the most fun I've had in a long time.”

  ****

  She frowned, listening to him. “Okay, now you're depressing me.”

  He threw his hands up and laughed. “I can't help it being true! Not to say I don't do anything fun, but I felt free. You know? No crazy paparazzi following me around and yelling at me. Things were normal. I need more normal in my life. Hopefully, now that the show is over, I can have some of that before my next project.”

  “I'm looking forward to eating a big pile of French fries. Do you have something new lined up?” she asked as she grabbed another picture of him and Katie and put it into the box. Arial was trying to grab as many of those as she could, so he wouldn't have to do it himself. While her relationships had never been as deep, every time she broke up with a guy, she'd wanted to destroy any evidence of it ever happening. She couldn't even imagine what he might be going through with each reminder that was left in his room. Hopefully talking about work would be a pleasant topic change.

  “I've got a movie at the end of the summer to film. There have been a few pitches for new television shows, but I might stay off the small screen for a little while, just to see what other options present themselves. What about you?” He stopped what he was doing and flashed her a smile.

  How she loved that smile. It always took her breath away. His white teeth were straight, but not so perfect that they looked unnatural. The part she loved most about it was the way his olive eyes seemed to light up and turned more green than brown in color. And his lips made her want to know what it would be like to kiss him out of love instead of a work obligation. Every time she'd shared any onscreen romance with him, Arial had tried her hardest to convey the deep love she'd concealed from him for so long, selfishly hoping he might notice.

  It took her a moment to find her voice again. “I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do. There are options, of course, but I need to wait until the end of the summer before doing anything. I've been thinking about writing an album.”

  He put a hand to his heart and sighed listlessly. “Music, my first love. I envy your talents. Writing a song has never been one of my amazing superpowers.”

  “You sing like a dream, though,” she pointed out.

  “So do you. I'd listen to you sing the phone book. It'd still be amazing.”

  Arial's cheeks became hot instantly, and she turned away from him to hide the blush she knew was covering her face. Way to act like a twelve-year-old, she scolded herself. “Maybe someday we can make it a duet of the Yellow Pages, then.”

  “We can call it the payphone tour and we'll sell out worldwide.” He gave her his gorgeous smile again.

  Breathing in slowly, she put down the picture she was about to pack up and placed it on the couch. She offered him her right hand. “I'm game if you are.”

  He took it firmly in his own and gave it a good shake. “You've got yourself a deal.”

  His gaze met her own for a moment she wanted to last forever. Then his eyes drifted away from hers and down to the picture she had been holding. With surprising speed he snatched it up and held it to his chest so she couldn't see.

  “This one doesn't get boxed,” he stated.

  Stunned, she recoiled, trying to cover her hurt quickly, so he wouldn't notice. “I'm sorry, I didn't realize…”

  “You don't need to apologize. It's not like you knew.” He ran his bottom lip between his teeth. “My mom doesn't ever get boxed, that's all.”

  Arial winced. “I'm so sorry, Bryce. I should have been paying more attention to what I was doing.” She'd only glimpsed the picture and didn't bother to process what was on it, assuming it had been yet another image of him and Katie. Not something she wanted to look at. Now she was mentally kicking herself for not being more careful.

  He shook his head. “Like I said, you don't need to apologize. No harm was done. Even if she found her way in, I would have gotten her out eventually, as soon as I noticed I couldn't find her.”

  If Arial's heart wasn't breaking for him before, it was now. Once again, she was at a loss for words. Losing a mother was not something she could relate too. She gave his arm a small squeeze before going to box up the books and magazines he had lying across the coffee table in front of the couch. Those were safer and without so much sentimental value attached to them.

  “Thanks again for helping me with this,” he said softly. “I'm sure you need to be going now.”

  She boxed up the magazines she held in her hands and then smoothed out her shirt. That was about as close as Bryce could
get to kicking her out without actually telling her to leave. “I suppose I should,” she whispered.

  Before she could start walking to the door, he grabbed her forearm firmly, yet there was a tenderness in his grasp as well. He waited until their eyes met before speaking. “I promise you, this won't be the last time you see me. Neither will the party.”

