Last Flight to L.A.

chapter twenty-one: heartbreak hotel

"This is bad. Bad for movie stars everywhere."

~Hail, Caesar!

Ethan shut off the coffee pot and picked up a dish towel to wipe off the grinds that had spilled everywhere.

He took another bite of his toast before tossing the rest to Roadkill, who was waiting expectantly at his feet.

His phone was already blowing up with text messages from people on the set.

It was their last day filming "A Summer in Paris", and the cast members were wanting to get together after shooting.

Ever since the tabloid episode two days ago, people had been hounding Ethan to answer questions. It had been easy at first—the only people who'd questioned him about his relationship status were his friends, or other people who were used to the press making up stories about them.

He'd just offer a simple explanation that, no, it wasn't true, and that he and Kelsey had pursued an innocent friendship over the past couple months.

When other media outlets dug up the story, however, Ethan was being asked for exclusive interviews on talk shows.

He'd declined them all, of course, but now he was beginning to wonder if he could somehow set the record straight, but feared he'd expand the story even further by doing so.

He wanted to clear Kelsey's name, but didn't want it to result in more people knowing about it than before.

He'd almost texted her a million times in the last forty-eight hours. To ask if she was doing okay or if she'd ever forgive him.

Then again, what if she did forgive him? What would he do? Drag her back into this world of backstabbing, lies, and status that he'd grown so numb to over the years?

He didn't want that for Kelsey.

She was sunshine and a cup of coffee in the morning and splashes of color across a blank canvas. Her smile demanded a reply and the way she could bring the best out of the worst person was nothing short of a miracle. What had he brought her?

The image of her expression after seeing the tabloid was seared into Ethan's mind. He couldn't protect her from Hollywood, just like he couldn't protect himself. That was why he never sent the texts he'd written addressed to her.

He scrolled through a few more messages before taking the last drink of his coffee, petting Roadkill, and slinging his backpack across one shoulder.

He made his way to the set, noticing that it was already emptier than usual since they were wrapping everything up.

The café scene was removed, and a team was already setting up for something else that would be filmed there.

He parked before hopping on to one of the golf carts that would take him to where he needed to be.

"Morning Jax," he said.

"Good morning, Mr. Glenn,"

"How's the day so far?"

"Just fine, fine."

That was the same conversation they'd had for the past three months, and today it brought a strange sort of comfort to Ethan.

Kelsey was right all those weeks ago when she said that "A Summer in Paris" was a nice set, Ethan had come to realize.

When he arrived at Section Four, where they were shooting a scene with stunt doubles on the green screen.