Time To Pretend

Chapter Eleven: Outbursts

Her heels clicked against the concrete as she walks up the stairs to the house. Nestor saw her coming so he waited on the porch for her. Once she reached him, she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.
"What did you do?" Shannon asks accusingly.
"Wha-I...I wanted to talk to you." he says,
"About what?" she asks.
"About...well about us. I mean-"
"Us? You want to talk about us? Jesus, Nestor we could've talked over the phone." she says.
"Well what's the problem with you coming to see me?"
"Because I missed a meeting with my boss." she says angrily.
"A meeting? Like...just you two?" he asks.
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
"Are you getting promoted?" Nestor asks with confusion.
"No-"
"Fired?" he asks.
"Well, no-"
"Then why is your boss meeting with you? I mean the business is pretty big." Nestor says.
"He trusts me. And he likes...being around me-"
"He likes being around you? You're making it sound like..." he trails off, not wanting to start a fight with everyone around.
"Making it sound like what?" she asks angrily.
"Well, you're making it sound like he likes you." Nestor whispers, glancing around at the crew members who are moving stuff around for the next scene.
"So what if he does?" she asks. Nestor looks at her with surprise.
"That would be inappropriate behavior, don't you think?" he asks.
"And you have appropriate behavior with your coworkers?" she asks. His mind goes to the scene he had filmed with Vera not too long ago.
"You're not sleeping with him...right?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper. He glances up at her when she doesn't respond.
"You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking." she says, glaring at him.
"Answer the question." he says. She rolls her eyes and starts to walk down the steps. He follows her, not finished with their talk. He hadn't even said what he wanted to say yet.
"Shan, wait!" he says, jogging down the steps.
"Don't talk to me." she says a little too loudly for his liking. He can see Vera and Freddie down by the motel, both casting glances his way.
"I'm sorry-"
"You know what?" she asks, turning around at the bottom of the steps. Nestor stops suddenly to avoid running right into her.
"I could very well say the same thing." she whispers angrily. His eyebrows scrunch together and he opens his mouth but nothing comes out.
"Don't bother calling." she says.
"Listen I'm sorry." he says, looking down at the ground.
"But you still haven't answered the question." he says. She slaps his cheek, earning the attention of everyone around.
"Stop screwing your costar. And then we can talk." she shouts, before turning on her heels and walking to her car, speeding off.
Nestor's hand still holds his throbbing cheek when he looks up to see everyone still staring at him. He glances over at Vera to see her staring with her mouth open in shock.
He steps toward her but she turns around quickly and walks into one of the motel rooms. Freddie glances at Nestor before shaking his head and following Vera into the room. His hand drops to his side, letting his skin sting.
"Nestor?" Kerry calls out. He looks at her and Carlton who is standing next to her.
"A word?" she asks, motioning to the house. Nestor nods, following them up the stairs.
"Can we clear out, please?" Carlton asks. The crew members drop their things and leave the house.
Once they are inside and alone, Carlton shuts the door behind them.
"Nestor...we need to talk about what just happened-" Carlton says.
"Look this is a misunderstanding and-"
"Let us talk." Kerry says with a sad smile. Nestor nods, keeping his mouth shut. His cheeks burned with the embarrassment of being reprimanded. He had never been a troubled kid.
"There have been...rumors, about you and Vera. And we know better than to believe them." Carlton says.
"But after the...sudden difficulty between your chemistry with Vera-"
"And the outburst with your wife." Carlton adds.
"We just want to ask you personally if there is anything at all going on between you two." Kerry finishes.
"There is nothing going on between me and Vera. My wife...is upset with me and that is her favorite excuse to use. Vera is...more than professional, as you both know. She would never let something like this happen." Nestor says, more or less telling the truth.
"We know. We just wanted to make sure." Carlton says with a smile.
"You're not in any trouble." Kerry says.
"But we would like to sit down with you and Vera and find out where the chemistry went wrong." Carlton says. Nestor sighs, not wanting to put Vera through that.
"Of course. Whatever you think is best." he says.
"And Nestor?" Kerry asks before he could leave.
"We noticed you two haven't been speaking to each other." she says. He turns around and nods, not knowing what to say.
"Fix it." Carlton says. Nestor blushes and nods before opening the door and walking out of the house. He reaches the bottom of the steps and glances over at Vera who is watching him cautiously.
"What do you think they were saying?" Freddie whispers to Vera. She shrugs, her eyes still on him as he walks off set.
"It's not any of our concern." she says, ignoring the curiosity that is tugging at her.

It was early morning, almost three, when a knock was sounded on Nestor's door. Any normal person would have been asleep but Nestor hadn't had a good night's sleep since the last time he slept with Vera in his arms. So naturally, he was wide awake.
The knock sounded again, making Nestor push the covers aside and step onto the cold wood to get the door. When he opened it, Vera pushed her way inside, not caring to ask or be invited in.
"What the hell?" she asks, turning to him angrily.
"That's right. What the hell are you doing here? It's three in the morning." Nestor says, closing his door.
"Your wife made quite an accusation today. You think I would just let that slide?" she asks with surprise.
"I thought maybe you would talk to me at a reasonable hour." he says.
He actually didn't mind one bit that it was three in the morning. He was just happy to be talking to her. But he wouldn't let her know that.
"I was filming...and then I had to wait for Chris to fall asleep." she says. Nestor chuckles bitterly while rolling his eyes.
"I still can't believe you're back with him." he says, shaking his head.
"It's none of your business." she says through gritted teeth.
"It is my business. He is an ass. Have you lost your mind? Or are you just choosing not to use it?" he asks.
"You're questioning my judgement?" she asks with surprise.
"Are you not questioning your own judgement? How can you go back to him? It just...it makes me angry to think you would even consider it." he says.
"It makes you angry?" she asks.
"Yes."
"It makes you angry at me?" she asks. He nods, looking at her with confusion.
"You have no right to be angry with me." she whispers.
"You broke my heart."
He can feel his lip shake and his breathing becomes labored. He was filled with emotion, from the joy of talking to her to the heartbreak of hearing her pain that he had inflicted.
"I'm sorr-"
"No. Don't tell me you're sorry. I've moved on. I don't need your apologies. I have Chris-"
"You still care about me." he says.
"I don't-"
"You do." he says, grabbing her arm to stop her from leaving.
"I have proof." he says. She looks at him, studying his features to see if he is joking.
"You have proof?" she asks. He nods, reaching behind her to grab her journal off of the counter. He holds it out to her, already feeling guilty for taking it. She grabs it and gasps, looking at him with tears in her eyes.
"You stole my diary?" she asks softly.
"I'm sorry. I just...I had to hear your voice. But since you wouldn't talk to me...I'm sorry." he says sadly.
"I can't...I cant believe you would...why would you do this to me?" she asks, ignoring the tears that run down her cheeks.
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you before and I'm sorry for hurting you again. But...you do still think of me." he says.
"Me thinking of you has absolutely nothing to do with you, and everything to do with my inability to let painful things go. I used to care too much about you but now...you're the reason I can't feel anything." she says.
She rips her arm out of his hold and moves past him, stopping just before the open door.
"Get shit cleared up with your wife. I won't have my career ruined by her big mouth and your poor communication skills."
And with that, she was gone.