  The corners of her lips twitched upward into a tiny smile. “Good, because I would miss you terribly.”

  “I don't want to lose you either.”

  “You won't. You can't.” She offered him a small wave before leaving the trailer.

  Chapter Two

  Parties were not Arial's usual scene. The wrap party was an essential part of the business, and she dutifully attended them for all of her projects. Hardly ever did she stay for the whole thing. Tonight, however, she was actually looking forward to the event. Not just because Bryce had said he'd come, but also because the cast and crew of Three Wishes had grown to be her family, offering her a home away from home. It wasn't easy being on the other side of the country from her parents. She might be an adult, but she still felt the lack of their presence. Getting used to the idea of them being so far away had not been easy. They did so many small things for her that she never appreciated until they were apart. For example, she especially wished her mother was there to help her get ready, so she could have someone to share the moment with.

  Arial had picked out the dress for the event over a month ago. She'd chosen a pale yellow chiffon cocktail dress that had a ruched bodice decorated with silver rhinestones. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline. The soft color looked nice against her tanned skin, but what she loved the most about it was the way it made her appear a woman instead of a teenager, without going overboard. There was a fine line between conservative and boring. She was happy not to cross it and keep hold of her values.

  She hummed while putting on a pair of long, dangling earrings studded with diamonds. The way they fell reminded her of a waterfall, which was the only reason she had bought them in the first place. Expensive jewelry was not something she purchased a lot. Any time she went to a special event or walked a red carpet, a designer donated a piece to display. She had gotten that particular pair of earrings herself a couple years back solely for special occasions. The after party definitely qualified as such.

  Makeup applied and her silver heels on, she was ready to go. A black town car waited for her outside of her Los Angeles apartment building. Driving did not appeal to her tonight. The press would be there in droves to catch sight of all the celebrities who would be in attendance at the party. Not only had the cast been invited, but also other stars from the network, as well as some big-name friends. Three Wishes was going out with a bang.

  As she got into the car, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse and dialed Bryce's number. The phone kept ringing. Four, five, six. Why isn't he picking up? she wondered. The phone went to voicemail. Scowling, she hung up and tried again. Once more, it only kept ringing, but this time he answered before the automated voice message did.

  “Hello?” he drawled out, speech obviously slurred.

  Arial closed her eyes, shaking her head. “You're drunk.”

  “I'm having fun,” he stated. In the background she could hear loud music and lots of chatter.

  Patience, she willed herself. Taking in a deep breath, she spoke with more calm than she felt. “Are you at the party?”

  “Yes.”

  She sighed with relief. At least he was somewhere relatively safe. Why in his right mind did he think getting drunk at the after-party would be a good idea? Anger boiled up inside her. This wasn't like Bryce at all. She only knew of two other times she'd seen him drunk out of his mind. One being his twenty-first birthday party where he was introduced to alcohol for the first time. The second was after his mother passed away later that same year. Dread replaced the anger when she heard a new voice on his phone — a female one.

  “Has anyone ever told you how hot you are?” the woman asked him. Arial didn't recognize to whom it belonged, which worried her even more.

  “Bryce,” Arial said. “Listen to me carefully. I will be there soon. Stay where you are. Don't go anywhere with anyone. Just enjoy your drink. Try to eat something, too.”

  He laughed. “Sure thing, Ari. I won't move a muscle, promise. See you soon.” He hung up before she could say goodbye.

  A small growl escaped her lips. “Try to step on it, please,” she told her driver.

  The producers had picked a new restaurant in the city to help keep the event off the radar from the adoring public. News spread fast, however, because when Arial arrived at the door some fifteen minutes later, not only was she bombarded by cameras but shouts of praise from fans. She stopped to sign a handful of autographs and to shake hands with a few lucky people before making her way to the door. One goal was in her mind: get to Bryce.

  Inside, the party was hopping. Loud dance music thumped out of the stereos, giving the restaurant more of a club feel than a dining place. The entrance was elevated over a large room. White twinkling lights wrapped around the stairwell that led down, giving the whole place a classic, fancy appeal. Tables lined the edges of the room, with the bar in the center and a dance floor toward the back where a DJ played. Arial's focus remained on the bar as she searched for Bryce.

