Acting The Part

Chapter 22: Caleb

I could feel the anger simmering beneath my skin, like a fire I couldn't put out. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white, but it wasn't enough to release the rage building inside me.

I'd never felt anything like it before—this overwhelming, uncontrollable anger that made me want to tear something apart. And it was all because of her. Because of what I'd just seen, of what that bastard had done.

I'd always been good at controlling my temper. I'd had to be. In business, losing your cool meant losing control, and I'd learned early on that keeping a tight leash on my emotions was the key to success.

But with Megan... with her, I couldn't seem to hold it together. She had the ability to make me lose my mind, to make me forget all the rules I'd set for myself.

And right now, I was hanging by a thread.

I glanced over at her, sitting quietly in the passenger seat. She hadn't said much since we left the set. She was staring out the window, her hands folded in her lap, and I could tell something was on her mind.

Something she wasn't telling me.

I couldn't stand it. I didn't want her to hide things from me—not after what had just happened. Not after I'd stood up for her, declared to the world that she was mine.

I wanted to protect her, to make sure no one ever treated her like that again. But how could I do that if she wasn't being honest with me?

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to speak. "Megan."

She didn't look at me right away, her eyes still focused on the passing buildings outside. I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she was holding herself so still, like she was trying not to crack.

"Megan," I said again, my voice harder this time. "Are you hiding something from me?"

Her eyes flicked toward me, wide and startled. For a moment, she didn't say anything, but I could see the hesitation in her gaze—the way her lips pressed together, like she was holding something back.

I didn't like it. My chest tightened with a frustration I couldn't shake. "Tell me."

She swallowed, turning away from me again. "It's nothing, Caleb."

I didn't believe her for a second. Something was wrong, and I wasn't going to let her brush it aside.

Not after what I'd seen on set. Not after the way she'd looked at that director like she was afraid of him.

"Megan," I said slowly, my voice low and controlled, though inside I was anything but calm. "If there's something you're not telling me, I need to know. I can't protect you if you don't tell me what's going on."

She was silent for a long moment, and I could feel the tension in the air thickening between us.

I didn't push her, but I didn't back down either. I just waited, my heart pounding, my fists clenched.

Finally, she let out a soft sigh. "Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll tell you."

I kept my eyes on the road, but my focus was entirely on her. I could feel the weight of her words before she even spoke them, and I knew whatever she was about to say was going to make me even angrier than I already was.

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly as she began. "It's about Mr. Rodriguez... He's been... harassing me."

I felt my grip on the steering wheel tighten, my pulse speeding up. "What do you mean, harassing you?"