  “Please be there,” she whispered. Her eyes spotted him at the far corner, and she watched him sip on a drink. Every so often his head would nod as he listened to a tall, blonde woman with the body of a supermodel. This woman put a hand on his chest, slipping her hand under the coat of his suit jacket to do so. Arial gripped the hand railing on the stairs with such strength, her knuckles were turning white. She growled as she stalked her way across the room to the bar.

  ****

  Bryce sat at the bar listening to the blonde woman blabber on about some big underwear campaign she was modeling for, like that was supposed to impress him or something. Where was Arial? He was getting bored waiting for her to arrive. He sipped at his rum and Coke, knowing full well he probably should have switched to water a long time ago. The goal had been to take the edge off all the emotions cycling through his mind, not to get plastered and feel nothing at all. Forgetting to have a snack before arriving hadn't helped his low tolerance level much.

  “It's a little loud here. I don't suppose you'd want to go some place more quiet so we could get to know each other better?” the blonde asked. He'd missed her name, but he had a sneaking suspicion she wouldn't mind too much. Her hand snaked across his chest and into his suit jacket. It trailed down his side, and he pulled away from her before she could get any further.

  He shook his head. “Food will be here soon, and I'm meeting friends.”

  “Dinner isn't for another twenty minutes. That's more than enough time to get acquainted.” She winked.

  Cringing inwardly, he grabbed her hand before she could touch him again and gently placed it onto the bar counter. Under the influence or not, he still had some self-control left. “Let me be straight with you. I'm not interested.”

  “How about another rum and Coke then?”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” He wanted it for different reasons than she, he was sure. When he got his next drink from the bartender, he took a bigger swig and slouched. He tapped his hands on the counter impatiently as he waited. The nameless blonde model continued to fawn over him, but everything she said went in one ear and right out the other.

  When he noticed Arial pushing her way through the crowd, he sat up quickly. As she got closer, his breath caught in his throat. He'd never noticed how truly stunning she was before. Her pale yellow dress accented her features perfectly and put her on a level high above the other women there — including the model, who may have had a flawless body in her revealing little black dress but lacked in class. Arial projected an image and confidence that reminded him of old Hollywood. A time when it was preferable to be glamorous over seductive, regal even. She could have been
a princess with all of her grace and natural beauty.

  Why did she look so angry, though? While the furrowed brow and pouted lips were indeed sexy to behold, her temper could be a force to reckon with.

  ****

  Arial forced a smile onto her face when she arrived at the bar. Even if she didn't want to look happy, she pretended for Bryce's sake. She didn't want to make him angry by acting out in a jealous rage. He wasn't hers to be jealous or protective over to begin with.

  “Bryce, sweetie, thank you for waiting. I hope you weren't too bored,” she said, opening her arms to hug him.

  His green eyes rose to look at her, and she saw the pure, joyful glimmer in them. Bryce had never been a guarded drunk. Some people put their walls up higher while under the influence. Alcohol had the opposite effect on him. The walls fell down and the extra security he had carefully put around himself was disabled, leaving him open, vulnerable, and easy to read. When his gaze met hers, his smile widened. He was absolutely smoking hot in his black suit as well. When he cleaned up, he did it nicely. His sand-colored hair was neatly combed and his face clean-shaven. The suit added a smooth confidence to his persona.

  Without any hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I managed. Thanks for coming.” He rose from his stool and stumbled slightly, using her shoulders for support. The sudden weight on her almost caused her to fall.

  She picked up the nearly empty glass. “How many of these did you have?”

  “Three and a half.”

  Arial groaned. “You're kind of a lightweight,” she teased in an effort to hide her disappointment. Getting openly upset with him would only push him further away. She'd save the lectures for when he was sober.

  “Bars aren't my thing,” he mumbled. “I'm not as far gone as you think.”

  “The fact that you said that like a toddler makes me think otherwise.” She pulled him to the side of the restaurant and grabbed the sides of his face, forcing him to look at her. “Be honest with me. Do you want to be here right now?”